Transform your breakfast routine with these easy and delicious 3 ingredient banana oatmeal bars! With just three simple ingredients, these soft-baked banana oatmeal bars make the perfect healthy breakfast on the go! They’re ideal for everyone in your family, from babies to grown-ups. {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free & Vegan}

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Bars – Only 3 Ingredients!
These tasty 3-ingredient banana oatmeal bars are soft, chewy, and naturally sweetened. I love the combination of peanut butter, oats and sweet, ripe bananas and my kids go nuts for them too!
They’re a perfect replacement for more expensive packaged breakfast bars and taste like banana bread but with no added sugar.
A great way to use up those overripe bananas that are kicking around!
For more healthy bars, check out my Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars, Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bars, and Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal too!

Why We Love These Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
- So easy: If you can mash bananas and mix ingredients, you can make these banana oat bars! They’re that simple.
- Kid-Friendly: These baked oatmeal bars with banana are ideal for kids of all ages! They’re perfect for baby-led weaning since they’re so easy to hold yet tender and soft.
- Healthy: Without the melted butter, flour, and sugar in banana bread, these homemade energy bars contain only three simple wholesome and nutritious ingredients for a perfect healthy snack.
- Naturally filling: The basic ingredients in this easy recipe are naturally high in fibre and healthy fats, helping to keep you or your little ones full for longer.
Ingredient Notes

- Rolled oats: Oats are the base of these 3 ingredient banana oatmeal bars. Rolled or instant oats will work, but save the steel cut oats for a different recipe.
- Bananas: Choose the ripest bananas for a soft, tender texture. If you only have fresh bananas, see my tips below about how to ripen bananas quickly.
- Peanut Butter: Select natural unsweetened peanut butter to limit the sugar content in these soft granola bars.
How to Quickly Ripen Bananas
If you need ripe bananas for a recipe but only have yellow ones on hand, try these easy hacks to ripen bananas quickly.
Paper bag method: Close your bananas in a paper bag. As the bananas release ethylene gas, they ripen themselves in 1-2 days. You can also add an apple in there as well to speed up the process even more!
Oven method: Bake unpeeled bananas at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until the peel is dark brown. Cool before scooping out the banana mash.
Microwave method: Poke your unpeeled banana with a knife or a fork. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until fully ripe.
How to Make 3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars – Step-by-Step




- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas, then add the oats, peanut butter and salt (if using). Mix well.
- Transfer the batter into the lined pan. Smooth out mixture with a spatula until evenly distributed across the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and slightly firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cool, carefully remove from pan and slice into 16 bars. Top with a drizzle of natural peanut butter and extra banana slices, if desired.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Tips for the Best Oatmeal Bars
- If your natural peanut butter doesn’t have salt, you may wish to add a bit of salt for a bit of extra flavour.
- Use overripe bananas (the brown spotty ones) for the best flavour. The bananas naturally sweeten these bars so you’ll want them to be as sweet as possible.
- These bars firm up as they cool. For best results, allow them to fully cool before cutting them to avoid overly messy bars.
- To save time, use your electric mixer to mash the bananas. Break or slice your peeled spotty bananas into large pieces and place in the bowl of your stand mixer. You can also use a regular mixing bowl and a hand mixer. Begin beating on low, then gradually increase to medium-high speed until the bananas break down into a mashed banana consistency. You can use this bowl to mix in the rest of the ingredients too.
Recipe FAQs
Quick oats are a great alternative for rolled oats in these soft-baked banana oatmeal bars. Since quick oats cook so fast, your oatmeal bars may be slightly softer than when baked with regular oats.
Store these baked oatmeal bars on the counter or in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh on the counter in an airtight container for 2-3 days. In the fridge, they will last closer to 3-5 days.
These oatmeal bars always stay soft, thanks to the mashed bananas and delicious oats! This makes them ideal for baby-led weaning or smaller children, as the banana bars are so tender and crumble easily.

Storage Guidelines
Room temperature: Store leftover bars in an airtight container for approximately 2-3 days. They will stay soft on the counter.
Refrigerator: Place leftover bars in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Wrap the slices in wax paper for easy serving. The bars will have a firmer texture in the fridge.
Freezer: Individually wrap each banana oatmeal bar in plastic wrap or wax paper. Place in a freezer-safe zip lock bag and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Optional Add-Ins or Toppings
These 3-ingredient banana oatmeal bars are such a versatile recipe. You can add a variety of different mix-ins to make this simple recipe your own.
Try any of the following:
- Chocolate chips
- Raisins
- Dried fruit
- Chopped dates
- Cinnamon
- Hemp seeds
- Ground flax seeds
- Chia seeds
- Banana slices
- Coconut flakes
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Dark chocolate drizzle
- Maple syrup
Serving Suggestions
- Make-ahead breakfast: Serve these 3 ingredient bars with Turkey Sausage Egg Muffins or Mini Egg Bites for extra protein. You can also serve them with this Strawberry Banana Smoothie Without Yogurt for an even more satisfying breakfast.
- Filling snack: Serve these healthy banana oatmeal bars on their own or with some yogurt for a filling snack.
- Healthy dessert: Crumble a bar over a serving of my 3-Ingredient No Bake Cheesecake for a sweet treat.

Recipe Variations
- Switch up the nut butter: Choose almond butter, cashew butter, or any other nut butter.
- To make nut-free: Replace the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or Wow Butter.
- For extra protein: Add up to 1/2 cup of protein powder. You may need an additional tablespoon or so of milk or water. Choose unsweetened plant-based or whey protein powder to keep the sugar content lower.
- Make it gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free. Use certified gluten-free oats to ensure there’s no cross contamination with gluten.
More Similar Recipes
- Peanut Butter Protein Bars
- Healthy Banana Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
- Healthy Granola Bar Recipe
- Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Baby Oatmeal
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed overripe banana (about 5 large bananas), plus extra slices for topping
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup natural peanut butter plus more for drizzling on top
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas, then add the oats, peanut butter and salt (if using). Mix well.
- Transfer the batter into the lined pan. Smooth out mixture with a spatula until evenly distributed across the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and slightly firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cool, use the parchment paper as a sling to carefully remove the baked oatmeal mixture from pan and slice into 16 bars. Top with a drizzle of natural peanut butter and extra banana slices, if desired.
Video
Notes
-
- If your natural peanut butter doesn’t have salt, you may wish to add a bit of salt for a bit of extra flavour.
-
- Use overripe bananas (the brown spotty ones) for the best flavour. The bananas naturally sweeten these bars so you’ll want them to be as sweet as possible.
-
- These bars firm up as they cool. For best results, allow them to fully cool before cutting them to avoid overly messy bars.
-
- To save time, use your electric mixer to mash the bananas. Break or slice your peeled spotty bananas into large pieces and place in the bowl of your stand mixer. You can also use a regular mixing bowl and a hand mixer. Begin beating on low, then gradually increase to medium-high speed until the bananas break down into a mashed banana consistency. You can use this bowl to mix in the rest of the ingredients too.
This recipe is excellent. I had 3 small bananas going soft, so I halved the other ingredients. I also added a tablespoon of maple syrup. I used a smaller tin and tried out my new air fryer. It worked! I’m going to tweek the recipe each time I try it. I’m going to merge my favourite porridge recipe with my favourite flapjack recipe. That said, THIS IS THE BEST BASE RECIPE I HAVE SEEN ONLINE.
So happy you loved the recipe Michael! Love how you’re experimenting to make it your own :) I appreciate the kind review!
They sound delicious but the recipe doesn’t state measurements of ingredients
You can find all of the ingredient quantities and instructions at the bottom of the post in the recipe card :)
I added chia seeds to mine
Great addition, thanks for sharing!
Excellent !!! Now we look forward to having ripe bananas.
Right?! This recipe is so handy for those overripe bananas! So glad you enjoyed the bars :)
My family devours these oatmeal bars! I love how easy they are to whip together. Such a quick and easy breakfast or snack!
That’s amazing! So glad your family has been loving the recipe. I agree, they’re so convenient to have on hand!