Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars with Chocolate Chips
 
 
These simple bars are just the thing to bake when you want a slightly sweet yet wholesome treat but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. A cross between a soft-baked granola bar and baked oatmeal, they’re an appealing option for breakfast, or a perfect anytime snack. Studded with chocolate chips, they’re just sweet enough to make you feel like you’re getting away with a decadent treat, but they’re surprisingly healthful too, with fiber-rich oats and protein-packed peanut butter. They come together quickly in one bowl, and they’re a great way to use up overripe bananas when you’re tired of banana bread.

There’s an ongoing debate in my household about whether these bars are best warm and fresh from the oven or cold from the fridge. The boys and I prefer them warm, when the chocolate chips are melty and gooey; my husband prefers them cold, straight from the refrigerator. Either way, we can all agree they’re delicious!

VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE

Yield: Approximately 24 bars.
Author:
Ingredients
  • • Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for coating baking pan
  • • 1 cup creamy peanut butter *
  • • ¼ cup olive oil **
  • • 1 cup mashed bananas (from 2 to 3 very ripe bananas)
  • • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • • 3½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • • ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips ***
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, or coat with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. (If using parchment paper, I like to leave enough overhang on the sides to help remove the bars from the pan more easily.)
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and olive oil until smooth and well combined.
  3. Add the mashed bananas, maple syrup, beaten egg, baking powder, cinnamon, and vanilla, and whisk well to combine.
  4. With a rubber spatula, stir in the oats until evenly moistened and combined with the banana mixture, then stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven until golden brown and set, about 25 minutes. (Rotate the pan halfway through the baking time to help ensure even baking.)
  6. Remove the pan from the oven, and let cool on a wire rack. Ideally, allow to come to room temperature before cutting into bars. If not completely cool, the bars might crumble a bit as you slice them, but no one here ever seems to mind. You can also chill the whole pan in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting into bars if you want neater slices. (If you lined your pan with parchment paper, use the overhanging paper as “handles” to carefully lift the entire bar out of the pan and onto a cutting board, then slice into smaller bars. I usually cut them into 24 square-ish bars, but you can cut them into larger or smaller bars if you prefer.)
  7. Store any leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for about a week. Enjoy cold from the fridge, or warmed briefly in the microwave.
Notes
* I’ve used several different brands and types of peanut butter in these bars—natural, conventional, sweetened, unsweetened—and they always turn out well. My only caveat is that if you’re using an unsalted peanut butter, you might want to add a pinch of salt to the batter to help balance out the flavors in the bars. And although I haven’t tried it, I’d imagine other nut butters (e.g., almond butter, cashew butter) would work fine too.

** I use olive oil in a lot of my baked goods because I really like the depth of flavor it brings, and it’s good for you too! (My favorite olive oil to use for baking is California Olive Ranch Mild Blend Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, as it’s relatively mild-tasting with a subtle buttery flavor.) You can certainly use canola oil or another neutral-flavored oil instead of olive oil in this recipe, if you prefer.

*** When it comes to chocolate, I personally believe that the darker the chocolate, the better the flavor (and the better for you too: darker, more bittersweet varieties of chocolate have less sugar and more antioxidants than semi-sweet and milk chocolate varieties). For these bars, I prefer bittersweet chocolate chips with 60 to 70% cacao, but feel free to use your favorite chocolate chips (or your favorite bar of chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces) in this recipe. You can also substitute chopped nuts (e.g., walnuts or pecans) for some or all of the chocolate chips, for added texture and nutrition.


Recipe adapted from Flavor the Moments.
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-peanut-butter-banana-oat-bars-chocolate-chips/