Healthy Breakfast Bars Recipe
These Healthy Breakfast Bars are how I survive busy mornings with three hungry kids. Packed with nut butter, oats, and chocolate chips, they’re quick to mix up and bake in just 25 minutes. Whether I’m handing them off on the way to school or sneaking one for myself with coffee, they’re the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack for busy moms and hungry kids.
Servings: 16
Calories: 129kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup nut butter I use peanut butter
- ½ cup mashed ripe banana about 1 small banana
- ¼ cup maple syrup can sub with ½ cup date paste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats gluten-free if needed
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup dairy free chocolate chips can sub with dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs for an ultra healthy version
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup chopped pecans omit for nut free
- ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries or raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/ 180°C
- Mix the nut butter, banana, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a bowl until combined, I used a whisk. It's okay if there are some banana chunks.
- Add the oats, baking soda and salt to the bowl and mix well with a spoon.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, nuts, seeds and dried fruit.
- Pour the batter into a prepared square baking pan. I used a little bit of oil to coat the pan.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until brown on edges. Bars will harden a bit more as they cool. Don’t over bake because they will dry out and fall apart.
- Allow to cool completely, about 30-45 minutes but check to make sure they are cool to the touch.
- Cut into into squares (I do 16) and enjoy!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for making these healthy breakfast bars is to let them cool completely before slicing. If you cut into them too early, you’ll end up with a crumbly mess. So always wait, and I even pop the pan in the fridge for a little bit to make slicing super easy.
- Line your pan well: I always line my baking pan with parchment paper and leave a little overhang on the sides. It makes lifting the bars out so much easier, especially if you want clean edges when slicing.
- Don’t overbake: Even if the center looks a little soft, I pull them out once the edges are golden. They’ll firm up as they cool, and this keeps the bars chewy instead of dry.
- Use ripe bananas: The riper the banana, the better the sweetness and texture. I’ve even used bananas with dark spots that were just sitting around waiting for a purpose.
- Pack the mixture in the pan: Before baking, I press the mixture down firmly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. This helps everything stick together so the bars don’t crumble after baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg