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Introducing the easiest Breakfast Banana Bars you’ll ever make! They’re gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free using only 3 ingredients! These banana bars are the perfect healthy breakfast for on the go or even as a well balanced snack.
Recipe Difficulty – Very Easy
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
I randomly came up with this recipe a few days ago after asking my nutritionist what snacks to make Luise for her tough mudder challenge which was a 20km race.
Bananas are an excellent source of carbohydrates, potassium and vitamin B6, all of which can help boost energy levels.
Oats are a combination of high fibre and complex, slow-digesting carbohydrates. This results in a slow release of sugar into the blood after a meal which provides a sustained supply of energy to the body.
If you like the look of these banana oat bars but fancy having them as cookies or pancakes instead then try my 3 Ingredient Oat Cookies or Banana Oat Pancakes recipe!
And for another breakfast on the go try making my Protein Overnight Oats, Banana Oatmeal Muffins or Banana Baked Oats!
I added this recipe 35 Gluten Free Desserts and 10 Healthy Baking For Kids Recipes round up!
What you’ll love about these Banana Bars:
- Easy
- Versatile
- 5 mins prep
- Perfect for on the go
- Gluten free & Vegan
Ingredients to make Breakfast Banana Bars
Using these 3 simple ingredients you will either already have or can get from any supermarket. (brands featured aren’t sponsored)
- Oats – Help to bind the mashed banana. I opt for gluten-free oats but any will work.
- Bananas – When mashed help make the oats stick together.
- Cinnamon – Adds a natural sweetness and spice to these banana bars.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Oats – You could also use oat flour to make these bars. You could also try using buckwheat if you’re sensitive to oats.
- Additions – Try adding blueberries, strawberries, or chocolate chips to the mix for some great flavour bursts!
- Cinnamon – This is an optional ingredient that I think boosts the flavour but you could definitely leave it out.
Variations
- Deluxe – I love these healthy oat bars as they are but adding extras is also easy to do! You could also top them with yoghurt or fruit compot.
- Kid friendly – Kids will love these as they are (especially if you put chocolate chips into them). Make mini bars or cut them up into small pieces for little ones. Or serve them with my Peanut Butter Milkshake to get top marks!
See this 5 Ingredient Chocolate Flapjack recipe for another delicious oat based recipe!
How to make Breakfast Banana Bars
Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 200C. To a large mixing bowl add the peeled bananas and mash with a fork.
Step 2: Now add in the oats, cinnamon and water and mix together.
Step 3: Line a with baking paper and pour in the mix. Press down firmly with the back of a fork to compact it into the tin. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C.
Hint: Riper bananas make for sweeter oat bars.
Leftovers
Leftover banana oat bars are great! Keep them in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 days at room temperature. Or store them in the fridge or up to 4 days. You can also freeze these for another day. Just allow to defrost overnight.
Recipe FAQs
This can happen if you don’t allow them to cool. They will come out the oven still soft. Just allow them to cool and they will firm up.
Try adding in chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, berries. Whatever you fancy!
You can freeze these for another day. Just allow to defrost overnight.
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Breakfast Banana Bars
Ingredients
- 6 ripe bananas
- 400 g gluten free oats , (roughly 4 cups)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 200C. To a large mixing bowl add the peeled bananas and mash with a fork.
- Now add in the oats, cinnamon and water and mix together
- Line a square baking tin with baking paper and pour in the mix. Press down firmly with the back of a fork to compact it into the tin.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200C. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into bars.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I was very suspicious, this seems to be too good to be true. It was that good! Expecting this to be a staple going forwards.
If there are way to make it higher in protein without using nuts? Could we mix in some collagen powder? Thanks,
Yay 🙂 thanks Meagan! Yes, you could easily mix in protein powder or collagen.
What is this deliciousness, that I get to enjoy on my commute to work! Thank you James!
I LOVE THESE!!!!. I tried the recipe the first time and put in old freezer bananas, some protein powder, dried cherries and flax seed. I thought…this is too easy to make…they are probably not going to taste very good….WRONG!!!…THESE ARE THE BEST!!!. My family all love them and i now make them every week…when I have bananas that is. Last week i put in some frozen blueberries…game changer!!! SOOO YUMMY. My brother in law stopped by our house…and like all family members, they ALWAYS open my fridge and see what I have to snack on. Well, YEP, he now has the recipe also. So THANK YOU!.. This recipe ROCKS!!!!
Thanks so much Autumn 🙂 glad you loved them!
I love baking these with my children. So simple and delicious, with so many options of things you can add to make them a bit more interesting. Our favourite is peanut butter with dark chocolate chips.
Thank you 🙂 glad you and the kids are enjoying them!
I omitted the cinnamon as I don’t like it. Instead added vanilla bean paste and raisins. Halved receipe as had 3 bananas Cooked for 25mins. Leave in for loger if you want crunchy top. Left to cool in tin. Then cut up.. I sliced into 12.
Will make again but with choc chips, , raspberries, cranberries..definitely needs added extras as very bland.
Hi James, 6 riped banana is how many in grams and thank you?
roughly 120g per medium banana so x6 = 720g 🙂 enjoy!
Hi James, 1 ripped banana is 120g without skin. What is the thickness of the bar is the best? Thank you.
Hey Janice, I aim for around 1cm thick. Enjoy
Sounds DELISH, looking forward to making them.
Enjoy Chris, let me know what you think!
Can I air fry this instead of oven??
Hey Char, I haven’t actually tested that myself but I reckon if you reduce the heat to maybe 190 and bake for 15-18 minutes it should work. Let me know how you get on 🙂
Banana Breakfast Bars are so very Delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I followed some of the suggestions as others and added raisins, brown sugar and walnuts! Absolutely DELISH! I had only 3 bananas and halved the recipe!
Thank you Victoria 🙂