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These Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Squares are naturally sweetened, chewy from the oats and full of chocolate! An easy recipe that is healthy enough for breakfast but indulgent enough to be a treat.
These bars are so delicious and really do make a great grab and go breakfast or snack. A different and healthy way to use up some over ripe bananas. These bars are made with rolled oats, whole wheat flour and the most important ingredient.... Bananas! There is no refined sugar, only good ole' pure maple syrup to sweeten them and no butter or oil. The glaze has powdered sugar, but it's minimal and completely optional. With or without the glaze, these are healthy enough for breakfast, a morning pick me up snack, after school snack or even dessert! This is a bar I am completely comfortable letting my kids chow down on!
Plus, these bars are freezer friendly. Which is a great way to get a head start on easy weekday breakfasts. More great make ahead breakfasts and snacks are these: Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies, Applesauce Carrot Breakfast Muffins, Homemade Belgian Waffles, Mini Chocolate Donuts, Buttermilk Pancakes, and French Toast Mini Donuts.
This post was originally posted on 11/17/2015 and updated on 04/28/2021.
Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Squares Ingredients
- Bananas
- Pure Maple Syrup
- Egg
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Old Fashioned Oats
- Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
Substitution Suggestions
- Maple Syrup: Feel free to substitute honey. The bars will be a bit more tacky and chewy, but just as delicious. Do NOT use pancake syrup. Pancake syrup is made with artificial flavors and a whole lot of processed sugars.
- Whole Wheat Flour: All purpose flour can be substituted.
- Old Fashioned Oats: I don't recommend using quick oats because the texture will be more dry and crumbly, instead of soft and chewy.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: I use dark chocolate because it has the least amount of sugar, however if you want to sweeten the bars a bit more you can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. Peanut butter or butterscotch chips would be equally as delicious too.
- Powdered Sugar: If you want to avoid the glaze, you can melt some peanut butter and drizzle that over the bars.
How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
- In a medium bowl, mix together mashed bananas, maple syrup and egg.
- In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until fully combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Spread batter evenly into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes and until edges are golden brown.
- Let bars cool completely.
- Whisk together powdered sugar and milk, drizzle glaze over bars.
FAQs About Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
Once the bars are completely cooled, place the unglazed bars in a freezer safe container or zip top bag between layers of wax paper or individually wrapped in plastic. Label and date then freeze. Will last in the freezer for 3-4 months. I leave the glaze off when freezing because it tends to melt and disappear into the bar when the bars thaw. So, I would recommend glazing the bars after you thaw them. To thaw the bars, simply thaw on the counter for a few hours.
These bars should be stored in an air tight container or zip top bag either on the counter or in the fridge.
More Ways to Use Over Ripe Bananas:
- Banana Belgian Waffles
- Strawberry Banana Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
- Banana Nut Muffins
- Crumb Topped Banana Bread
- Banana Scones
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fried Bananas on Banana Pancakes
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- Banana Nut Bars
- Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Blondies
- Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
- Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Banana Dessert Cups
Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Squares
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas, mashed, around 1 cup
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 1¼ cups whole wheat white flour
- 2½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons water or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine bananas, syrup and egg.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined well.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Spread the mix evenly into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Bake 30-35 minutes and until edges are golden.
- Let cool completely.
- Once cooled, you can slice and glaze or slice and freeze.
- For the glaze: mix powdered sugar and water until desired consistency (I like mine just a bit thick but loose enough to drizzle with a spoon).
- Drizzle squares with glaze and let rest until glaze is set.
- Store in airtight container on counter or in fridge.
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