A yummy banana oat protein bar with 8 grams of protein in each bar. This recipe makes a large pan of 12. They are soft, dense, and packed with delicious ingredients like chocolate chips, flax, oats, and molasses.
I wanted to make a protein bar with whole food ingredients, something without protein powder. I converted one of my favorite healthy cookie recipes into these bars; now my friends are asking for the recipe, just like my almond butter protein bars!
Jump to:
Ingredients needed
Things to note about some of the ingredients:
- Flour: Whole wheat or white flour can be used in this recipe, however, whole grain flour contains more protein and nutrients, so use it if you have it.
- Almond flour: Using almond flour makes these bars dense and chewy. I really love the texture. I also use it because it is a great source of protein.
- Flax seeds: I choose to use ground flax seeds so the body can absorb more nutrition from the seeds. If you only have the whole seeds, you can grind them in a coffee maker or blender until they are a powder (when doing it in a blender, I find doing 1-2 cups at a time works best).
- Cane sugar: Any sugar can be used for this recipe - brown sugar, white sugar, cane sugar, monk fruit, truvia; they will all work. I haven't tested this recipe with a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
- Oil: I use olive oil for these breakfast bars with protein. For the best oil option, look for a cold-pressed, organic oil, preferably stored in a dark-coloured bottle (to prevent it from going rancid), such as sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or melted coconut oil.
- Chocolate chips: In this recipe, I used mini dark chocolate chips. I feel better about giving these chocolate chips to my kids regularly because they contain less sugar and additives (and we are mostly dairy-free). However, any chocolate chips can be used, of course!
How to make oat protein bars with banana
Follow along with these step-by-step photos from my kitchen. Maybe it can be like we are making them together. 😊
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175C). Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl: flour, almond flour, rolled oats, sugar, ground flax seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together until everything is well combined.
- In another bowl, place the banana, eggs, molasses, and oil. Mash the banana with a fork and stir everything together well.
- You will have a brown mixture once everything is all stirred together. I've found that toddlers like to help with this part too!
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture.
- Add the chocolate chips and walnuts if using. Stir until just combined. The batter will be thick.
- **I know my photo shows a glass pan, but I found that a metal pan bakes much more evenly, and I highly recommend using a metal pan lined with parchment paper for these banana protein bars.
Spread the batter into the pan. I also used wet hands to smooth out the tops of the bars to make them nice and flat. - Then bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit (175C) until golden brown.
Other healthy snacks you may like...
I'm obsessed with making nutrient-dense muffins for my kids' snack time; you will find more of it on the Beside the Mountain food blog! If you love bananas, try these whole wheat banana muffins or this no-bake banana bar with dehydrated bananas!
🍌Did you make this banana oat protein bar recipe? Would you take 30 seconds to give a star rating and review just below the recipe? That means a lot to me and helps the growth of Beside the Mountain blog (your email address will not be shown).
Banana Oat Protein Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup ground flax seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Add Ins
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, almond flour, rolled oats, sugar, ground flax seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together until everything is well combined.
- In another mixing bowl, add the banana, eggs, milk, oil, and molasses. Use a fork to mash the banana, then continue mixing until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Pour the banana mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together—the batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter into a greased or parchment-lined 9x13-inch rectangular pan, pressing it into the corners. Wet your hands slightly with water and use them to smooth the top. Bake at 350°Fahrenheit (175C) for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden brown; the middle may look a little less cooked, but it will become firm when it cools.
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Melanie Fritzke says
This recipe is AMAZING!! We have food allergies so I made substitutions to gf flour, plant based eggs and vegan chocolate chips. They turned out great!! We will be making these again soon cause they won't last long!! Thank you!!!
Danika Vanderpyl says
This is wonderful to heat Melanie! Thank you for sharing that it did work out with your adjustments.
Anna Johnston says
I just tried them for the first time this morning! So tasty 🙂 And anything to help hit those protein goals, right?
Danika Vanderpyl says
so glad you liked these Anna! That makes me happy!