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These soft and chewy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are perfect to make ahead and grab for a quick breakfast or snack! They’re easy to make, freezer-friendly, and sweetened with honey and bananas!
Reader Love
These turned out SO good!! I used mixed nut butter instead of peanut butter and added a splash of vanilla. They’re excellent and will make them again, for sure!
–
Note from Danielle
This recipe was originally published in February 2019, and now it’s 2026. Needless to say, a re-test and several minor updates were necessary!
Peanut butter banana is truly the most classic of sweet combos. Have you ever had a peanut butter banana sandwich? My favorite as a kid!!
This recipe brings back those same flavors and textures for me. But like, with oats and fiber, because I’m an adult now, unfortunately 🫣
By the way – here in the post content, you’ll find detailed information on the ingredients used, possible substitutions, and helpful tips for successful results based on my experience with this recipe.
For the printable recipe card with a list of ingredients followed by concise instructions, keep scrolling down or hit the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page. Frequently asked questions are located below the recipe card.
Recipe Overview
Total Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty:Â Easy
Method: Oven
Prep:Â Make-Ahead Friendly
Watch how to make PB Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Bars (1 min 14 sec):
Ingredients in these Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars:
If bananas are a regular addition to your fruit bowl, I would bet you have all the remaining ingredients needed for this recipe! Along with the bananas, you’ll just need some basic pantry staples to make these bars.
Here’s a rundown of each ingredient in these bars:
- Bananas – The star!! The good news is they are not required to be super ripe for this recipe to succeed. I used up our ripe ones and had to continue testing with newer bananas. Still worked just fine.
- Rolled Oats – Old-fashioned, rolled oats. I use Bob’s Red Mill. Use the gluten-free specific kind if you need that!
- Peanut Butter – We love PB. Hope you do too. If you don’t, another nut butter would probably work but I haven’t tested anything but peanut butter.
- Honey – Used as the sweetener in the recipe, and I just love the PB/honey combo. I also tested with maple syrup, but preferred the honey.
- Milk – Any nut milk or dairy milk will work for this recipe, whatever you already have on hand is just fine.
- Baking Powder – For some puff!
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon and peanut butter is just a combo I love. For yummy flavor!
- Salt – A bit of sea salt to balance all the sweetness and help bring out all the flavors.
Related: Need on-the-go breakfast ideas? Browse my list of 15 Grab-And-Go Meal Prep Breakfast Ideas For Work!
Equipment needed to make these banana breakfast bars:
Here are my recommendations on equipment you’ll need to make this recipe:
- For mixing, I nearly always use a Rubbermaid High Heat Spoon Scraper (affiliate link!), and I swear by them. I use them for baking/mixing, and cooking. They’re truly all purpose, and excellent for getting every single drop of batter or dough from a bowl.
- For a cutting board, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!). The XL size is perfect but not too huge. I use it for everything except cutting raw meat.
- For a baking pan, any metal 8×8 pan should work just fine. If you’re looking, I would recommend this Nonstick 8×8 USA Steel Pan (affiliate link!).
How to make these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Bars:
This recipe is super simple to whip up, which is why I love it so much! It’s as easy as preheating the oven, mashing a couple bananas, mixing everything together in a bowl, and then baking to perfection.
First, I recommend lining your baking pan with parchment paper for super easy cleanup. The parchment paper is also useful for lifting the bars out of the pan after they’ve cooled.
Mash your bananas in a mixing bowl first, then add all of the remaining ingredients. Stir really well until the nut butter, oats and bananas are all evenly distributed.
Finally, dump the mixture into the lined pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it into a flat layer. If you have an extra banana, definitely slice it up and put it on top. I love the softened, almost caramelized tasting banana flavors it creates after baking.
After baking, let the bars cool in the pan for a while, transfer to a cutting board using the parchment paper, then slice them up into 8 bars.
Ways to customize this recipe:
This recipe is similar to a baked oatmeal, and it’s pretty flexible. Here are a few suggestions for customizing this recipe:
- swap the nut butter for a mixed nut butter, almond butter or cashew butter
- add some chocolate chips for some extra sweetness
- add some chia seeds, ground flax or chopped nuts
- change up serving methods with some Greek yogurt, drizzled PB, cottage cheese, or jam!
- combine with another meal prep breakfast or protein of choice when you serve
How to meal prep these PB Banana Oatmeal Bars:
We love these for a breakfast or snack any day of the week. Have one for breakfast with a hard-boiled egg, or grab one as a snack to stay satisfied between meals.
Here are a couple ways to prep these breakfast bars ahead of time for later:
- Fridge prep: Prep a batch for the week, store on the counter or in the fridge, and enjoy as snacks or on-the-go breakfasts
- Freezer prep: Prep a batch, enjoy a couple, then freeze the rest in a freezer-safe ziptop bag for 3-6 months for best quality. Thawing instructions below!
More delicious oat recipes…
Easy Blueberry Lemon Baked Oatmeal
No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls
Protein Overnight Oats Base Recipe
How to store Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars:
Keep these bars stored on the counter or in the fridge in an airtight container or individually wrapped, for up to 5 days. They may start to get stale around day 4, but they are still good to eat if you want.
Are these Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars freezer friendly?
Yes! During testing, I froze several of these breakfast bars and was able to thaw and eat them later without being able to tell they were frozen.
I tried two different methods of thawing which both worked very well:
- Overnight thaw – Pulled a frozen breakfast bar out of the freezer and put it in a container in the fridge. Ate the next day.
- Counter quick thaw – Pulled a frozen breakfast bar out of the freezer and left it on the counter for one hour. Was still very cold when I ate it but was thawed and soft.
Did you make this? I want to see how it turned out! Tag me in your social media post @projectmealplan and use #projectmealplan when you share!
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
These soft and chewy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are perfect to make ahead and grab for a quick breakfast or snack! They’re freezer-friendly, super easy to make and naturally sweetened with honey and bananas!
Ingredients
- 2 medium bananas
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1 banana, cut into 16 slices, for topping & peanut butter for drizzling
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Mash bananas (2) well in a medium sized mixing bowl until no chunks remain.
- Mix: Add the rolled oats (1 1/2 cups), peanut butter (1/2 cup), honey (1/4 cup), milk (2 tablespoons), cinnamon (2 teaspoons), baking powder (1/2 teaspoon), and salt (1/4 teaspoon) to the bowl with the bananas. Mix well until evenly dispersed.
- Bake: Pour mixture into the prepared 8×8 pan. Top with optional sliced bananas in 4×4 rows and press them lightly into the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 23-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve & store: Let the bars cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the pan using the parchment paper. Place on a cutting board and let cool for a few more minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut into 8 bars. Drizzle with melted peanut butter if you want. Keep these bars stored on the counter or in the fridge in an airtight container or individually wrapped, for up to 5 days. They may start to get stale around day 4, but they are still good to eat if you want.
Equipment
8-Piece Pyrex Sculptured Mixing Bowl Set
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Rubbermaid High Heat Spatula Scraper
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Notes
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 14g
- Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I swap the peanut butter for a different nut butter?
I have not tested this recipe with anything other than peanut butter, but I do think it would be delicious with any nut butter, particularly cashew butter. I was specifically going for the PB/banana combo when I was testing this recipe.
Can I swap the honey for another sweetener?
I have tested this recipe with maple syrup instead of honey, and I prefer honey as the sweetener. There’s just something so good about the honey/peanut butter/banana combo that I love. Maple syrup adds a different kind of sweetness that’s not my favorite for this specific recipe.
Mary says
Do you have to add the honey? Would they hold up without it?
Danielle says
Hi Mary – I do think the bars would hold up without the honey, however they may not be sweet enough. You could try maple syrup instead if you have any. Hope it works for you! Thanks for your question. -Danielle
Nicki says
How long can these be stored in the freezer?
Danielle says
Up to 3 months for best condition, but up to 6 months would be alright too.
Diane says
Oh these look perfect and sound delicious! Bananas are my shopping list now. But what did you drizzle on top of them in your last photos?! Details please!
Danielle says
Hi Diane! The drizzle is just some warmed up peanut butter! I bet you’ll enjoy these if you like bananas with peanut butter. Sort of like a baked oatmeal cup, but cut into bar form. Hope you love them! -Danielle
Me says
Thanks for the recipe! How long do these last and do they need refrigeration?
Danielle says
Hello – Keep these bars stored on the counter or in the fridge in an airtight container, or individually wrapped, for up to 5 days. Fridge is not required, but I do like them chilled. Thank you for your question, I just went back on this old post and made the information easier to find. -Danielle
Stefanie says
These turned out SO good!! I used mixed nut butter instead of peanut butter and added a splash of vanilla. They’re excellent and will make them again, for sure!
Danielle says
Okay, this seriously sounds AMAZING! I love how you changed it up a bit 🙂 Thank you for sharing your results, I very much appreciate it. Also so helpful for other readers! -Danielle