This is that happy combination of what to make for breakfast (the night before, please, because the bars do need to chill) and what works well for your treat sharing table (especially if you have a friend who prefers to eat vegan or gluten-free). This is also a great option if you have some perhaps overly-speckly bananas and you just can't face another loaf of banana bread.
My kids like these straight out of the freezer, even, but you can warm them up in a microwave or toaster oven.
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Yield: 16 bars
Ingredients
3 - 4 mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup (125g) creamy or crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut milk (or whatever milk you have on hand)
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
course salt, granulated sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add peanut butter and smash or stir until well combined. Add brown sugar, salt, milk and oats and keep smashing and mixing until again well combined. Add baking powder, cinnamon, and vanilla stirring well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Batter will be a little thick, but still pourable.
Pour/spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Combine a pinch of coarse salt, a pinch of granulated sugar and a pinch of cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the top of your batter evenly with the salt mixture.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the center is set but still a little soft.
Cool in the pan at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, and then chill in the fridge at least for 1 hour. The bars are difficult to cut if they haven’t been chilled.
Remove bars from the pan using the overhang on the sides then cut into bars. Enjoy!
Cover leftover bars tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You can also freeze these in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer the bars to a ziploc bag and thaw+eat as wanted.