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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
In the oven baking at the moment, only had 3 bananas so halved the recipe, worked calories out to 90 calories each if cut into 10.
Canāt comment on taste but smells delicious
Only given simply because not tasted any yet
Can you use frozen bananas? Or would that be too much liquid? Possibly add some raisins or cranberries.
Loved these James. So easy to make I had some granola left over so put half oats and granola in the second time with a few raisins . Again delicious .
I love your recipes
Hope youāre having a great holiday.
Denise LimbXā¤ļø
I made these for my husband because he is gluten and dairy free. It was a hit! Next time I will add peanut butter or strawberries I think! Great base recipe to get creative with!!
Thank you for sharing!
I made this and added a but of cut raisons, but it could definately have some salt, maybe 1/2 tsp and then I think it could have baked on 180/190 for 40 to 45 min, because it was a bit doughy in the middle, but otherwuse, very nice.
Hello, I just made this and very happy with the texture. This will be my breakfast for the next few days. My barszcz are not sweet at all.Next time I will add some honey and maybe chocolate chips just to make them sweet. Overall, this is a great recipe with the perfect oats to bananas ratio. Thank you!
Could one substitute the oats with quinoa ? The oats in New Zealand are not gluten free so I thought maybe quinoa might make a great alternative.
Hmm good question, it may work š give it a try and let me know!
Would it work swapping banana with apple sauce? By the way, I love them but I add choc Chios (no sugar coco bytes) and nuts.
I think apple sauce is a good substitute (but no one I have tested yet)
Hi James, yet another great recipe but could you please include the nutritional info as I need it for insulin for carbs. (It would be great to have this on all yr recipes too)
Try using the Cronometer App, it’ll work it all out for you.
Ooh thank you Dave, I haven’t heard of this but will Google!
I like these a lot. If I waited a couple of more days for my bananas to ripen, they would’ve been sweeter, but they were still good as is. I can see myself finishing the whole thing in one day if I don’t control myself. Thank you for this!