Chunky Monkey Protein Baked Oat Bars (Printable)

Banana-chocolate oat bars with protein powder, walnuts, and peanut butter for energizing breakfast or snacks.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
03 - 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
04 - 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
05 - 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
08 - 1/2 cup vanilla or chocolate protein powder
09 - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
10 - 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1 teaspoon baking powder

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Stir in applesauce, honey or maple syrup, almond milk, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine oats, protein powder, walnuts, chocolate chips, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking pan, pressing gently to create an even surface.
06 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the bars are set and golden around the edges.
07 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 12 equal pieces.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like dessert but won't make you feel guilty afterward.
  • Twenty-five minutes from oven to golden perfection means you can make a week's worth of breakfasts without much fuss.
  • No fancy ingredients required—just things you probably already have or can grab on any grocery run.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step or you'll have chunky banana mush instead of bars—I learned this the hard way by slicing while they were still warm.
  • The baking time is tight; pull them out when the edges are golden but the center still jiggles slightly, and they'll firm up perfectly as they cool.
03 -
  • Mash your bananas just enough to mostly combine them—leaving a few small lumps creates little pockets of texture that make each bite interesting.
  • Slightly underbake these by pulling them out when the center still wobbles a tiny bit; they'll continue cooking on the counter and end up perfectly chewy instead of cake-like.
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