Is there really a better combination that peanut butter, banana and chocolate? I love these oatmeal bars because they are perfect for just about anytime of day. I love having these for breakfast with a side of yogurt, as a snack in the afternoon and even for desert after dinner. They are super easy to make (literally just throw it all into a bowl), wholesome and freezer friendly!

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup of creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1/4 of brown sugar (you also can sub honey, coconut sugar or maple syrup here also)
• 1 egg (or 1/4 cup of applesauce if you want these to be vegan)
• 1/2 cup of almond milk (or your preferred milk choice)
• 2 1/2 cups of whole oats (do not use instant oats or the bars will get mushy)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (this is optional)
• 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (you can omit these but why would you?)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×9 or 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper (the pan size is chefs choice of if you want them thicker or thinner)
• In a large bowl mash the ripe bananas then mix in the remaining ingredients til well combined
• Transfer mixture to baking pan and bake for 25-30 mins
• Once baking is complete (should be golden brown – it will still be a little soft but will firm up as it cools) cool oatmeal bars for 15-20 mins
• Cut into squares or bars and enjoy!

Serving/Storing

• After you have cut the oatmeal bars I like to transfer them to a container and store them in the fridge, when I am ready to eat one I will microwave it for a few seconds to warm it up
• If you want to store these in the freezer simply put them in a freezer safe container and either thaw in the fridge for 12-24 hours before enjoying or microwave to defrost.

XO, Ashton