When life hands you overripe bananas, bake up some Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars with Peanut Butter Oat Streusel. Whew, that’s a mouthful! A delicious, chewy, chocolatey mouthful.
No Such Thing as a Bad Banana
I cannot even look at these photos without my mouth watering. Friends, these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars with a Peanut Butter Oat Streusel are everything. They’re sweet, chewy, dense, and y’all, I’m not even over here pretending they are a healthier version of anything 😂. Made with butter, brown sugar, and lots and lots of love, these snacks disappear as fast as you can serve them up.
It all began one morning with a bunch of very ripe bananas. Never one to let a squishy banana go to waste, I decided to whip up something new. Something dreamy. And these banana bread bars are a dream come true! So full of flavor!
Watch Me Make These Bars!
Step into the kitchen with me to make these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars!
What Do I Need to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars?
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Creamy or crunchy peanut butter
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Quick-cooking oats
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Mashed ripe bananas
- Chocolate chips
When is a Banana Ripe Enough for Baking?
First, a quick tip! People ask me all the time how they’ll know if a banana is ripe enough for baking. Do your bananas look gross? Like, really gross? Then they’re ready! The more ripe a banana, the sweeter the batter.
In a pinch, you can ‘ripen’ bananas in your oven. Simply place them on a baking sheet and then bake for 30 minutes or so in a 300°F oven. Keep in mind, though, that oven-ripened bananas don’t quite have the same sweetness to them.
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars
- To make the batter, first, cream the butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric stand mixer until light and fluffy. Next, add your eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, beat in a teaspoon vanilla extract.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (oats, baking powder, and baking soda. Note there’s no salt in this recipe). Next, add the oat mixture to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer and beat on low to medium speed until well combined.
- Fold in the mashed banana and then 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- To make the streusel, first stir the peanut butter, brown sugar, and oats together in a small bowl with a fork until crumbly. Next, gently mix in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
- After spreading the bread batter evenly into a prepared baking dish, sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter. As always, you can line your baking pan with parchment paper for an easier clean. There you have it!
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Finally, let cool in the pan at least 30 minutes, cut the bread into bars and enjoy a bit of chewy chocolatey heaven. Supposedly, this recipe makes 24 servings, but I’ll let y’all be the judge of that. Serve and enjoy! Your crew will devour these treats before you can say, “Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars with a Peanut Butter Oat Streusel!”
Substitutions and Storage
Nut Butters: I haven’t tried it, but I bet this recipe would work well with whatever nut butter (almond butter, cashew butter, etc.) or seed butter you choose, if peanut isn’t your thing.
Gluten Free: There’s no flour in these banana oatmeal bars, but if you want to make sure it’s free of gluten, choose gluten-free oats.
Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to three days (they won’t last that long!). Or place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
Craving More Sweet Banana Inspiration?
Try this Classic Banana Bread or one of my flourless banana bread recipes which are all easily made in the blender with minimal ingredients. You’d never believe they don’t have any flour, butter, oil or granulated sugar in them.
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars as much as we do. When you make them, be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see! 
I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes and ideas I share.
xoxo,
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars with a Peanut Butter Oat Streusel
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 bars
Description
When life hands you overripe bananas, bake up some Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars with a Peanut Butter Oat Streusel. Whew, that’s a mouthful! A delicious, chewy, chocolatey mouthful.
Ingredients
BREAD BATTER:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 4 medium ripe bananas)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
STREUSEL:
- 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
- To make the bread batter: in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder and baking soda. Add the oat mixture to the ingredients in the stand mixer and beat on low to medium speed until well combined. Fold in the mashed banana and then 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Make the streusel: in a small bowl, stir the peanut butter, brown sugar and oats together with a fork until crumbly. Gently stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
- Spread the bread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.
Notes
In this recipe, peanut butter can be substituted with almond butter or cookie butter.
These are so delicious. Even my husband who can have wheat tears them up. I’ve made them so many times! They are deliciously addicting! Thank you for this recipe
Hi, Tara! I’m so happy to hear that you both enjoy them so much! Thank you for sharing.
Hi I just made these today, me and my son love them especially him. He wanted more after. I was wondering what’s the best way to store them? Can I leave them in their pan and just put plastic wrap on it?
Hi, Samantha! I’m so happy he loves them! Store at room temp in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap for up to three days. Or place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Hope this helps!
Wondering if there is a substitute for banana that would work well and not change the consistency? Perhaps pumpkin puree or, cooked zucchini or mashed sweet potato would work?
Hi! I think pumpkin puree or applesauce would be the best substitutes for this recipe. I hope this helps and that it bakes up great. Enjoy!
These were such a hit at home and at work. They barely lasted a day! I was able to get 15 out of this recipe… definitely not 24! 😂
Hi, Cristan! I am so happy ya’ll enjoyed them so much! They go quickly at our house, too. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
I am an avid (and fairly skilled) baker. I made this recipe exactly as written. We found the results to be too sweet and too unpleasantly soft. There seems to be a problem with the ratio of oats, bananas, and sugar. So much so that the family voted to bin them after tasting.
I’ll be returning to other more successful gluten free recipes.
Hi Alyson! This sounds like a matter of preference unless you underbaked them to where they would be mushy. They are certainly sweet and supposed to be soft and tender like a good banana bread should be. I hope you find another recipe that your family enjoys! Best wishes!
Wow, these are incredible, Maegan!! They were also a hit with my toddler, who gave them a resounding “nummy!” (No surprise there; how could anyone not love these?!)
The streusel topping is delicious. I’ve never made a streusel with a peanut butter base before, but it really enhanced the flavor and texture of the bars.
I made a couple of small changes when I made these. I used chopped up Lindt bittersweet chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips, salted butter instead of unsalted, and added a half cup of flour to the batter.
I cut these into 24 servings. With my modifications, a serving has about 250 calories and provides 5.2 g of protein and 2.4 g of fiber. They are the perfect semi-healthy bars, nourishing without sacrificing flavor or texture.
Thank you so much for the recipe! This one is a keeper.
Hi, Kara! I’m so happy they were such a hit! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Maegan, I make this recipe often and my children absolutely love it. Unfortunately for the last two times my bars gone stringy and got black strings in it just on the third day itself. I kept them in airtight but at room temp. I’m in UK and it is getting warm here. Any advice, suggestion would be welcome. Thank you!
Hi, Aarti! Stringy? I’ve never experienced that. Could it possibly be the stringy banana fibers turned dark? That happens pretty quickly after exposed to air, and probably nothing to worry about. You could take care to remove those long fibers before mashing the banana, if that’s the cause. But you could also keep your bars refrigerated if you’re concerned they’re spoiling too quickly. Hope this helps!
They look really good! We’re do I find the nutritional content?
Hi, Sharon! I don’t provide nutritional information at this time. I would recommend plugging the ingredients you use into a free online recipe nutrition calculator like: https://whisk.com/recipe-nutrition-calculator/ Hope this helps. Enjoy! ❤️