Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Bars (Printable Version)

Wholesome chewy bars made with blueberries, banana, oats, and protein for nutritious snacking or breakfast.

# What You'll 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)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - Whisk together rolled oats, protein powder, ground cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
03 - Mash bananas until smooth. Add honey or maple syrup, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil; whisk until fully combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredient mixture into dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined.
05 - Carefully fold in blueberries, avoiding overmixing to retain berry texture.
06 - Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking pan, smoothing the surface.
07 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until bars turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan, then lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 12 bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a treat but deliver real nutrition that actually keeps you full until lunch.
  • You can make a batch on Sunday and grab one every morning without thinking, which is life-changing when mornings are chaotic.
  • The texture is perfectly chewy—dense enough to feel substantial but never dry or crumbly.
02 -
  • Don't thaw frozen blueberries before adding them—they'll break down and turn the entire batter purple instead of staying whole and juicy throughout.
  • Room-temperature eggs and mashed banana make all the difference between a smooth, cohesive batter and one that looks broken and grainy.
  • These bars firm up significantly as they cool, so if they seem a little soft when warm, that's exactly right—patience here prevents cutting into mush.
03 -
  • Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown speckles—they blend into a silky texture and provide natural sweetness that protein powder can't.
  • Line your pan with parchment paper and let it overhang, then you lift the entire batch out and cut cleanly on a cutting board instead of hacking at bars still stuck to the pan.
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