Peanut Butter Banana Bars (Printable)

Chewy bars featuring peanut butter, banana, oats for natural energy anytime.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
03 - 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
04 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

05 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
06 - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
07 - 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
08 - 1/4 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

# How To Make It:

01 - Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth.
03 - Add peanut butter, honey or maple syrup, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Stir until well combined.
04 - Add oats, salt, cinnamon, and any optional nuts or chocolate chips. Stir until evenly combined.
05 - Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly and evenly using a spatula or the back of a spoon.
06 - Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour until firm enough to cut.
07 - Lift bars out using the parchment paper overhang and slice into 12 bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're ready to eat in an hour with zero oven time, so you can make them while doing literally anything else.
  • One batch disappears fast because they hit that perfect sweet spot between chewy and substantial without feeling heavy.
  • They taste indulgent but are actually packed with real ingredients, so you don't have to feel guilty grabbing a second one.
02 -
  • Don't skip the parchment overhang—trying to scoop bars out of a bare pan is frustrating and leaves you with broken pieces.
  • Chill them for the full hour; pulling them out too early means they'll crumble when you slice, but an extra thirty minutes in the fridge never hurts.
03 -
  • If your peanut butter is thick and stubborn, slightly warm it first so it mixes in without requiring a workout.
  • Press the bars down really firmly in the pan—loose bars tend to crumble when you slice them, so an extra minute of pressing saves frustration later.
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