Name: 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Bars Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 very ripe bananas; 1/4 cup smooth (natural peanut butter); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/4 cup instant or quick cooking oats; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 cup chocolate chips

If you liked the Banana Oaties, you are going to LOVE these 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Bars. They’re basically the same thing but in bar form and with peanut butter. Consider it an upgrade!

This recipe only has 4 simple ingredients and, like the oaties, couldn’t be easier to make.

If you want, follow the same instructions for the oaties and make them into oaties too. I kinda liked making them a little different as bars, but they’ll work either way. They may just need a little less time in the oven as oaties.

Not only does peanut butter add a delicious flavor, but it also adds a nice boost of fat and protein, making these even more filling and satisfying as a snack.

Grab 1 for a snack or even for dessert – I promise, they will not disappoint.

Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Banana Bars

I love making these bars ahead of time to have on hand for the week. Anything that saves time for breakfast or snacks – or that gives me a ready-to-go dessert – is such a win in my book.

I’ve also seen a lot of parents making these with their kids, which I love. This is such a fun recipe to make with your kids that they can help prepare and eat too.

Now that I think about it – I’m totally making these for my daughter soon!

Store these bars in airtight container at room temp. They’ll last for 3-4 days. You can also make a batch to freeze for up to 3 months. Simply microwave when you’re ready to eat or eat them at room temperature.

Welcome 🙂 As an intuitive eating based private practice, we don’t share calorie counts on recipes. We find that counting calories takes away from internal cues of hunger, fullness and satisfaction – aka enjoyment of the food you’re eating. But trust us, these are full of nutritious ingredients… and you’ll definitely enjoy them.

Yes! Any time your bananas are getting super ripe before you’ve had a chance to use them, peel them, place them in a freezer safe bag and store them in the freezer. Defrost them on the counter or microwave them gently before using.

This recipe was made with a 9×5 loaf pan.

Quick or instant oats work best. I don’t recommend using steel cut oats.

There are 4 main ingredients in this recipe: bananas, oats, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. The other ingredients – baking powder, salt, vanilla extract – are small supporting actors that typically aren’t included in ingredient counts. If you don’t have them – or if you really want to stick to only 4 ingredient – skip them! The recipe will turn out perfectly fine without them too.

If You Love These Peanut Butter Bars, Try These Recipes

Easy Strawberry Ice Cream: Pair your bars with this easy, high protein ice cream for a super filling snack. You can make both ahead of time to have snacks for the week!

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Mousse: On a peanut butter and minimal ingredient recipe kick? You’ll love this higher protein easy mousse.

Banana Oaties: These recipes are similar – both contain bananas and oats – and are both amazing, nourishing make ahead snack options.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies: Peanut butter? Check. A few simple ingredients? Check. These cookies satisfy your peanut buttery sweet tooth.

Easy Cinnamon Sugar Beignets: Another fruit-filled sweet recipe that’s simple but so satisfying.

How To Make 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Bars

Prep the ingredients

To start, preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.

Mash the bananas

Add the bananas to a large bowl and mash until almost smooth.

Add wet ingredients

Add in the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix well.

Add dry ingredients

Add in the oats, salt, and baking powder.

Fold in chocolate chips

Add 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips. Reserve the rest of the chocolate chips for the top of the bars. If you don’t like chocolate chips feel free to skip them. Check out other substitutions below. Mix well to combine.

Pour mixture into loaf pan

Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, using a spoon or spatula to smooth it out on top. Add the remaining chocolate chips to the top of the bars.

Bake

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool and cut

Let cool and cut into 8 pieces.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bananas: Make sure your bananas are super ripe. The more ripe they are, the sweeter the bars will be. If you want to ripen bananas quickly, try preheating the oven to 350 F – add them to baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. They’ll be black on the outside but super ripe and perfect for baking. To add extra sweetness if your bananas aren’t ripe enough, you can also add a little maple syrup to the mix.
Peanut butter: Any type will work! A sweetened peanut butter will yield a sweet end product than using a natural peanut butter.
Oats: Use instant or quick cooking oats. Steel cut oats won’t work in this recipe.
Chocolate chips: Choose your adventure 🙂 Milk chocolate, semi sweet, or dark chocolate chips would all be delish.

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Bar Tips

Mix ins: There are so many mix ins you can add to these too. Tons of people have tried this recipe on Pinterest – here’s some ideas that they’ve tried mixing in: chopped walnuts, or peanuts, a dash of cinnamon, pumpkin purée (for the fall or winter), shredded coconut, flax seeds, hemp seeds or even a little bit of honey would work well.
Storage: Store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. You can eat them cold or reheat them for just a few seconds in the microwave.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American