Chunky Monkey Protein Baked Oat Bars (Printable Version)

Wholesome banana-chocolate oat bars with protein, walnuts, and dark chocolate chips. Easy breakfast or snack.

# 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

# Steps:

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 - Evenly distribute the mixture into the prepared baking pan using a spatula.
06 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until bars are set and golden around the edges.
07 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 12 equal pieces.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste legitimately like dessert but pack enough protein to actually fuel your morning without the crash.
  • No fancy equipment or techniques needed—if you can mash a banana and stir, you're already winning.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the silent killer here—it makes everything tough and dense, so fold gently and stop as soon as you see no dry streaks.
  • The bars will seem a little soft when first baked but firm up significantly as they cool, so don't panic if they feel cake-like straight from the oven.
03 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step—these need time to set properly or you'll end up with crumbly disappointment when you try to slice them.
  • If your bananas aren't very ripe, add an extra teaspoon of honey because it affects the sweetness more than you'd think.
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