4-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

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You can whip these oatmeal breakfast bars up in minutes, then enjoy them for breakfast all week. Packed with whole grains, good fats, and a touch of sweetness from the chocolate chips, they’re the perfect way to start the day!

4-Ingredient Oatmeal Bars

This is a great recipe for people who want to eat healthy, and don’t want to spend a ton of time on it. These no bake peanut butter oat bars are fantastic as a healthy snack or as a quick, on-the-go breakfast!

What’s in healthy breakfast bars? 

One of the best parts of this recipe is its wholesome ingredients. There’s just a few, and you may even have these simple ingredients hanging around right now!

Oatmeal bar ingredients
  • Oatmeal: You can use rolled oats, quick oats, or even old-fashioned oats for this. Each oat type changes the texture of the final product. I prefer the texture of quick oats. 
  • Banana: The riper the better! Overripe bananas are sweeter than just ripe ones, so bring on the spotty bananas!
  • Peanut Butter: You can use natural peanut butter for this, or just go with good old Jif. Creamy peanut butter works best, as it’s the binder that holds everything together. Crunchy peanut butter tends to make bars that fall apart. You can also sub this for almond butter or sunflower seed butter. 
  • Chocolate Chips: These are really optional, and can be replaced with the mix-in of your choice. Nuts, dried fruit, and even coconut flakes all work here. If you want to keep things vegan, you can even use vegan chocolate chips!

Making 4-ingredient banana oatmeal bars

Step 1 | Mash Banana

Start by mashing your banana in a large mixing bowl. I use a fork to mash the banana, but you can also use a mixer, if you’d like. 

Mashed banana

Step 2 | Mix it Up

Add the oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate chips to the mashed bananas. Mix them together well until you have a nice sticky dough.

Oatmeal bar dough

Step 3 | Press it Down

Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper. Press the oat mixture into the lined pan, being sure to get it into the corners. I like to really smash it down so that my bars hold together well. You can use the bottom of a drinking glass or the back of a spoon to press it down. I also like to add more chocolate chips to the top of the bars and press them in so it looks pretty!

Pressed into pan

Step 4 | Refrigerate and Enjoy!

Put your bars in the refrigerator to set up. For best results, they’ll need a couple hours to chill. Once they’re set up, you can remove them, cut them into 16 pieces, and enjoy your homemade peanut butter oat bars!

4-Ingredient Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Variations

This simple recipe is perfect for playing around! You can change your mix-ins and add a variety of flavors to your oatmeal base. Here’s a few ideas: 

  • Add extract: You can add vanilla extract, or even butter or almond extract, to get a different flavor option. Add 1 tsp of extract to your oatmeal base. 
  • Add sweetener: if you’re not afraid of added sugar, you can add 1/4 cup of white or brown sugar to the oatmeal base. In place of sugar, you can use a few tablespoons of maple syrup, agave, or even a little stevia!
  • Mix up the mix-ins: Change the flavor and nutrition level of these bars by changing the mix-ins. You can add fresh fruit, including fresh blueberries, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or ground cinnamon (this gives you a great banana bread flavor!). 

FAQs

Can I substitute the peanut butter with another nut butter?

Absolutely! Almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter can be used as a substitute for peanut butter. Just make sure it’s creamy for easy mixing.

How should I store the oatmeal breakfast bars?

Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze them for up to 2 months.

Can I double the recipe to make a larger batch?

Yes, you can easily double the ingredients and use a 9×13 for the bars.

4-Ingredient Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Make these simple no-bake bars for an easy and healthy breakfast or snack!
3.50 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Cost: $3.00
Servings: 16

Ingredients

  • 1 medium banana
  • 1 1/4 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana.
  • Add the oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Stir until well combined.
  • Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper. Press the oatmeal bar dough into the pan.
  • Chill for at least 2 hours to set up.
  • Remove from fridge and cut into 16 pieces.

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6 Comments

    1. Applesauce and mashed banana have different textures, so you might have to experiment a bit. Pumpkin puree is closer in texture, but not as sweet, so that might be an option, depending on your tastes!

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