Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars are mega flavorful and filled with wholesome ingredients. A simple mix of mashed bananas, peanut butter, honey, oats and chocolate chips are combined for the perfect quick and easy on-the-go breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Oatmeal bars with chocolate chips on parchment paper.

These Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars are seriously amazing! Not only are they irresistibly delicious, but they’re made with whole grain oats and sweetened with honey and ripe bananas, making them as healthy as your morning bowl of oatmeal!

These are excellent and so easy to make. I made the recipe exactly as written. So good!! I love that they have healthier ingredients.

— Jean

Reasons to love this recipe

  • Hearty & satisfying. They really are the perfect hearty snack because they keep you full for hours and don’t provide a sugar overload. Plus, they pack in plenty of healthy fats from the peanut butter, and lots of fiber from the oats.
  • Quick & easy. Just 10 minutes and one bowl is all that you need to throw these together. And it’s a very straightforward recipe requiring only simple ingredients.
  • So delicious. Chocolate, peanut butter, banana and honey taste wonderful together! These are always a crowd favorite, even picky kids enjoy them!
  • Great for meal prep. These last over a week in the fridge and they’re freezer-friendly. Make up a batch on Sunday and have snack or breakfast ready for the week.
Chocolate chip oatmeal bars stacked.

Ingredients needed

This oatmeal bar recipe is easy to make with simple, healthy ingredients. And the bars make for such a delicious treat. They’re thick and chewy, full of sweet chocolate chips, and perfect for any occasion. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:

  • Bananas. You need about 3 medium to large bananas for 1 1/2 cups (345 grams) mashed banana.
  • Nut butter. We typically use smooth natural peanut butter with no added oils or sugar, but use your favorite variety, crunchy or smooth. You can also use almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
  • Sweetener. For best results, we recommend using honey. It has the perfect sweet flavor and the sticky texture helps to bind all of the ingredients. For a vegan option, try an equal amount of maple syrup or agave.
  • Old-fashioned rolled oats. The oats form the base of these oatmeal bars and give them structure and delicious chewiness. Use old-fashioned oats, quick oats and steel-cut oats won’t yield the best texture. For gluten-free bars, use certified gluten-free oats.
  • Baking essentials. Baking soda, salt, pure vanilla extract and cinnamon will help these bake properly and taste incredible.
  • Chocolate chips. Use any variety you like best, semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate are all great options. We like to use mini chocolate chips for better dispersement. To keep these dairy free, be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips.
Rolled oats, peanut butter, mashed bananas, honey and chocolate chips all divided into small bowls.

How to make this recipe

  1. Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
  2. Combine ingredients. In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. On low to medium speed (or by hand), stir in the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Reserve about 1/4 cup chocolate chips for sprinkling over the top before baking. Batter will be thick, but still pourable.
Using a mixer to mix mashed bananas with peanut butter and honey.
Stirring oats into peanut butter banana mixture.
Chocolate chips added to peanut butter oat mixture.
  1. Bake. Pour/spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the center is set and golden. It will still appear soft.
Transfer oat mixture to a pan and top with chocolate chips.
Baked oatmeal bars topped with chocolate chips.
  1. Chill bars. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. After that, place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour until chilled. Refrigerating the bars will make them easier to cut.
  2. Cut & serve. Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides, then cut into bars and enjoy.
Oatmeal bars cut into 9 squares.
Chocolate chip oatmeal bar on parchment paper.

Expert tips

  • Use ripe bananas. Be sure to use ripe bananas with brown spots. These will have the best flavor and add sweetness to the bars.
  • Use an electric mixer. To make mashing the bananas and combining ingredients easier, mix everything up using an electric mixer. However, you can always mix everything by hand, if preferred.
  • Line the pan. To make for easier removal and cleanup, line the baking dish with parchment paper and leave an overhang for lifting bars out of the dish.
  • Baked oatmeal. If you want to enjoy these as more of a baked oatmeal recipe for breakfast, you can serve straight out of the oven, rather than chilling before slicing.
  • Heating bars. To warm bars up and enjoy for breakfast, we recommend popping individual servings in the microwave for about 1 minute or slightly longer. If enjoying for breakfast, we like to serve each warmed bar in a bowl with a splash of milk.

Frequently asked questions

Are oatmeal bars healthy?

The question of whether something is healthy or not really depends on the ingredients. This bar recipe is made with whole grain oats, natural sweetener, bananas and peanut butter, which are all good-for-you ingredients that include nutritional benefits. The addition of chocolate is completely optional.

Can I omit the banana?

We haven’t tried these bars without the banana, but we would recommend trying an equal amount of pumpkin puree or even applesauce. With this substitution, the bars may not be quite as sweet but they should still have a nice texture and taste.

What’s the texture of these peanut butter banana oatmeal bars like?

Following the recipe, bake time, and cooling instructions, the bars are somewhere between baked oatmeal and a soft granola bar. They’re very moist, but maintain their bar shape when you’re holding/biting into one. It’s best to store them in the refrigerator.

Variations

These are wonderful as-is, but so easy to customize too! Feel free to get creative with mix-ins and make these your own. Here’s some tasty options:

  • Chopped nuts. Replace some or all of the chocolate chips with walnuts, peanuts, or pecans.
  • Dried fruit. Mix in about 1/2 to 1 cup dried cranberries or raisins.
  • Shredded coconut. Chocolate and coconut are a great pairing.
  • Protein powder. For a little extra protein boost, you can add a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder. To make them extra chocolatey, stir some cocoa powder into the batter.

Storage recommendations

  • Storing leftovers. Cover leftover bars tightly, or store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
  • Freezing. Freeze bars in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Chocolate chip oatmeal bar served on a small white plate.

More delicious sweet snack recipes

If you try these, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves them as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. And subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

Oatmeal bars with chocolate chips on parchment paper.
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Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

Yield: 16 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
A simple recipe for deliciously textured oatmeal breakfast bars bursting with peanut butter flavor.
Author: Kim

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (345 grams) mashed bananas measured once mashed, about 3 medium to large bananas
  • 1 cup (250 grams) smooth or crunchy peanut butter*
  • 1/4 cup (85 grams) honey or maple syrup
  • 4 cups (320 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups (225 grams) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, divided (use dairy free for vegan)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas. On low to medium speed (or by hand), stir in the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Reserve about 1/4 cup chocolate chips for sprinkling over the top before baking. Batter will be thick, but still pourable.
  • Pour/spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the center is set and golden. It will still appear soft.
  • Remove from the oven and cool in the pan at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. After that, place the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour until chilled. Refrigerating the bars will make them easier to cut.
  • Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides, then cut into bars and enjoy.

Notes

  • Cover leftover bars tightly, or store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
  • Freeze bars in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
*You can use any nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) you want—natural, homemade, or processed.
photos by jess at jess gaertner creative
Author: Kim
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 316kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 143mg, Potassium: 348mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 23IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 2mg

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