Breakfast Bars with Oatmeal

These easy homemade baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are tasty, substantial, and guaranteed to keep you energized for hours. They’re filling, kid-friendly, and filled with a couple of my life-long ingredient favourites (peanut butter, banana, and honey).

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with banana slices and a dollop of peanut butter on top

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars: A Step-by-Step Guide

Peanut butter, banana, and oats are the three musketeers of morning tastes in this soft-baked oatmeal breakfast bar dish. In the greatest conceivable sense, it’s a trio that’s cozy, homey, and timeless.

Try my No Bake Granola Bars or, for a little crunch, my Nutritious Granola Bars for another healthy and substantial breakfast on the go.

TIP! While these oatmeal bars are delicious on their own, I like them warmed up with additional sliced bananas and peanut butter for breakfast.

Old Fashioned Oats are the main ingredients. Make these bars filling, nutritious, and somewhat chewy (like these Granola Cookies). If you want the best results, don’t use quick or instant oats because it will change the texture of the bars.
Flour made from whole wheat. I’ll take any chance to sneak some whole grain goodness into a recipe (see these Apple Oatmeal Cookies for an example). If you don’t have any whole wheat flour on hand, all-purpose flour can be substituted.

Cinnamon. Warm, earthy cinnamon complements soft, nutty oats and creamy dreamy peanut butter wonderfully.
Banana. Moisture is added, and the bars are naturally sweetened (just like in Healthy Banana Bread). You can substitute other fresh or dried fruit for bananas if you don’t like them. Blueberries work well as a substitute, as do raisins or dried cranberries.
Honey. Helps to bind the ingredients together, provides sweetness, and aids in the caramelization and golden browning of the bars in the oven.
Peanut butter is a delicious spread. Provides a mild peanut butter taste to these oatmeal breakfast bars. You may also use almond butter, sun butter, or cashew butter.

Applesauce. Another all-natural sweetener that provides moisture and helps bind everything together in these healthful oat bars. (It also works with these Applesauce Muffins.)
Milk. Assists in combining all of the ingredients into a cohesive batter.
Baking powder is a kind of baking powder. Gives these bars a soft-baked texture and a moderate rise.
Egg. Softens and tenderizes the bars.
Vanilla. Just a smidgeon of pure vanilla extract to tie it all together.

The Instructions
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Mix the milk, applesauce, egg, honey, peanut butter, and vanilla in a separate dish until smooth.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture to incorporate them.
Combine the chopped banana and the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.
In a prepared baking pan, pour the batter.
In a 375°F oven, bake until golden. Remove from the oven, cool, and cut into bars. ENJOY!

Breakfast Bars with Oatmeal
Healthy soft-baked oatmeal breakfast bars with peanut butter, banana, and honey are a quick and healthy on-the-go snack.

Ingredients

2 cups oats, old fashioned
1 cup flour made from whole wheat
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon powdered baking soda
1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt I used unsweetened vanilla almond extract, but any sort will do.
honey (three tablespoons) (or more if a sweeter bar is preferred)
2 tablespoons creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used natural creamy)
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
a single huge egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (pure)

1 quartered and sliced medium banana

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place the rack in the center. Using cooking spray, lightly coat an 8-inch square pan.
Combine the oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing basin.
Combine the milk, applesauce, egg, honey, peanut butter, and vanilla in a separate large mixing basin.
To blend the dry and wet components, pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and whisk to incorporate. The batter will be quite moist.

Pour into the prepared baking pan after folding in the chopped banana.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden and thickened, with a toothpick inserted in the center coming out clean. Allow to cool before cutting into bars and serving.
Notes
TO STORE: Once cooled, wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
TO FREEZE: Freeze for up to 4 months in a zip-top bag. Allow for 24-48 hours of thawing in the refrigerator before serving.
LARGER BATCH: To make a larger batch, increase the component numbers by 1.5 and bake in a 913 inch pan for 25-30 minutes.