What do you do with a bag of bananas? Make Peanut Butter Banana Bars! Last time I was at the neighborhood grocery by my sister’s house, they had just set out bags of perfect golden yellow bananas. I brought one of the bags home with me. I made Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream and Banana Strawberry Blueberry Smoothies earlier.
Peanut Butter Banana Bars were quick and easy to make, no added sugar. Except in the chocolate chips and you could make those sugar free to if you wanted. Or you could substitute chopped walnuts or peanuts instead. The peanut butter adds flavor, but it also gives a nice boost of healthy fat and protein, making the Peanut Butter Banana Bars even more filling and satisfying as a snack or dessert. The mixture will be rather wet, but that is what prevents these bars from baking up too dry. Using parchment paper in the baking pan makes it easy to lift the bars from the pan after they have cooled. Cool completely before cutting them into squares. The cooling allows the bars to set up more firmly so they slice more cleanly. The bars are good eating the same day they are baked. But if you can be patient overnight, the flavors deepen and meld together — yumminess.
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1¼ cup oats
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips OR chopped nuts
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper. (Alternatively, grease pan.)
- In a large bowl, mash ripe bananas. Mix in oats, peanut butter and vanilla until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips (optional: reserve some chocolate chips to add to the top of the mixture).
- Pour mixture into loaf pan, using a spoon to smooth out on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool and cut into 8 pieces. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
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