Chunky Monkey Protein Baked Oat Bars (Print)

Hearty oat bars with banana, chocolate, and walnuts for energy-packed mornings.

# Ingredients:

→ 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

# Instructions:

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.
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.
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.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like a treat but pack serious protein and whole grains, so you're actually winning at breakfast.
  • Fifteen minutes of prep means you're not spending your Sunday tied to the kitchen, just mixing and baking.
  • The banana and chocolate pairing feels nostalgic in the best way—like comfort food that doesn't sabotage your goals.
02 -
  • Those bananas need to be genuinely ripe with brown speckles, because underripe ones won't mash smooth and your batter will have chunks that bake into weird pockets.
  • Cooling completely is not a suggestion—I learned this the hard way by trying to slice warm bars that just crumbled everywhere and looked devastating in my lunch container.
03 -
  • Mash those bananas with the back of a fork until they're almost liquidy—chunky banana pieces turn into weird pockets that throw off your texture.
  • If you're making a vegan version, let that flax egg sit for five full minutes so it becomes gelatinous and actually binds instead of staying watery and useless.
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