Flourless Chocolate Banana Oat Bars (Gluten-Free)

Four ingredients make these bars: rolled oats, mashed banana, peanut butter and dark chocolate chips. There is no flour, no eggs, no butter and no added sugar beyond the chocolate, so they are vegan and, with the right oats, gluten-free. The banana binds and sweetens, the peanut butter keeps them from drying out, and the oats hold everything together.

These oatmeal bars sit between a breakfast bar and a baked oat slice, and you do not have to be vegan or gluten-free to want one with a coffee.

What makes these bars hold together without flour?

Two things do the binding, and neither is flour. Mashed banana is mostly water and starch, and as it bakes that starch sets and glues the oats together. Peanut butter brings fat, which stops the oats going dry and papery. Between them they do the job egg and butter would normally do.

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So ripeness matters here. Use bananas that are heavily spotted and soft: they mash smooth and carry far more sweetness. Barely yellow bananas leave lumps and taste starchy. Rolled oats matter for the same reason. Quick oats turn the mixture pasty, and steel-cut oats stay hard, because 12 minutes is nowhere near enough to soften them.

These easy-to-make bars need around 12 minutes in the oven, though they must cool fully before cutting. Like these bars, they keep well enough to make a batch on Sunday and eat through the week.

Chocolate Banana Oat Bars Ingredients

Rolled oats: Rolled oats are the base. They make the bars chewy, add a nutty flavour, and bring fibre and plant-based protein. You want about 4 cups (360 g). Oats do not contain gluten themselves, but they are commonly grown, transported and milled alongside wheat and barley, so standard oats are often contaminated. For anyone with coeliac disease, buy oats labelled gluten-free, which are handled separately and tested.

Banana: Bananas give the bars their sweetness, moisture and soft texture, and they are the binder in place of egg. Mash them smooth, because a lump of banana stays wet in the baked slice and the bar falls apart there.

Peanut butter: Peanut butter gives the bars a creamy texture and a nutty flavour, and its fat is what keeps them from drying out. Natural peanut butter works best, but stir the jar well before measuring, because one with the oil poured off makes a stiff, crumbly mixture.

Chocolate chips: Chocolate chips add sweetness, and they melt into pockets of soft chocolate through the slice. Check the label rather than assuming: plenty of dark chocolate contains milk solids or is made on shared equipment, and the wording varies between brands and countries. Look for chips marked vegan and gluten-free.

What can you swap into these bars?

Protein boost: Mix in 4 tablespoons of protein powder (chocolate or vanilla). It is drying, so add a splash of plant milk to bring the mixture back to a thick, scoopable consistency.

Nutty delight: Replace peanut butter with cashew or almond butter, or if you have nut allergies, you can go nut-free with tahini or sunflower seed butter.

Oat alternatives: If you cannot eat oats, quinoa flakes or buckwheat flakes work in the same quantity, though both are softer and give a less chewy bar.

Fruity goodness: Add dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries or chopped apricots. Fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries work too, though they add moisture, so use a light hand.

Tropical delight: For a tropical twist, mix in some shredded coconut and chopped pineapple.

Zesty kick: To add a hint of citrus zing to your bars, grate some orange or lemon peel into the mix.

Spice it up: Mix in a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom for a warm, spicy touch.

Chocolate Banana Oat Bars Recipe

One bowl, one spoon and a lined tin. The mixture is thick rather than pourable, so spoon it in and press it flat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (260 g) of peanut butter
• 4 cups (360 g) of rolled oats
• 6 mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup (90 g) of chocolate chips

Instructions

• Heat your oven to 350F (180C, or 160C fan-forced).
• Get a baking pan that’s 8 x 8 inches (20 x 20 cm) and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang so you can lift the slab out later.
• Mash the bananas smooth in a large bowl, stir the peanut butter through them, then add the oats and mix well. Doing it in that order stops the peanut butter sitting in clumps.
• Next, fold in the chocolate chips, holding a few back to press into the top.
• Spoon the mixture into the lined pan and press it flat and even with the back of a wet spoon or spatula. An even thickness is what gives you an evenly baked slab.
• Bake for 12 minutes, and take the bars out when the top is firm to the touch. A deeper layer needs longer, so keep checking if the centre still gives under your finger.
• Let them cool completely in the tin. Warm bars will crumble, because the banana starch has not set yet.
• Once the oatmeal bars are cooled, lift the slab out by the paper and cut it into even pieces with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.

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How do you know when the bars are done?

Press the middle of the slab lightly. It should feel firm and spring back rather than dent and stay dented, and the top should look dry rather than glossy. These bars barely brown, so colour is not a reliable guide. If the centre still feels soft and wet, give it another 5 minutes and check again.

How long do these oat bars keep?

Four or five days in an airtight container at room temperature, or about a week in the fridge, where they firm up and get chewier. They freeze for up to 3 months: cut the slab first, wrap each bar, and thaw at room temperature for around 20 minutes.

Can I make them without banana?

Yes. Unsweetened apple sauce or pumpkin puree replaces the banana in the same volume, though both are less sweet, so add a few tablespoons of maple syrup. Pumpkin puree is wetter, so work in a little extra oats until the mixture holds its shape on the spoon.

Chocolate Banana Oat Bars Video Recipe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsKWss-xVnY

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