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Banana Breakfast Bars are an easy breakfast or snack with real ingredients and flavor. They’re a copycat of the bars you buy, but homemade so they’re better for you and cheaper too! These are one of my favorite banana breakfast recipes!
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Homemade Banana Breakfast Bars
I don’t believe in the word “diet”. I’ve done so many diets and they all fail, which ultimately leads me to feeling bad about myself. For me it’s about lifestyle: exercise, portion control, making good choices, and satisfying cravings (within reason).
One thing I can’t limit? My after workout snack. And breakfast. I need breakfast, and after my workout I need to eat. That’s where these breakfast bars come in.
For a long time I bought breakfast bars at the grocery store. Then I realized that I was paying $4.50 for 5 bars or some ridiculous amount, and the bars weren’t even that good. Also? They’re filled with ingredients I don’t recognize. I’m much more satisfied if I eat something I like, that’s homemade, than something packaged.
So I decided to make my own.
One of the best Banana Breakfast Recipes
These bars are a cross between a granola bar and a banana bread/blondie. I actually combined my mom’s banana bread with my base blondie recipe to create something a little bit on the lighter side of both.
I reduced the amount of butter and used oil instead. You can also use vegetable or coconut oil. Combined with 2 overripe bananas and an egg, you get a good bar base. A little brown sugar goes in for sweetening, and the binding is done with whole wheat flour and old fashioned oats.
Yes, these have sugar and carbs. But even though my husband does whole 30/paleo, I don’t and I don’t think you come here expecting that. These bars are a great way to satisfy a little carb craving without breaking the bank. I mean…if I wasn’t trying to be good I’d reach for a doughnut or a scone. These are way better than that!
Expert Tips
- By substituting butter for oil, I’ve made these a bit heart healthier. Vegetable oil is recognized as a healthier fat than butter by the American Heart Association.
- Using whole wheat flour makes these better than anything with white flour.
- The old fashioned oats give a nice texture.
- The bars you buy have a peanut butter drizzle, so I added that to these. You can skip, of course, or add some peanut butter chips or mini chocolate chips to the bars for extra flavor.
- They last about 2 days on the counter, or you can freeze them for a quick snack. That’s what I like to do, after my workout, with a cup of coffee and some apple slices. It gets me to lunch, where I’m not so hungry I eat the kitchen.
Banana Breakfast Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium bananas spotted ones that are a little past their prime
- ¼ cup vegetable or coconut oil
- ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (62g) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (80g) old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup (43g) white chocolate chips optional
- 1 tablespoon (17g) peanut butter optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8” or 9×9” pan with nonstick cooking spray. (Line it with foil first for easy removal, if desired.)
- Place bananas in a large bowl. Mash them with a fork or potato masher until just small chunks remain. Stir in oil and brown sugar with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Add egg, vanilla, and salt, and stir until combined. Stir in baking soda. Add flour and oats and stir until mixed, some lumps will remain. Spread in prepared pan.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until browned around the edges and not jiggly in the center. Cool completely. Slice into bars.
- Optional drizzle: melt white chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small microwave safe bowl (on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring between each). Place melted chocolate in a small ziploc bag with the tip cut off and drizzle over bars.
- Enjoy within 2 days or freeze for up to one month. I like to freeze them and then reheat as needed, since they don’t last very long on the counter.
Recipe Notes
- By substituting butter for oil, I’ve made these a bit heart healthier. Vegetable oil is recognized as a healthier fat than butter by the American Heart Association.
- Using whole wheat flour makes these better than anything with white flour.
- The old fashioned oats give a nice texture.
- The bars you buy have a peanut butter drizzle, so I added that to these. You can skip, of course, or add some peanut butter chips or mini chocolate chips to the bars for extra flavor.
- They last about 2 days on the counter, or you can freeze them for a quick snack. That’s what I like to do, after my workout, with a cup of coffee and some apple slices. It gets me to lunch, where I’m not so hungry I eat the kitchen.
Fun and easy to make! Excited breakfast is in the freezer, ready to grab. I doubled this recipe and it baked perfectly in a Pyrex (I think it’s 10×17) & it baked about 25 minutes. I used parchment on the bottom and greased the corners and sides, easily removable after a few minutes to a cooling rack. I substituted several ingredients for what I had on hand: butter, spelt flour, palm sugar (only a 1/3 cup), dash of stevia, added a little cinnamon and ginger. In my haste, I used a Magic Bullet blender to blend all the wet ingredients. I even added a handful of spinach and no one noticed. (Yes, I’m one of those. lol) I actually melted my butter but turned it into “browned butter” because I think the extra nutty flavor adds to bananas. The icing idea is genius! The white chocolate melted with PB and I poured it on as directed. Looked professional. My sister and her kids came over as I was steaming the icing on them and they were so excited to help and eat them. My sister says she’ll make these from now on to keep in the freezer instead of buying already packaged granola bars. These are way healthier and fresh. Thank you! (What will be my next tweak…hmmm…pecan praline icing?…)
These sound delicious ! Thank you for the motivational posts this year, they’re really helping me !
Banana is one of my all time favorite breakfast flavors. These look like the perfect AM treat for me!
Carbs 148g?
Bananas and flour and lots of sugar. Accurate.
Hi Dorothy, these banana bars sound delicious!! Like you, I was eating lots of the store bought protein/granola bars until not long ago when I stopped as they’re processed with so many things in them I have no idea what they are! Thank you for this recipe! I hope to make it soon. Always need refueling after exercise too! Happy New Year to you and your family!
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