Chunky Monkey Protein Baked Oat Bars (Print Version)

Hearty oat bars packed with banana, dark chocolate, and walnuts. Perfect energy-boosting breakfast or snack for busy mornings.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
03 - 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey
04 - 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
05 - 1 large egg or flax egg for vegan option
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
08 - 1/2 cup vanilla or chocolate protein powder
09 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
10 - 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
11 - 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, optional
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
14 - 1 teaspoon baking powder

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, mash bananas thoroughly. Whisk in applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine oats, protein powder, walnuts, chocolate chips, coconut if using, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with extra chocolate chips and walnuts if desired.
06 - Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden and set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean.
07 - Cool completely in the pan. Lift out using parchment paper, then slice into 12 bars.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They taste like banana bread had a baby with a candy bar, but you can eat them before 9 a.m. without guilt.
  • One batch gives you a full week of breakfasts that actually keep you full until lunch.
  • You can mix everything in one bowl while your coffee brews, no stand mixer or fancy equipment required.
02 -
  • If you slice them while they're still warm, they'll crumble into a delicious mess, so wait until they're completely cool.
  • Using bananas that are almost black makes these naturally sweeter and means you can cut back on the maple syrup if you want.
  • Don't swap quick oats for rolled oats, the texture won't be the same and they can turn mushy.
03 -
  • Press a few extra chocolate chips into the top right before baking, they'll get melty and glossy and make the bars look bakery-perfect.
  • If your protein powder is unflavored or has a chalky taste, add an extra half teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch more cinnamon to cover it up.
  • Line your pan with parchment in both directions so you can lift the whole slab out cleanly, it makes slicing so much easier and cleaner.
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