These breakfast cookie bars take the familiar flavors of breakfast cookies—oats, peanut butter, and banana—and turn them into an easy bar you can grab on the go.
This recipe evolved from an earlier breakfast cookie concept after many happy kitchen experiments. My boyfriend Bryan started with a breakfast cookie recipe and then improvised—adding more peanut butter, extra banana, a handful of chocolate chips, swapping sugar for honey, and using applesauce for moisture. The result was unexpectedly delicious, and I refined that loose version into the bar recipe below so you can recreate it consistently.
I tested the recipe several times to settle on measurements and to try a few variations, including using oat flour and reducing sweetener. The bars are naturally sweet from banana and applesauce, and they make a convenient breakfast or snack that freezes well for busy mornings.
Breakfast Cookie Bar Ingredients
The full ingredient list: quick oats, flour (gluten-free or regular), baking soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, applesauce, egg, banana, natural peanut butter, and chocolate chips.
For lower-sugar options, stevia-sweetened chocolate chips work well, though the banana and applesauce provide most of the natural sweetness. I often keep single-serve applesauce cups in the pantry for baking so I don’t end up with half an open jar in the fridge.
Substitutions
These bars are flexible. I tested them with gluten-free all-purpose flour and oat flour (made by blending oats). I slightly prefer the texture with gluten-free all-purpose flour, but oat flour also yields tasty bars. You can use regular wheat flour if you don’t need the recipe to be gluten-free.
These bars are easier to make in a pan rather than scooping cookie-sized portions. The applesauce makes the mixture more like a batter, so pouring into a pan and baking produces even, chewy bars. Lining the pan with parchment paper keeps cleanup simple.
These bars freeze well, so they’re perfect for a freezer stash of ready-to-eat breakfasts or snacks. Keep them in the fridge for a few days for best flavor, or freeze for longer storage.
I’m glad to have another reliable gluten-free breakfast option—hope you enjoy these bars as much as we do!
If you try these breakfast cookie bars, feel free to leave a comment or tag @livbane on Instagram with a photo—I’d love to see!
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Bryan’s Breakfast Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Liquid Ingredients
- 2 bananas
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups quick oats
- 3/4 cup GF flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill GF flour. You can also use regular wheat flour or blend oats to make oat flour—these bars are adaptable.)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (use up to 3/4 cup if you like extra chocolate; reserve a few to sprinkle on top)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mash the bananas, then stir in the egg, peanut butter, applesauce, and vanilla until well combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: quick oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and fold together. Stir in the chocolate chips.
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Line an 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper or spray it lightly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 20–24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
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Let the bars cool for at least 30 minutes for neater slices. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for best flavor, or freeze for 2–3 months.
Nutrition
Originally inspired by and adapted from an earlier breakfast cookie recipe.