Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Bars (Print)

Chewy bars with blueberries, banana, oats, and protein, ideal for nutritious on-the-go mornings.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon baking powder

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
07 - 1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup
08 - 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or unsalted butter

→ Mix-Ins

12 - 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together rolled oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
03 - In a separate bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Add honey or maple syrup, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil, then whisk until well combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Gently fold in blueberries, taking care not to overmix, especially if using frozen berries.
06 - Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until bars turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow to cool completely in the pan, then lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 12 bars.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • They stay soft and chewy for days, never dry or crumbly like store-bought bars.
  • You can mix the batter in one bowl if you're feeling lazy, and they still turn out perfect.
  • The blueberries burst while baking and leave little pockets of jammy sweetness.
  • They taste like a treat but keep you full until lunch without the sugar crash.
02 -
  • Don't skip lining the pan with parchment, I tried greasing it once and they stuck so badly I had to scrape them out in pieces.
  • Let them cool all the way before cutting, even if it takes an hour, because warm bars fall apart no matter how careful you are.
  • If you're using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them or they'll turn the batter into a purple swamp and make everything soggy.
03 -
  • Press a few extra blueberries on top of the batter before baking, it makes them look bakery-pretty and adds little bursts of fruit on the surface.
  • If your bananas aren't ripe enough, roast them in their peels at 300°F for 15 minutes, they'll soften and sweeten right up.
  • Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts to get neat squares without dragging the edges.
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