Baked Oatmeal Bars

Mornings can get hectic, and that’s where these baked oatmeal bars come in handy. Packed with banana and chocolate chips, they’re perfect for those days when you’re running late or need to hand something to the kids as they head out the door. I’m a big fan of oatmeal in the morning, but I know not everyone shares my enthusiasm for a bowl of oats.

That’s why I created these rustic, chewy bars—they’re a hit every time. If your kids are looking for a baking project, these bars are a great choice because they’re hard to mess up.

Why I Love This Recipe

• The chewy and nutty texture of these bars is perfection.
• I love adding one of these oatmeal bars to a bagged lunch.
• These bars are simple to put together with straightforward ingredients.

Ingredients

Here’s a rundown of what’s in these oatmeal bars.

• old-fashioned oats – This give the bars their hearty texture. You will not want to substitute with quick-cooking oats.
• semi-sweet chocolate chips
• milk – I use whole milk for it’s richness, but you can use whatever type of milk or milk alternative you prefer.
• bananas – Bananas are great for natural sweetness and a soft texture.
• cinnamon
• salt
• eggs
• honey – It adds natural sweetness and helps with binding the ingredients together.

How To Make Baked Oatmeal Bars

Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Step One: Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Step Two: Grease an 8×8 baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper hangs over the sides so you can easily lift the bars out later.
• Step Three: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and salt. Just set this aside for now.
• Step Four: In another bowl, mash up the bananas with a fork until you get a chunky puree. Then, mix in the milk, eggs, honey, and vanilla until well combined.
• Step Five: Stir the banana mixture into the oat mixture until everything is nicely blended.
• Step Six: Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center is set.
• Step Seven: Let the bars cool completely before lifting them out of the pan and slicing into nine squares. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Here are some quick tips to make these bars even better:

• Remember to use old-fashioned oats for a chewy texture. Quick oats don’t hold up well during baking.
• Swap out chocolate chips for dried fruit, nuts, or other flavored chips if you prefer.
• Banana ripeness matters. The ripeness of your bananas affects how sweet the bars turn out.
• Replace honey with 100% maple syrup (not pancake syrup) if needed. Local blackberry honey can add a nice nuance of flavor.
• If you happen to be enjoying one of these bars at home, a little maple syrup poured on top is not a bad thing.

Leftovers and Freezing

Here are some ideas for storing and freezing your oatmeal bars:

• Room Temperature: Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
• Refrigeration: For longer freshness, keep them in the fridge for up to two weeks.
• Freezing: To freeze, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or foil and place them in a freezer bag. They’ll stay good for up to three months.
• Thawing: Thaw frozen bars at room temperature or heat them in the microwave for a few seconds to enjoy them warm.

More Lunch Box Bars 

• Reese’s Pieces Bars
• Peanut Butter Cheerios Bars

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Baked Oatmeal Bars

These baked oatmeal bars were made to be something special, with a moist, creamy interior and just the right amount of breakfast-friendly sweetness.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Baked Oatmeal Bars

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 9 bars

Calories 273kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• baking pan 8x8
• parchment paper
• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowls

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tsps ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 3 bananas, smashed
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and line a baking pan (8 x 8) with parchment paper. (Make sure the parchment paper hangs over the side of the pan so can easily lift the bars out of the pan.)
  cooking spray
• In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, chocolate chips, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  3 cups old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 tsps ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp table salt
• In a medium bowl, combine smashed bananas (smash with a fork into a chunky puree), milk, eggs, honey and vanilla. Mix well. Add to the oats mixture and combine until well incorporated.
  3 bananas, smashed, 1 cup whole milk, 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pour oat mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until edges are golden and the center is set.
• Cool completely before lifting out of the pan and slicing into nine squares.

Notes

For optimal outcomes when making these baked oatmeal bars, I recommended referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition

Serving: 129g | Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6.9g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg

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Banana Split Kabobs 

This quick, easy dessert takes a classic and lightens it up with angel food cake and a drizzle of caramel, chocolate and marshmallow topping. The crushed, salty peanuts round out every bite.

There’s no ice cream involved, which makes this treat easy to handle for a dessert buffet and cuts out about seventy-five percent of the calories.

This is such a simple dessert kabob idea, it hardly needs a recipe, but I’ve included one so you can see how I made it.

Ingredients 

You really want to make sure your fruit is ripe, both the strawberries and the bananas, and are void of bruising.

Prepared angel food cake helps keeps this recipe light, but you can substitute with any kind of pound cake or even brownies.

Ice cream topping works great for the chocolate and caramel sauce and the marshmallow topping can be found in the baking aisle.

Using salted peanuts helps cut the sweetness, but any kind of peanut or nut will work. Choose your favorite.

How to Make These Fruit Shish Kabobs

Slice strawberries and bananas when you are ready to thread the skewers.

I like to prepare the kabobs in the following order, 1 banana slice, 1 strawberry slice, 1 cake piece, 1 banana slice, 1 strawberry piece on each skewer.

After you have threaded the skewers, drizzle the chocolate, caramel, marshmallow on top and sprinkle with crushed peanuts.

Serve immediately.

Storage

Due to the fresh fruit on these skewers they will not keep longer than a few hours.

If you’re not planning to serve and eat all twelve skewers you can easily reduce the recipe.

You can also have the strawberries and cake slices ready to go and slice the bananas right before serving to shave some time off preparation.

Substitutions

This recipe is very adaptable to many substitutions.

Feel free to use any kind of cake slices or substitute brownie pieces or marshmallows.

Try adding pineapple pieces or switching up the toppings with strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce, crushed almonds, sprinkles, or coconut shreds.

Think of it as your own banana split and add whatever toppings you prefer!

More Banana Dessert Recipes

• Banana Pudding Poke Cake
• Sheet Pan Banana Cake
• Strawberry-Banana Crumble
• No-Bake Banana Split Cakes

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Banana Split Kabobs

A fun spin on a classic, these Banana Split Kabobs are going to raise the sweet vibe at all your summer gatherings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Split Kabob, Summer Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 kabobs

Calories 120kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Ingredients

• 12 large strawberries, washed and hulled
• 2-3 bananas
• prepared angel food cake, cut into 12 (1-inch) pieces
• chocolate sauce
• caramel sauce
• marshmallow topping
• 1/4 cup (37 g) crushed, salted peanuts
• 12 (6-inch) wooden skewers

Instructions

• Cut the green tops off of the strawberries and slice them in half.
• Slice the bananas into 24 pieces.
• Prepare the kabobs by adding the ingredients in the following order: 1 banana slice, 1 strawberry slice, 1 cake piece, 1 banana slice, 1 strawberry piece on each skewer.
• Layout the kabobs on a large baking sheet or tray and drizzle with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and marshmallow topping. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts over the kabobs.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.9g | Protein: 1.7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Sodium: 24.7mg | Potassium: 153.4mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 12.1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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Eggnog Banana Bread Muffin Recipe

If you prefer spending holiday mornings around the tree with family, instead of in the kitchen, these Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins are the perfect answer to a pre-made holiday breakfast. Make these eggnog muffins the day before for a stress-free Christmas or New Year’s Day breakfast. They are simple to put together and you likely already have all the ingredients you need.

There are lots of things that make the holiday season special, but the one stand-out is the food. For many, this is the only time of the year we allow ourselves to enjoy certain dishes, many of which have cultural significance. It’s definitely the perfect time of year for festive breakfast and brunch recipes.

Still Looking for Holiday Breakfast Recipes? Try these:

• Mouthwatering Oven Omelet
• Streuseled Overnight French Toast
• Peppermint Bark Hot Chocolate
• Grapefruit Prosecco Cocktail

How To Make Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

1. Mash bananas well with a fork and place them into a 2-cup liquid measuring bowl. Add egg, melted (cooled) butter, vanilla and enough eggnog to make a total of two cups. The addition of eggnog will only be enough to make a total of two cups of all the wet ingredients mentioned. Do not add more eggnog.
2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold them into each other.  Do not over-mix, about 10 strokes is about enough.
3. Spoon the batter lightly into the muffin pan. If you want your muffins to look like the pictures, place extra nuts and chocolate onto the top of each muffin.
4. Place muffins oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan (on a wire rack) before removing.

How To Ripen Bananas Quickly

Ripe bananas are essential for these eggnog muffins. Bananas should have yellow skins (no green!) with an even array of brown freckles. Since ripening bananas can take a few days and sometimes up to a week, there is a quicker way. All you have to do is bake your unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 250 degree F oven until they are soft, 15-20 minutes. Let them cool, peel, and add them to your recipe. It’s so easy and no more waiting for brown bananas when you have an urge to bake.

Recipe Tips

• Bananas should be ripe. See above for how to ripen bananas quickly.
• Your wet ingredients should not exceed a total of two cups. Because bananas are different sizes, the addition of the amount of eggnog will vary.
• Thoroughly whisk together your dry ingredients, making sure baking powder and baking soda are fully combined within the flour.
• Do not add hot ingredients like melted butter to cold ingredients like egg and eggnog. Try to bring ingredients to room temperature before mixing together.
• All eggnog is not created equal. Check the labels and grab the brand that has the highest fat content.
• Do not over-mix the batter or your muffins will not be tender.
• Add extra nuts and chocolate to the tops of the muffin if you want them to look like the picture.

Can I Freeze Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins?

Yes you can. Wrap each muffin individually with saran wrap and place in a tightly lidded container for up to six months. Let them thaw on the counter for six hours before serving.

How To Keep Muffins Moist Overnight

• Let your muffins cool completely.
• Keep muffins in their paper liners.
• Place them in a resealable bag or a tightly lidded container.

Why Did My Muffins Turn Out Dense?

Most likely it was too much leavening by measuring incorrectly; too much baking powder or soda in your muffin batter will cause muffins to rise temporarily, then collapse. This is how they become dense.  Over-mixing is another cause of dense muffins.  Mixing the muffin batter too much creates a dense muffin, with huge pockets of air inside.

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Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

These Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins are tender, delicious and full of pure banana flavor. The eggnog lends a gentle nod to the holidays in a format that is perfect for celebrating Christmas brunch. This holiday breakfast muffin is the perfect cure to hunger while unwrapping those holiday gifts.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Bread, Eggnog, Eggnog Banana Bread Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 236kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1-1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract
• eggnog, add only enough eggnog to make your wet ingredients equal two cups
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips (72% cacao)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
  
  
• Mash your bananas well with a fork and place them into a 2-cup liquid measuring bowl. Add egg, melted (cooled) butter, vanilla and enough eggnog to make a total of two cups. The addition of eggnog will only be enough to make a total of two cups of all the wet ingredients mentioned. Do not add more eggnog.
  
  
• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold them very carefully into each other.  Do not over-mix, about 10 strokes is about enough. (Over-mixing is the death of baked goods. There might even be some dry spots of batter left and it will be lumpy. That is fine! If you mix until the batter is runny, your muffins will be average, and a little tough.) Fold in chopped nuts and chocolate just until incorporated.
  
  
• Spoon the batter lightly into the muffin pan (do not pack it in). If you want your muffins to look like the pictures, place extra nuts and chocolate onto the top of each muffin.
  
  
• Place into your preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  
  
• Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan (on a wire rack) before removing.
• Will keep several days in a tightly covered container.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.2g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 11.9g | Saturated Fat: 4.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31.4mg | Sodium: 296.5mg | Potassium: 93.3mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 303.3g | Vitamin A: 11.6IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 4.5mg | Iron: 3.5mg

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The first battle is learning how to pronounce “Açaí” correctly….ah-sah-EE. Now that your phonetic struggle is over, it’s time to sit down and enjoy a spoonable smoothie right in the comfort of your own home. Think weekend and pajamas and all this yummy fruit.

Related: Mermaid Smoothie Bowl

Some of you have likely been eating smoothie bowls for over a year now. They are so trendy. However, for others, this might be your first introduction to these bowls of deliciousness with endless choices of customizable toppings. Just remember, smoothie bowls are thicker than regular smoothies, are served in a bowl (obviously), which makes them spoon-ready and ready to eat. Just add your favorite healthy toppings. That’s really all you need to know.

This particular recipe is not only topped with my favorite fruits, chia seeds and cacoa nibs, but is blended with nutrient rich açaí powder, a great source of vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and other essential trace minerals. And it makes your smoothie bowl taste amazing. Don’t leave it out!!

I had my first Açaí Smoothie Bowl last summer in Hawaii . I knew I was hooked. Let’s not mention how refreshing a smoothie bowl was to enjoy after a hike of Diamond Head in some pretty warm temperatures.

Since smoothie bowls are made with frozen fruit and not a lot of liquid (which keeps them thick), I would make sure your strawberries and bananas are sliced so it’s easier for your blender to chop them up. A high powered blender is also advised.

The topping choices are endless, which is one of the reasons these bowls are so versatile. You can use whatever fresh or frozen fruit you have. Topping with granola adds a nice texture to the final meal. They are so good and I can’t wait for you to try one.

These are so much better than sipping smoothies through a straw, trust me on that one.

There are so many great recipes out there for smoothie bowls. This Banana Chocolate Chunk Smoothie Bowl definitely has my attention. And who would not love a bite of this vacation-worthy Tropical Smoothie Bowl? I know my holidays are going to include this Pumpkin Cinnamon Crunch Smoothie Bowl as often as possible.

Five years ago I posted this recipe for Spicy Apricot Ginger Lime Chicken and we’re still loving it. Six years ago these Potted Chocolate Mint Puddings came to life and they are perfect for Spring. If you are looking for the perfect side dish, I made this Soft Polenta with Mascarpone seven years ago and it is still amazing with everything. And eight years ago these Sticky Peanut Butter and Jelly Wings made their debut.

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I just finished watching the series Breaking Bad. Just wow is all I can say. It was one incredible television show. Who else is a fan? The show was just so darn good and I did not want it to end…ever. I was honestly delaying watching the last three episodes because I really could not deal with the idea of not binge watching it every night.

We have now moved on to Better Call Saul, which is affiliated with the Breaking Bad series as a prequel. Written and made after the Breaking Bad series ended. We’ll see how it goes. It’s hard to imagine Breaking Bad could ever be rivaled in any way. But I have no choice, I have to move on.

These cookies were actually inspired by Breaking Bad. In one of the seasons, there is an attorney doing some shady work. His weekly money deliveries to the bank are accompanied by over-the-top treats as a sort of distraction for the bank employee letting him in the safe deposit vault. One of those treat deliveries were bacon banana cookies. My jaw kind of dropped when I heard it, knowing I would be making my own version soon. So glad I did. You will thank me later.

When adding bacon to a cookie (or any baked good), it needs to be crispy. You do not want any fatty edges left on the bacon a whatsoever. Make sure to cook your bacon until it is really done so it crumbles easily and has a nice texture.

The reason my cookies turn out perfectly round and fluffy comes from baking them in a whoopie pie pan. The wells of this type of pan are shallow and let the cookie spread slightly and then bake upward, which gives you a beautiful looking cookie. I use the pans to make eggs too. Having several of these pans on hand are a great asset to the kitchen. They are very thin and easy to store as well.

With such a mild flavor, I love adding French Grey Sea Salt to so many recipes, especially baked goods. Don’t leave this out, it absolutely made these cookies over-the-top and really brought home the whole salty-sweet combination.

The peanut butter glaze was a bit of an after thought, but it really made all the flavors of this cookie come full circle. You will have to experience it for yourself.

The consistency of the glaze should be just runny enough to drizzle over the cookies and not have it run off the sides too quickly, leaving behind these little glaze soldiers on the pan. This is how you know you got it just right.

Other Banana Bacon Peanut Butter Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Bacon Wrapped Bananas
Peanut Butter Banana Bacon Pancakes
Peanut Butter and Bacon French Toast with Caramelized Bananas
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Three Years Ago: Streuseled Honey Butter Breakfast Muffins
Five Years Ago: Roasted Radish and Potato Salad
Six Years Ago: All You Can Eat Crisp Cornmeal Shrimp
Seven Years Ago: Asian Noodle Salad with Peanuts and Mint
Eight Years Ago: Chambord-Vanilla Ice Cream

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