These freezer friendly banana baked oatmeal bars are perfect for taking as a super wholesome on-the-go breakfast or healthy snack!
It’s like eating a giant homemade banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookie for breakfast, delicious and hot from the oven.
The wholesome recipe can be vegan, gluten free, egg free, dairy free, low fat, low sugar and refined sugar free, with protein, iron, and fiber in each filling bite.
Make up a batch for the entire family. Or freeze some of the bars right away, so you can always have a healthy breakfast on hand any time you want one!
Also make these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Banana oatmeal bar ingredients
The recipe calls for oats, banana, sweetener, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
For sugar free oatmeal bars, simply use liquid or powdered stevia to equal the sweetness amount of three tablespoons sugar.
Change up the flavor by using peanut butter, almond butter, or coconut butter or oil for the fat. Peanut butter oatmeal breakfast bars are one of my favorite versions.
Or turn it into a fat free breakfast recipe by substituting water instead.
There’s a banana free option listed in the recipe box below. Roasted sweet potato can also be mashed and used instead of the banana if you prefer.
Making the oatmeal breakfast bars
Preheat your oven to 350 degees Fahrenheit, and line an eight inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease the pan well.
Stir all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make sure everything is evenly stirred, then smooth the batter into the prepared pan.
You can sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips on top if you want chocolate baked oatmeal bars. Then bake the recipe 20 minutes on the oven’s center rack.
Do not open the oven door. Turn off the heat completely, and let the pan sit in the closed oven for an additional five minutes so the bars will firm up while maintaining their soft and moist texture.
Slice into bars. If desired, top the healthy banana oat bars with Vegan Cream Cheese.
How to store baked oatmeal bars
Cover and refrigerate leftovers in the pan for three to four days.
Or slice the baked oatmeal into bars or squares. Layer them into an airtight container, with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper in between each layer so the bars do not stick to each other.
Once they are packed into the container, leftover bars can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. To defrost when ready to eat, simply thaw the banana oatmeal bars in the microwave or a warm oven, or heat in a pan on the stovetop.
Other healthy breakfast ideas
Watch the oatmeal bar recipe video above
Baked Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/3 cup mashed banana (for banana-free, try these Baked Oats)
- 6 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup, agave, or honey OR stevia equivalent
- 3 tbsp oil, nut butter, or additional water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- optional handful chocolate chips, chopped nuts, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch pan with parchment, or grease well. Stir all ingredients, then smooth into the pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake 20 minutes, then do not open the oven door but turn off the heat and let sit in the closed oven an additional 5 minutes. Slice into bars. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for a few months.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Healthy Banana Recipes
Healthy Banana Bread – OIL FREE Option
Hi Katie. I love the portability of these bars but I don’t like banana. I notice in your Baked Oats recipe that you can use either banana or applesauce. Could I substitute an equal amount of applesauce for the banana in this recipe? If I used baked squash, would it be an equal amount to the banana? Thanks. Love your recipes!
Hi, we haven’t tried it here so don’t want to recommend anything we haven’t tried (for taste purposes – texture should be fine).
This recipe looks fantastic–right up my alley!
How would I substitute xylitol for the liquid sweeteners?
Thank you for all your healthy recipes, Katie!
We haven’t ever tried a granulated sweetener here and don’t know if it would work, texture-wise. You might be better off going with powdered erythritol or blending xylitol in the blender until powdered then using that. If you try, be sure to report back.
Has anyone tried this with added protein powder?
Looks Fabulous👏👏👏 thank you for the video and recipe. Do you know how much the 2 cups of oats and the 1 & 1/3 rd cups of mashed banana weigh in grams please. Thanks. Stay safe…
I prefer everything in grams as well
~200g oats and ~300g banana
I also prefer grams so I weighed it out as I measured volumetrically. Hope this helps xx
do you cook the oats first ? it doesn’t sa
Thank you Rebecca very helpful. I wish there was a metric slide option on the recipes.
These are fantastic!
How do you get 90 calories per serving? I calculated the calories using oil and sugar free maple syrup and got 142 calories per serving. Is water used instead of the oil?
I have never tried a recipe that you’ve provided that I didn’t like. Your site is my go-to site for almost anything. I may be 77 yrs old (and follow a vegan/plant-based diet) but I enjoy trying new recipes. Your recipes are easy, with ingredients found in most pantries, and delicious. Thank you!
This made us so happy to read. Thank YOU for trying the recipes 🙂
DO not even try to slice these until cool. They fall apart.
Have you tested this with quick cooking oats?
Hi sorry we have not!
Did you try the instant oats?
Instant oats are the same thing as quick cook
We did it with the instant oats last time we made these and they were very…very…very dense/mushy. Taste wise they tasted wonderful but if your a texture person you probably wouldn’t like it. We are making it with the old fashion oats tonight!
Very good!
These were SO good and incredibly easy! I’m a new mom so was looking for some quick and healthy breakfast/snack ideas, and these are totally it! Life that they are full of breastfeeding-friendly ingredients too. Can’t wait to make again!
Thank you so much for trying them 🙂