These oatmeal bars are soft and chewy and just 3 ingredients. They are healthy enough for breakfast or a snack. These oatmeal bars don’t need any flour, eggs, added sugar or butter. They can be easily customized as well.
These healthy oatmeal bars are a new favorite in my family. I love that we are able to customize them to each person’s preference. I make some with no added sugar for family members who aren’t supposed to have too much sugar and I add chocolate chips and dried fruit for those with a sweet tooth. The batter is so easy to make, even kids can help prep it.
Ingredients
- Quick Oats
- Bananas
- Peanut Butter
Quick Oats: These oatmeal bars are made with quick oats . Quick oats are rolled oats that have gone through further processing. They are thinner, smaller and will cook more quickly than rolled oats. You can also make the oat bars with rolled oats. Or you can turn your rolled oats into quick oats by pulsing them a few times in a food processor.
Bananas: You will want to use very ripe bananas. The bananas are mashed down and provide natural sweetness for the oatmeal bars.
Peanut Butter: Make sure to use natural peanut butter. This is peanut butter than does not contain any added oils in the ingredient list. The only ingredients listed should be peanuts and salt. Peanut butter can be substituted with natural almond butter or natural sunflower seed butter.
How to Make Oatmeal Bars
The mashed bananas and peanut butter are mixed together until uniform. The oats are then mixed in until a thick batter forms. If you are adding any mix-ins, stir them in now.
The mixture is then pressed into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and baked for about 15 minutes. Once cooled, the bars can be cut and served. Store any uneaten bars in the fridge in an airtight container.
Tips
The bars are great if you are looking for something healthy and low sugar. If you prefer more flavors or something sweeter, you can easily customize these bars.
You can add about 2 tbsp of maple syrup or honey to the batter (add them when you add the oats) to make the bars a little sweeter. You can always taste the batter and adjust the sweetness as needed.
You can also add chocolate chips, dried fruit, chopped nuts or other similar mix-ins.
More Healthy Oatmeal Recipes
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cake
- No Bake Oatmeal Bars
- Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
3 Ingredient Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (232 g) mashed bananas
- 1/2 cup (128 g) unsweetened natural peanut butter
- 2 1/4 cups (198 g) quick oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Add bananas and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl. Stir until the ingredients are fully mixed and the mixture is uniform in color. Add in oats and stir until they are evenly mixed in. If adding any mix-ins, add them in now.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread it across the pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until bars look set and cooked. Let bars cool fully before removing from the pan and cutting and serving. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in fridge or freezer.
Notes
- These oatmeal bars have a very low amount of sweetness. If you prefer sweeter, you can add 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup or honey to the batter (add it at the same time you add in the oats). You can taste the batter and adjust the sweetness as needed. You can also add mix-ins like chocolate chips, dried fruit or chopped nuts.
- You will need approximately 3 medium bananas to yield 1 cup of mashed bananas. It's okay if your mashed bananas have a few small chunks remaining.
- I made these bars with quick oats. You can also use rolled oats. Or you can make your own quick oats by pulsing the quick oats in a food processor until they are smaller pieces, the size of quick oats.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Do they need to be refrigerated? How long do they stay good for?
Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in fridge or freezer. They should keep for a few days in the refrigerator and up to a month in the freezer.
I’ve made these twice and while the are ok and simple, they are thicker than what yours look like. I am using the same size pan. The second time around I tried to make sure I pushed them down and they are still thick and they stay kind if Gooey in the middle even after cooking for 20-30 minutes. Lol I just don’t know what I did wrong.
If you are using an 8″ pan and spreading the dough evenly in it, it’s hard to say why yours are thicker. Are you sure you’re using the right size pan?
What temp do the banana oatmeal bars cook at ?
350°F – this info is in the first step of the recipe card at the end of the post.
Great quick meal, great snack, healthy complete.
We’re happy you liked them!
Did I miss how much each ingredient to use?
Yes – all of the ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of the post (before the comments section).
Can i make these bar cookies on aluminum tin instead?
That should work!
Love love love
I’m so happy you like them!
I love oatmeal.
We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can I make these oatmeal bars in a muffin tin instead of a bar shape?
We haven’t tried it, but it should work. They probably won’t need as long to bake if you use a muffin pan.
I’m gonna try these…
Looks Yummy!!?
We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Quick, easy & deliciously satisfying. Great breakfast on the go. Have some caramel sauce that I might add for dessert.
I’m so glad they worked out well for you!
Love your EASY TO MAKE recipes. My grandkids really enjoy them. The recipes keep them coming back to Grandma’s ???? The ages are 26yo to 8yo and I have seven grands Woohoo for me. Much thanks to you Kirby ??
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so happy to hear your grandkids are enjoying the recipes
Nice