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    Home » Recipes » Vegan

    Banana Oatmeal Bars

    Published: May 15, 2014 · Modified: Sep 10, 2024 by Lauren Kelly · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    These Banana Oatmeal Bars are vegan, gluten free and crazy delicious! Lightened up, easy to make but still outrageously decadent.

    Banana oatmeal bars on a tray.Pin

    Banana Oatmeal Bars

    I am off to Miami for the BlogHer Food Conference today and I am so excited  that my dear friend Robin, from Knead to Cook is going to be guest blogger for today!  And boy are we lucky.  

    Check out these Banana Oatmeal Bars, they are gluten-free and vegan too. I can attest to how ridiculously easy they are to make and so tasty.

    All of these would be even more yummy with some Low Carb Bulletproof Hot Chocolate, Apple Chai Latte, Eggnog Latte and definitely some Spiked Apple Cider! 

    Also, my cookbooks are both on sale now and would make a great gift! The Everything Wheat Free Diet Cookbook and The Greek Yogurt Cookbook are both the lowest prices I have seen!

    Robin from Knead To Cook

    Robin lost over 30 pounds after incorporating a healthy, clean lifestyle.   She has amazing recipes (and Robin even contributed some delicious recipes to The Greek Yogurt Cookbook!)  

    Robin is  also an avid runner and gym enthusiast and a HUGE inspiration to so many people.  I just adore her.  Ok, now onto this insanely yummy recipe...

    Take it away Robin...

    This recipe has been morphed from an old recipe that I’ve had for years to now accommodate my daughter’s newly adopted diet of being gluten and dairy free due to allergies. They turned out moist and delicious and were devoured by my whole family in rapid speed! This recipe also has no added refined sugars. This is a snack you can totally feel great about. Plus I added some extra protein to these for building or repairing muscle.

    Thanks again Robin for sharing this recipe while I am in sunny Miami!  Please go and follow Robin's blog, or you can find her on Instagram too!  

    Why You Should Make These Banana Oatmeal Bars

    At less than 130 calories per bar, you can enjoy these guilt free. These babies are gluten free and loaded with wholesome, plant-based ingredients.

    I make these banana oatmeal bars all the time for my kids and I love that they freeze easily too. I like to wrap three banana oatmeal bars in parchment paper, place in an airtight container and place in the freezer.

    While my kids are eating dinner, I take them out to defrost and they are thawed and ready to go for dessert. I also lie to take some out at night for them to have as a snack the next day.

    Related Recipes

    White Chocolate Protein Bars from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

    Homemade Apple Pie Lara Bars from from Culinary Couture

    No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

    Keto Granola Bars from All Day I Dream About Food

    Please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram! Thanks for stopping by!

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    Pin

    Banana Oatmeal Bars

    These simple to make Banana Oatmeal Bars are vegan, gluten free and delicious!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, granola bar, Snack, treat, vegetarian
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 bars
    Calories: 124kcal
    Author: Lauren Kelly

    Ingredients

    • 2 ⅓ cups gluten free oats I used Bob’s Red Mill rolled gluten free oats
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon of salt
    • 3-4 bananas very ripe is best
    • 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract or paste
    • ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce
    • ¼ cup of maple syrup agave or honey (for vegetarian option)
    • ¼ cup of hemp hearts optional for extra protein
    • ¼-½ cup of vegan chocolate chips I prefer Enjoy Life – use as many as you prefer. I made half with and half without as my husband is allergic to cocoa.

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your 8×8 or 9×9 glass pan with baking spray with flour and set aside.
    • Into your Vitamix or food processor, add your oats and blend down until a fine powder.
    • Then add the flour to a bowl along with your cinnamon, soda, powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
    • In your stand mixer, blend your bananas, vanilla, apple sauce and maple syrup.
    • Then add your flour mixture and hemp hearts (optional).
    • Blend to combine. If using chocolate chips, add them by hand. Then pour into your prepared pan and bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely and slice. Cover in an airtight container until serving.

    Notes

    This recipe makes between 9-12 oatmeal bars, deepening on how you cut them.
    To store in the refrigerator, place cooled oatmeal bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    To store in the freezer, place cooled oatmeal bars in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lkellynutrition or tag #lkellynutrition!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julia

      February 14, 2023 at 9:17 am

      5 stars
      Yall, these are so freaking delicious! I made enough to last a few busy mornings in our house. Looks like I will have to make more! My family is obsessed! I literally didnt change anything in the recipe. Super delicious!

      Reply
    2. April

      February 13, 2023 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      Wow...these were beyond delicious! Can't wait to try them again!

      Reply
    3. Jamie

      February 13, 2023 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      We loved these oat bars! Perfect for meal prep. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    4. Laurie

      April 22, 2016 at 2:28 pm

      could I sud artichoke hearts for the hemp hearts? I couldn't find hemp.

      Reply
      • lauren.kelly

        April 22, 2016 at 2:41 pm

        Hi Lauria! You can omit the hemp hearts if you can't find them!

        Reply
    5. MarylandGal

      August 10, 2015 at 3:58 pm

      I have made these many many times and i LOVE them! Last week i cooked them over 20 minutes, which i rarely have to do, and they were still very wet . I think that happens when u put in too much applesauce? I overdid the applesauce a bit last week. Just curious- Have you ever tried making these cakier? I saw a recipe for healthy banana bread, and it looks so much cakier and less wet. The only difference it seemed was that they used two eggs and less of everything else. I like that yours are vegan. I have tried adding a little extra baking soda and powder but still always moist and brownie-ish rather than cakey.
      Heres that other recipe btw : https://www.yammiesglutenfreedom.com/2013/02/secretly-healthy-banana-bread-with.html?m=1

      Reply
      • lauren.kelly

        August 10, 2015 at 8:11 pm

        Awesome! I am so glad you liked them, Robin over at Knead to Cook has awesome recipes! Thank you for stopping by!

        Reply
    6. kalina

      January 18, 2015 at 3:12 am

      I don't know if it's because I used frozen bananas or what, but mine took 35 minutes to cook and I'm still not sure it's fully cooked - it seems a little mushy in the middle... but the toothpick came out clean

      Reply
      • lauren.kelly

        January 18, 2015 at 3:31 am

        Hi Kalina! I don't usually use frozen bananas, I usually let them defrost before I bake with them, were they frozen when you baked it?

        Reply
    7. Leslie

      December 30, 2014 at 2:02 am

      The recipe instructions mention adding flour, but I don't see any in the list of ingredients. I would love to make these, but want to make sure the recipe is complete.
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • lauren.kelly

        December 30, 2014 at 2:48 am

        Hi Leslie! I believe she is referring to the oats that were ground into flour. I hope you like them!

        Reply
    8. Julie

      November 23, 2014 at 2:29 am

      These sound amazing! Thought they would be perfect for the little ones lunch! Wondering if I could substitute flax meal for the hemp?

      Reply
      • lauren.kelly

        November 23, 2014 at 3:06 am

        I bet you could substitute flax Julie! Let me know how they turn out!

        Reply
    9. rohcell

      October 28, 2014 at 11:44 am

      this is making me huuunnngrryy.... this looks so good! would love to try baking this but is there any substitute for applesuace? or can it be possible to not put applesauce? thank you

      Reply
      • lauren.kelly

        October 28, 2014 at 12:12 pm

        Hi! The applesauce is a substitute for eggs so I bet you can use a flax egg to keep it vegan?

        Reply
    10. Nicole

      June 09, 2014 at 3:52 pm

      Wow! These look super delicious! The melty chocolate is calling my name!

      Reply
    11. grace at leangirlsclub

      May 21, 2014 at 7:43 pm

      I'm not a great baker, but I'm going to have to try these. Have never tried hemp hearts before - will have to check my local health food store tonight. What else can you add it to?

      Reply
      • lauren.kelly

        June 09, 2014 at 4:18 pm

        Hi Grace! You can also try to add quinoa if you are looking to add protein?

        Reply
    12. Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living

      May 21, 2014 at 3:38 am

      These bars look so nice and moist! Thanks for introducing me to Robin. Great meeting you at BlogHer Food Miami Lauren!

      Reply
      • lauren

        May 21, 2014 at 11:40 am

        Don't they look amazing Jeanette? It was so nice meeting you in Miami!! Thanks os much for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes

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