Chewy Peanut Butter Banana Bars – It’s What’s For Breakfast!
Oh Breakfast, something I struggle with on the daily. I never really want eggs but want to make sure I get enough protein to hold me over. I usually go for the sweet breakfast items like pancakes or French toast, which is why I created this peanut butter banana bar recipe. I’m honestly not even a huge fan of oatmeal, I can’t seem to ever make it past three bites, it’s just too much. The consistency gets me. I do, however, really like oatmeal with heavy cream and sugar – but I like to save that for the weekend 😉
They’re a healthy version of something sweet that will still nourish and help keep you full. They’re also really great if you’re running out the door in a hurry or if you’re a meal-prepper. I love eating these before workouts, after workouts, as a snack, really any time of day.
How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Bars for Breakfast
- Mix up your wet ingredients (egg, vanilla, maple syrup) together in a medium bowl
- Now, literally add in everything else and mix together
- Press the mixture into a parchment lined, 8×8 baking dish. This is a good one *and it’s cheap* It’s best to use a rubber spatula. *When you press them into the pan, wet your hands lightly, and then press them. It’s so much easier!
It’s just what you want it to be – EASY! Throw everything in a bowl, mix it together, press it into a pan and toss it in the oven. These particular peanut butter banana bars are basically just a variation of my Blueberry Cashew Almond Oat Bars. These are one of my favorite combos – peanut butter and banana.
There are a lot of bars out there that claim they’re “breakfast” but they’re actually full of sugar and chemicals. It’s so important to fuel your body with clean, whole foods. I think many people struggle with breakfast because we’re always in a rush. If you just take the 35 minutes to make these, you’ll have breakfast ready for the entire week. You don’t even need to heat it up!!
Easy Substitutions
If peanut butter isn’t your friend – you can totally use almond butter. I think these would also be really delicious with pecans. Also, if you’re not the biggest fan of banana or you’re allergic, I would just take it out. You can do peanut butter & jelly! You’ll still need moisture that the banana gives so pureed sweet potato is an awesome choice. You can totally buy the canned version – I won’t tell anyone. It’s the way that you’ll be able to make these even quicker!
How Long Can I Store Them For?
I will not lie to you, my friends – these take about 35 minutes to bake. Which isn’t going to be great if you’re starving and wanting to make these. I suggest you make them a day before or on a ‘meal prep’ day. This is one of the few things I WILL eat pre-made and out of the fridge. I’m not a huge fan of the meal prep situation. Read more about it on my Alternative Guide to Meal Prep. I have a select few things that I like making for the week. These peanut butter banana bars are one of them.
These bars will store in the fridge for about a week and a half – two weeks. If you choose to leave them on the counter, make sure you don’t live in a humid climate. If you do, they’ll mold a lot quicker because this is REAL food. None of that preservative crap.
Are These Bars Sweet?
Here’s the facts fam: the peanut butter banana bars are as sweet as you want them to be. I do add some maple syrup into these but there is also sweetness from the banana and the dark chocolate drizzle on the top. If you’re like Kevin, you’ll want to add some more sweetness. I love eating these as a pre-workout. If you want to make them a complete breakfast, I suggest adding some protein powder to them!
These bars are gluten (if you buy gluten free oats) and dairy free just how I like them. I know I’ve mentioned to you guys before that dairy gives me straight acne on my face like REAL QUICK and gluten just doesn’t feel good in my digestion or my headaches. I try to stay away from it. During the week I try to stick to a gluten and dairy free diet and then I kind of let loose on the weekends. I love trying out new restaurants and not having to restrict myself. I need the full experience!
Can These Peanut Butter Banana Bars Be Made Vegan?
These bars are pretty close to being vegan already. The only thing in here is one egg. You can absolutely substitute the egg for a flax egg. You can make a flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and 2.5 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for five minutes and voila!
How Long Do They Bake For?
These bars bake for about 35 minutes! I don’t suggest making them if you’re already starving, ya know? They’re best made as a meal prep item. Let’s say on a Sunday perhaps? That’s when I like making them, then I have breakfast for the entire week. They also double as snack or post workout starvation.
Peanut Butter Banana Bars Ingredient List
- Oats
- Peanut Butter (crunchy or smooth)
- Real Maple Syrup
- Banana
- Peanuts
- 1 Egg
- Vanilla
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
ANYWAY – I hope you guys will try these bars or any variation of them. These ones and the blueberry cashew almond ones are pretty dang delicious if I do say so myself. They’re seriously so easy to make and they taste so good! Other optional add-in’s are collagen, protein powder, chia seeds, flax seeds. Make them into some serious superfood bars. Make them your own and comment below to share your creation!
Peanut Butter Banana Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup banana puree
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup depending on how sweet you want it
- 1/2 cup banana sliced
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a medium bowl combine banana puree, peanut butter, egg, vanilla, and maple syrup
- Add in remaining ingredients except for banana slices and 1/2 of peanuts.
- Once mixture is combined add it into a greased (i used parchment paper) 8×8 square baking dish. Once it’s pressed into the pan, sprinkle the remaining banana slices, and peanuts on top.
- Bake 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let it cool completely before cutting FOR REAL. They’ll fall apart. ENJOY!
- *OPTIONAL – melt 2 squares of dark chocolate and drizzle over top!
Notes
