Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Bars Recipe

This banana breakfast bars recipe is one of my all time favourites for breakfast and snacking on-the-go. It’s super simple to whip up on a Sunday afternoon, and tastes great.

Why I love tasty and filling breakfast bars

Some days when I get to work I have time to sit down, heat up some oats, and eat my breakfast whilst checking through emails. Other days, I’m completely on-the-go. Either I arrive at work and have to start setting up for a photoshoot straight away, or I’m travelling to a location and have to eat in the car. 

Breakfast bars are so good for these days, as I can nibble on them whilst I’m doing other things, and still feel fulfilled throughout the morning. They’re also a great snack to help me get through the mid-afternoon slump!

A super healthy breakfast option

Unlike a lot of store-bought breakfast bars, these banana bars are filled with healthy goodness. The breakfast bar recipe contains 4 simple ingredients- oats, seeds, bananas, and peanut butter. 

Oats are a fantastic ingredient in any breakfast or snack recipe, as they are full of soluble fibre. Many breakfast options are filled with simple carbohydrates from sugar, which give a short burst of energy and then leave you craving more food an hour later. The soluble fibre in oats keeps you full for so much longer, making them perfect for breakfast.

Seeds and nuts provide plenty of plant based protein, healthy fats, and fibre. Not only do they promote feelings of fullness, but they also help to maintain a healthy weight and contribute to muscle growth.

Bananas are a great source of vitamin B6, manganese and potassium- they’re also really tasty and serve as a great binder in this recipe!

Being so healthy also makes them a great option for kids breakfast and snacks at school. They’re a great way to get the kids helping out in the kitchen with you too- they’re so simple to make and children will love mashing all of the ingredients together. Perfect for a busy September.

How to make banana breakfast bars

To make these breakfast bars, start by preheating the oven to 200 degrees (180 if it’s fan), and line a 20cm baking dish with baking paper. 

In a large bowl, mash 2 ripe bananas using a fork. I like to leave a few little lumps of banana here, but you can mash them to be completely smooth if you would rather. Add the peanut butter to the bowl and mix it well.

Next, add the dry ingredients. Add the seeds and oats to the bowl (you can do this all at once or a bit at a time), and continue to mix it together well.

When mixed, press it into your prepared baking dish. You can leave it as it is here, or press some nuts or seeds into the top. I love to top mine with some chopped walnuts, but pecans, pumpkin seeds, or even dark chocolate chips would work well here!

Bake it in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until golden. Slice it into 12 squares whilst still warm, and remove them from the dish once cooled.

Substitutions and additions

You can really use any type of seed you like in this recipe. I used sunflower and pumpkin seeds as I had them to hand, but in the past I’ve thrown linseeds and sesame seeds to the mix. You could even use some finely chopped nuts if seeds aren’t really your thing. You can also use whichever nut butter you prefer- I love peanut butter because it’s tasty and cheap, but you could make these with almond or cashew butter if you’d like. 

This is also a great base recipe to experiment with. If you want to throw something else into the mix, raisins or other finely chopped dried fruit would work great in this mix. You could also throw some dark chocolate chips into the mixture for something a little more naughty- just make sure they don’t have any milk in them!

Tips for making breakfast bars

My top tip when making these breakfast bars is to let the mixture sit in the baking dish for a little while before cooking. This allows the oats to soak up some of the moisture from the bananas, meaning the bars stick together even better after cooking.

If you want to make more of these bars, it’s very simple to multiply the recipe- just make sure you increase the size or amount of baking dishes as they won’t cook through if they’re too thick.

How to store these bars

These bars are best kept in the fridge, as they will keep so much fresher. They will be great for 5 days in the fridge, stored in an airtight container.

Can I freeze breakfast bars?

These breakfast bars can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months, just make sure that you pull them out of the freezer an hour or so before eating.

Looking for more tasty vegan snacks and breakfasts?

• If you like bars, why not try these cashew coconut snack bars, date flapjacks, or healthy muesli slices?
• Peanut butter bliss balls or perfect for tasty, protein packed snacking on-the-go.
• For a healthy and delicious breakfast, whip up a batch of vegan baked pancakes or these super easy vegan banana pancakes!
• Chocolate and raspberry chia seed parfaits can be prepped for 5 days in advance, making them perfect for busy mornings and grab-and-go breakfasts.

Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Bars

Chloe from Forkful of Plants

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Servings 12 bars

This banana breakfast bar recipe is one of my all time favourites for breakfast and snacking on-the-go. It’s super simple to whip up on a Sunday afternoon, and tastes great.

5 from 9 votes

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 ripe bananas
• 80 g peanut butter crunchy or smooth
• 100 g rolled oats
• 100 g mixed seeds

Instructions

 

• Preheating the oven to 200°/180° fan, and line a 20cm baking dish with baking paper. 
• In a large bowl, mash 2 ripe bananas using a fork. Add the peanut butter to the bowl and mix well.
• Add the seeds and oats to the bowl (you can do this all at once or a bit at a time), and continue to mix together well until all combined.
• Press the mixture into your prepared baking dish. You can press some extra nuts or seeds into the top, or leave it as it is*.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until golden. Cut into 12 squares whilst still warm, and leave to cool before eating.

Notes

*I like to top my breakfast bars with walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds or dark chocolate chips. 

My top tip when making these breakfast bars is to let the mixture sit in the baking dish for a little while before cooking. This allows the oats to soak up some of the moisture from the bananas, meaning the bars stick together even better after cooking.

Bars will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before eating.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!