These soft-baked, Healthy Oatmeal Bars are so easy to make and great for breakfast! Moist and perfectly sweetened with no added sugar, this oatmeal protein bar recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and so delicious.
Healthy chocolate oatmeal bars are easy and so full of protein. When you take a bite into this chewy, soft-baked oat bar recipe you will be met with an array of nutty chocolate flavors mixed with bananas and peanut butter.
Vegan oatmeal breakfast bars are great for whenever you need to take breakfast on the go or have a quick protein boost throughout the day. Made with chocolate chips, oats, and roasted peanuts–these moist oatmeal bars contain all the healthy flavors you need.
I go back and forth between this recipe and my other filling oat recipes including my homemade oatmeal granola bars, apple cinnamon oatmeal, peanut butter protein oats, and more. There are so many great options to choose from for healthy breakfast recipes!
This recipe is super versatile and can easily fit your needs. If you’re not a chocolate lover, then you can easily leave the chocolate out!
Why These Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Are The Best
- Versatile: This healthy oatmeal bar recipe is a favorite because you can make it so many ways! Use different types of chopped nuts, fruit, nut butters, different protein powders, and more!
- Easy: This simple recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes and so easy to make! All you do is mix everything in one bowl, bake the oat bars, then allow them to cool before eating. So straightforward!
- Full of Protein: The peanut butter, protein powder, oats, and peanuts give these moist oatmeal bars a good amount of protein which makes this recipe ideal for whenever you need to curb your hunger with a filling snack.
- Perfect Combination of Flavors: Chocolate and peanut butter are the perfect flavors! Nutty with rich chocolate, these oatmeal bars allow you to feel like you are eating dessert instead of healthy snacks!
- Healthy: These oat bars are made with healthy plant-based ingredients that are nutrient-dense and rich in fiber and protein. This recipe is gluten-free and fully plant-based!
INGREDIENTS FOR SOFT-BAKED OATMEAL BARS
This is a list that features the easy ingredients that are in this healthy oatmeal bar recipe! For a list of the full measurements, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card.
- Bananas: Two large ripened bananas are mashed to make these oat bars naturally sweet and moist. Make sure you have ripe bananas that are spotty and soft! Spotty bananas are sweeter and healthier.
- Peanut Butter: Feel free to use either crunchy peanut butter for extra nutty textures or creamy peanut butter for smoother flavors. Any kind of peanut butter will work!
- Vanilla Extract: Naturally vanilla extract gives this recipe extra rich flavors with vanilla.
- Oats: Quick oats are used because they bake easily and create chewier oat bars. If you use different oats, you may have a longer cooking time.
- Protein Powder: Keep these oatmeal bars vegan by using a dairy-free protein powder. You can also use whey protein for a non-vegan recipe.
- Chocolate Chips: Keep this recipe sugar free by using dark chocolate chips. Any kind of chocolate chips will work. You can also chop up a chocolate bar into small pieces.
- Peanuts: Roasted peanuts are extra flavorful and used to give this recipe an extra hint of nuttiness. You can use any kind of chopped nuts.
HOW TO MAKE these HEALTHY OATMEAL BARS FROM SCRATCH
- Mash the banana: First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an eight by ten inch pan with parchment paper. In a bowl with a potatato masher or fork, mash the two bananas until smooth.
- Combine ingredients: Next, with a spoon, stir in ½ cup of the peanut butter, vanilla extract, quick oats, chocolate protein powder, dark chocolate chips, and finally, the roasted chopped peanuts. Stir all of the ingredient until they are evenly combined.
- Bake the oat bars: Gently, press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake the bars for fifteen minutes or until they are a lightly, golden brown color on top.
- Slice and enjoy: Once the oatmeal bars have finished baking, carefully remove them from the oven and transfer the baked mixture to a wire rack to cool. Once the bars are cool, cut them into twelve even bars.
RECIPE NOTES, TIPS, AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- To be sure you have gluten-free oatmeal bars, make sure you buy gluten-free oats.
- For extra moisture, add applesauce to the oat bars.
- Instead of peanut butter, use cashew or almond butter. You can even try sunflower butter if there is a nut allergy.
- Use vanilla protein powder instead of chocolate powder for fewer chocolate flavors.
- Instead of dark chocolate chips, switch things up with white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips.
- In place of the peanuts, roasted almonds or cashews can be used.
- For extra nutty flavors, sprinkle some unsweetened shredded coconut in the oat mixture and on top before baking.
- If you do not want to mix the ingredients by hand, then you can mix things in a food processor.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for four days. The bars will last longer stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Freeze the bars by cutting them into squares and freezing them in a freezer-safe bag for three months.
- Add rich aromatic spices to these soft baked bars such as cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, dates, etc. will work great for this recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
These oatmeal breakfast bars are healthy and full of protein! Thanks to the peanut butter, banana, oats, protein powder, and peanuts, this recipe is rich in fiber without any added sugar!
Granola bars are typically made with oats and can be mixed with chocolate chips, fruit, spices, nuts, sweeteners, and much more! Granola bars are great for whenever you need a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Some of our favorite healthy snack ideas include fresh or dried fruit, mixed nuts, fresh veggies like bell peppers, celery sticks, and cucumber, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese mixed with fresh berries, smoothies, guacamole, hummus, and different nut butter like peanut butter.
MORE HEALTHY BREAKFAST RECIPES YOU WILL ENJOY
Healthy Apple Walnut Bread Recipe
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS HEALTHY OATMEAL PROTEIN BARS RECIPE
These healthy oat snacks can be served with a variety of foods including:
- Healthy Blueberry Muffins
- Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Chia Seed Pudding Recipe
- Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Finally, please use our hashtag #healthyfitnessmeals on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! FOLLOW Healthy Fitness Meals on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER for all of our latest blog posts and recipes.
Healthy Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Bars (No Sugar)
Ingredients
- 2 bananas ripened and large; mashed
- ½ cup peanut butter or any kind of nut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups quick oats
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder or vanilla, plant-based for vegan option
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips dairy-free for vegan option
- ½ cup peanuts roasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mash bananas with a fork or a potato masher until soft.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients. Evenly spread and gently press the mixture into prepared baking pan.
- Bake the bars for 15 minutes or until lightly golden on top.
- Allow the oat bars to cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
Notes
- To be sure you have gluten-free oatmeal bars, make sure you buy gluten-free oats.
- For extra moisture, add applesauce to the oat bars.
- Instead of peanut butter, use cashew or almond butter. You can even try sunflower butter if there is a nut allergy.
- Use vanilla protein powder instead of chocolate powder for fewer chocolate flavors. For a vegan option, use plant-based protein powder.
- Instead of dark chocolate chips, switch things up with white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips. Use dairy-free for a vegan option
- In place of the peanuts, roasted almonds or cashews can be used.
- For extra nutty flavors, sprinkle some unsweetened shredded coconut in the oat mixture and on top before baking.
- If you do not want to mix the ingredients by hand, then you can mix things in a food processor.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for four days. The bars will last longer stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Freeze the bars by cutting them into squares and freezing them in a freezer-safe bag for three months.
- Add rich aromatic spices to these soft baked bars such as cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, dates, etc. will work great for this recipe!
S says
Can you leave out the protein power? Can you use anything in its place?
Rena Awada says
Yes you can make it without add a couple of tablespoons of either more oats or almond flour.
Lisa says
Love these. I used dried blueberries instead of cranberries and omitted the nuts.
Rena Awada says
I love blueberries
Amrit R says
Absolutely delicious and healthy, adding pumpkin seeds made it even better.
Ann Kathryn Gallant says
What size pan?
Rena Awada says
Hi Ann. I use a 9×9 pan
Mike says
This is a great recipe – simple, easy, healthy, and delicious. My cooking ability is very basic, and these turned out great. I will be making them often. Thank you!
Rena says
Thanks, Mike. Glad you liked them
Jasmine says
These are delicious..Mine didn’t come out as crunchy as I would like but next time I will bake them a little longer..
Super easy and quick to make..I omitted the peanuts since I am not really a fan.
Rena says
Nice. Thanks for the feedback