Strawberry Banana Oat Bars
on Jan 19, 2024, Updated Mar 17, 2024
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These strawberry banana oat bars are the perfect make-ahead breakfast. They are egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and with only 6 ingredients make for a filling and delicious treat!
Strawberries, bananas, and chocolate – what could be a better combo?! When strawberries are in season and juicy and ripe, I love turning them into these soft-baked oat bars. They’re a great way of getting in a serving of oats first thing in the morning and their soft texture makes it easy for little ones to break down and chew.
If you’re looking for other fun ways to serve oats besides a traditional bowl of oatmeal, be sure to try out these cinnamon apple oatmeal bites, banana blueberry oatmeal muffins, and sweet chocolate chip oat bites! And if you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll also love this creamy oatmeal chocolate pudding made with rolled oats as the base!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make these strawberry banana oat bars:
- Bananas: The main source of sweetness for these bars. Make sure to use bananas that are overripe with several brown spots. The riper the bananas, the sweeter the bars!
- Strawberries: Try to use strawberries that a juicy and ripe for the best bursts of sweetness!
- Peanut Butter: For added healthy fats and flavor.
- Rolled Oats: Rolled oats are packed with nutritious! Gluten-free rolled oats make these granola bars gluten-free.
- Cinnamon: Provides an extra warm spice and enhances the sweetness of the bananas.
- Chocolate Chips: Optional ingredient for a little added sweetness and fun!
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Substitutions & Additions
- Bananas: The bananas are pretty important here, but if you’re not a big fan of banana flavor, try out these healthy apple oatmeal bars instead!
- Peanut butter: The peanut butter may be replaced with any nut butter or seed-based butter.
- Strawberries: The strawberries may be replaced with any other berry of choice. Blueberries also work well in these bars!
- Optional add-ins: Feel free to add things like finely chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins for added flavor. Seeds like hemp hearts and flax seeds can also be added in for a nutritional boost!
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Mash the bananas in a bowl until smooth (Image 1).
STEP 2: Add in the oats, peanut butter, and cinnamon (Image 2). Mix until combined (Image 3).
STEP 3: Fold in the diced strawberries and chocolate chips (if using) until incorporated (Images 4 & 5).
STEP 4: Press this mixture into a 9-inch by 5-inch parchment paper-lined loaf pan. Use a spatula to flatten and smooth out the top. Top with extra chocolate chips and sliced strawberries if desired (Image 6).
STEP 5: Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow it to cool completely before slicing into bars.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled, slice into bars and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, store in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Tips For Success
- Use overripe bananas for more sweetness. You may add a little maple syrup to the mixture if you prefer a sweeter bar, but I find that overripe bananas provide the perfect amount of sweetness on their own!
- I used a 9 by 5 loaf pan for this recipe. Feel free to double the ingredients to make enough to fill a brownie pan!
- Add in extra add-ins for more texture and taste! Crushed nuts are a great mix-in option for added texture!
Recipe FAQs
Overripe bananas provide the best natural sweetness for these bars. If you have bananas that aren’t quite ripe, pop them on a baking pan in the oven at 300 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until black and soft to the touch. Let them cool before using them in this recipe.
Frozen fruits usually contain added moisture that can cause the mixture to be a little wetter, but if you only have frozen fruits on hand, let them thaw out at room temperature for a few minutes before using them in this recipe.
Other Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love
Strawberry Cheesecake Roll-Ups
Strawberry Yogurt Bark
Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Strawberry Jam Crumble Bars
If you tried these Strawberry Banana Oat Bars please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you!
Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 medium overripe bananas, about 1.5 cups when mashed
- 1 ¼ cups cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup diced strawberries, plus more to sprinkle on top
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional), plus more to sprinke on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Mash the bananas in a bowl until smooth.
- Add in the oats, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
- Fold in the diced strawberries and chocolate chips (if using) until incorporated.
- Press this mixture into a 9-inch by 5-inch parchment paper-lined loaf pan. Use a spatula to flatten and smooth out the top. Top with extra chocolate chips and sliced strawberries if desired.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow it to cool completely before slicing into bars.
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for more sweetness. You may add a little maple syrup to the mixture if you prefer a sweeter bar, but I find that overripe bananas provide the perfect amount of sweetness on their own!
- I used a 9 by 5 loaf pan for this recipe. Feel free to double the ingredients to make enough to fill a brownie pan!
- Add in extra add-ins for more texture and taste! Crushed nuts are a great mix-in option for added texture!
