Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

5 from 2 votes

These Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are soft, chewy and satisfying. Made from oats and ripe bananas, they're packed with nutrients and health benefits. This easy recipe has no eggs, no nut butter and no sugar. You will love that they store and freeze very well!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Gluten-free, High Protein, Low calorie, Vegan

Keyword: banana, Greek yogurt, oats, protein powder

Servings: bars

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas about 7.5 oz (225 g) in total
1 ½ cups (150 g) rolled oats
½ cup (50 g) oat flour replace with more oats or protein powder
⅓ cup (80 g) Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
2 to 4 tbsp maple syrup optional, to taste

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F (180°C) and fold a 7 x 7 inch (15 x15 cm) brownie pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl mash the bananas and combine with yogurt, vanilla extract, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. For sweetener bars, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey to taste. Stir until smooth.
Add rolled oats and oat flour (or protein powder) to the wet mixture and stir until combined. You can optionally add extra mix-ins, such as chocolate chips, walnuts or raisins.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly.
Bake in hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they have set in the center. Let cool to temperature, then slice into bars.

Notes

Ingredient notes

Bananas: Replace with 1 cup (220 g) of unsweetened applesauce or 1 cup (220 g) of pumpkin puree.
Sweetener: Bananas add plenty of natural sweetness. For sweeter squares, add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup or honey - taste the dough and adjust with sweetener if it is necessary.
Dairy-free: Replace Greek yogurt with your favorite nondairy yogurt, I recommend soy yogurt.
Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats and oat flour.
Protein powder: For high protein breakfast bars, replace oat flour with half a cup of protein powder. I recommend vanilla vegan protein powder, it provides a great taste and texture.
Extras: Customize this breakfast bars recipe with additional chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, raisins or fresh berries.

Storage notes

To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Place in zipper bags and freeze for up to 4 months.
To reheat: Remove bars from the freezer, then warm up in hot oven or in the microwave.

Nutrition