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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.
I don’t diet either…I crank up my exercise and stop eating late, and just try to moderate my intake of unhealthy food! These would be so great for breakfast — healthy, yet still indulgent and tasty!
I’m definitely trying these. I need more healthier snack foods and I’m sure these will do just fine as a dessert while I’m “not dieting”, just changing my behavior 🙂
Dessert my biggest weakness. I’m that person that can’t end with something savory. I always have to end with something sweet. I hate it and love it at the same time. This recipe is perfect for me!
Me either!! I’m so glad I’m not alone. I was dying after lunch today!
Thanks for a healthy, homemade version of a breakfast bar! Aside from the expense, looking at the list of ingredients on the store ones was frustrating (isolated soy protein, maltodextrin, brown rice syrup, yuck! – so highly processed!). These look delicious, and with ingredients I know and use
I am with you on the diet stuff. I have never been able to cut food groups or stick to a diet.
I’ve been struggling this past few months with my definition of moderation too. Feel like I constantly pick at things when I’m photographing, when it’s just come out the oven, when I walk into the kitchen… I always used to have pretty good willpower, but I need to get my butt in gear and start working out more. I know the odd cookie won’t hurt, but I feel like I’ve been telling myself that a little too frequently recently – love how you’ve lightened these slightly and they’re still like blondies, but for breakfast!
Exactly – that’s what I’ve been doing too! Here’s to us trying hard to get that willpower back!
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