Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars

Yes, another oatmeal recipe. Are you starting to get a sense of my oatmeal obsession? I found this recipe on Gingerbread Bagels blog. This particular recipe peaked my interest because it has oatmeal AND peanut butter. Such a dynamic duo.

Oatmeal Squares from Gingerbread Bagels

These breakfast bars (which are great as a snack or healthy dessert too) are simple to make and take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. I've only made these bars once, but I think next time I will add some chocolate chips or a touch more brown sugar. This is my sweet tooth talking though, so unless you have a large sweet tooth too you will probably like them fine just the way they are. Give these a try and let me know what you think!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
(9-12 squares)

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 egg
1 large ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup peanut butter
Optional: 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x8 cooking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add vanilla, milk, and egg; mix until combined. Add mashed banana and peanut butter and mix all ingredients together. If you are adding chocolate chips, gently fold them into the batter.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and let cool before you slice them.

Nutritional Information (without chocolate chips):
12 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 100
Fat: 4g
Fiber: 1.5g

Pros:
-Easy to make
-Easy clean up
-Great for breakfast, a snack, or dessert
-Healthy

Cons:
-Mild in flavor; consider increasing the sugar to 1/3 cup, adding the optional chocolate chips, and/or spreading peanut butter on top of bars when you eat them

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5