Peanut Butter and Banana Granola Bars
on Sep 26, 2021, Updated Oct 28, 2023
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These homemade peanut butter and banana granola bars are a great snack for on the go! They are egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free making them a great allergy-friendly treat!
My toddler loves granola bars and I wanted to try to create a homemade bar with some ingredients I had on hand. I came up with these 6-ingredient bars that are soft when baked and packed with healthy fats!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make these peanut butter and banana granola bars:
- Bananas: The main source of sweetness for these granola bars. Try to use bananas that are very ripe with several brown spots. The riper the bananas, the sweeter the bars!
- Peanut Butter: For added healthy fats and flavor.
- Rolled Oats: I love baking with rolled oats as they are packed with nutrition! Gluten-free rolled oats make these granola bars gluten-free.
- Sliced Almonds: For added texture and taste.
- Maple Syrup: For added sweetness to the bars.
- Cinnamon: Provides an extra warm spice and subtle sweetness.
Step By Step Instructions
- Blend the banana and peanut butter together until smooth. Pour this mixture into a bowl.
- Add in the maple syrup, cinnamon, oats and almonds. Mix until combined.
- Press this mixture into a parchment paper lined pan. Use a spatula to flatten and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- Allow it to cool completely before slicing into bars.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Peanut butter: The peanut butter may be replaced with any nut butter or seed-based butter.
- Almonds: The almonds may be replaced with any type of nut/seed combination. They may also be omitted completely for a nut-free bar, but I recommend adding some type of mix in for a little texture variation!
Storage Instructions
Once cooled, slice into bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. To freeze, store in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
- Use overripe bananas for more sweetness. The maple syrup adds a little more sweetness, but the riper the bananas, the better.
- I love using this nutribullet blender to blend the banana and peanut butter into a smooth batter!
- I used a 9 by 5 loaf pan for this recipe, but you may use an 8 by 8 brownie pan for a thinner bar.
- Add in extra add-ins for more texture and taste! I like to drizzle melted chocolate on top of a few bars for an extra treat!
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Peanut Butter and Banana Granola Bars
These homemade granola bars are great snack for on the go! They are egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free making them a great allergy friendly treat!
Ingredients
- 2 small overripe bananas, about 1.5 cups when pureed
- ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 ¼ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Blend the banana and peanut butter together until smooth. Pour this mixture into a bowl.
- Add in the maple syrup, cinnamon, oats and almonds. Mix until combined.
- Press this mixture into a parchment paper lined pan. Use a spatula to flatten and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- Allow it to cool completely before slicing into bars.
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for more sweetness. The maple syrup adds a little more sweetness, but the riper the bananas, the better.
- I love using this nutribullet blender to blend the banana and peanut butter into a smooth batter!
- I used a 9 by 5 loaf pan for this recipe, but you may use an 8 by 8 brownie pan for a thinner bar.
- Add in extra add-ins for more texture and taste! I like to drizzle melted chocolate on top of a few bars for an extra treat!
Nutrition
Calories: 225.73kcal, Carbohydrates: 21.43g, Protein: 7.78g, Fat: 13.64g, Saturated Fat: 1.85g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.62g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7.43g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 50.74mg, Potassium: 316.39mg, Fiber: 4.45g, Sugar: 6.28g, Vitamin A: 16.68IU, Vitamin C: 2.2mg, Calcium: 55.48mg, Iron: 1.37mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Out of curiosity, do you think this would still work out if you blended up the oats and almonds close to a powder? I have a kiddo who is really particular about texture.
Hi Daisy! Yes, these should still work up with blended oats, but you may have to add in a little extra oat powder if the mixture seems too wet. If the mixture still seems wet after adding extra oat powder, it will harden up once baked and cooled.
Thank you – your recipes are perfect for us. We have a 22-year-old special needs child with no teeth. I purchase granola bars for him and break them into bites, these will be healthier for him. I can’t wait to try all the recipes.
Thank you for sharing your great feedback, Cindy! I’m so happy to hear that your little one enjoys the recipes and hope that he likes any other recipes you try out!😊
Hi there,
Thanks for the recipe. I followed the exact measurements, but it became dry. Not sure if it’s meant to be dry bars?!
Hi! They are not meant to be dry bars, was your mixture moist when you mixed everything together in a bowl? Did you mixture look like the ones I showed above in the process shot photos above?