4-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars with Almond Butter

4-ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars with almond butter are a healthy snack made with wholesome ingredients. These bars taste like breakfast cookies!  They are a great workout snack or easy breakfast full of healthy fats and wholesome goodness.

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Jump to:

• Why You Should Make This Recipe
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Taste and Texture
• How to Make This Recipe
• How Long Do Banana Oatmeal Bars Last in the Fridge?
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• Other Healthy Recipes with Banana
• 4-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars

Why You Should Make This Recipe

• Simple ingredients.
• These healthy oatmeal bars are a super easy recipe.
• Soft and chewy texture!
• Uses pantry items on hand.
• Perfect healthy treat that is kid-friendly!
• Naturally sweetened - no added sugar.
• Yummy snack bars, healthy dessert, and the perfect healthy treat!
• Natural energy bars - a satisfying snack for after workouts (like these protein bite recipes).
• Great way to get healthy fats, fiber, and potassium.
• Less sugar than packaged granola bars.
• Can be made ahead!
• Use up overripe bananas with this recipe or other banana recipes like chocolate chip banana bread or almond flour banana muffins.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.

Spotty bananas provide natural sugar sweetness in place of sugar. Look for the most overripe bananas you can for the best natural sweetneer.

Use one large or two medium bananas with lots of brown spots.

Almond butter gives a nutty flavor and works as a binder to hold the snack bars together.  That is how they are made eggless and without leavening.

Use cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or creamy peanut butter (natural, not JIF) as a substitution.

Old-fashioned oats (rolled oats) provide the best texture and base of the oatmeal breakfast bars.  Use quick oats if they are more accessible.

Oat flour if you prefer a texture without large chunks. Using quick oats or oat flour will make the texture much softer, therefore you may need to use more.

Use certified gluten-free oats to make these gluten-free.

Add in dark chocolate chips for a bit of sweetness. Raisins, chopped dates, or dried cranberries are a great dried fruit alternative.

Consider other healthy mix-ins like flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, coconut, or chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts. You can also add protein or collagen powder.  

For allergy-sensitive bakers, use sunflower butter and allergy-friendly chocolate chips.

Dairy-free and vegan bakers can use vegan chocolate chips.

Taste and Texture

These 4-ingredient banana oatmeal bars taste even better than granola bars bought at the store.  

They have an oatmeal flavor that tastes like banana bread with chocolate chips.

The texture is soft and chewy, like soft-baked banana oatmeal bars with large chunks of oats.  Chocolate chips give the bars a hint of sweetness without added sugar.

How to Make This Recipe

Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe with the best results. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300F. Place overripe banana into a large bowl.  Use a fork to mash it.

Step 2

Add old-fashioned oats, almond butter, and chocolate chips.  Use a wooden spoon to stir. 

Step 3

Line a baking tray or square baking dish with a piece of parchment paper. Spoon the thick mixture into an even layer into the prepared baking pan.

Step 4

Bake oatmeal bars in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Once cooled, cut the bars into 8 equal pieces.

How Long Do Banana Oatmeal Bars Last in the Fridge?

Store cooled 4-ingredient banana oatmeal bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Refrigerate for up to 5 days for longer storage.

Expert Tips

• Use a piece of parchment paper to line your baking dish for easy cleanup.
• Allow bars to cool completely before cutting.
• If you want these oat bars to be even more sweet, add a little maple syrup.
• Add extra chocolate chips on top for more chocolatey flavor!
• Make 3-ingredient banana oatmeal bars by omitting chocolate chips.

Recipe FAQs

Other Healthy Recipes with Banana