Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Raisins, Banana, and Peanut Butter Recipe
These Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are a wholesome and delicious way to start your day. Packed with rolled oats, ripe bananas, peanut butter, and raisins, they offer a perfect balance of natural sweetness and hearty texture. Baked to a golden perfection and optionally topped with melted chocolate and creamy peanut butter, these bars make a convenient, nutritious breakfast or snack for busy mornings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 bars
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup raisins
Wet Ingredients
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
- 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Serving Add-ons
- Melted chocolate
- Creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the bars evenly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together rolled oats, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt until well combined. Then stir in the raisins evenly throughout the mixture.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, blend peanut butter, melted coconut oil or butter, mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla extract until you achieve a smooth and uniform mixture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold together using a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bars tender.
- Prepare for Baking: Transfer the batter into a 9-inch square baking pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan to form a smooth and level layer.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top turns lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Slice: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cut into 9 even squares.
- Serve: Optionally, drizzle with melted chocolate and creamy peanut butter before serving for an extra indulgent touch.
Notes
- Use rolled oats for better texture; quick oats will make the bars mushy.
- You can substitute raisins with other dried fruits like cranberries or chopped dates.
- For a nut-free version, replace peanut butter with sunflower seed butter.
- Allow the bars to cool completely to ensure they hold together when sliced.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
