Banana and oatmeal bars
Banana and oatmeal bars are a delicious and wholesome way of using up leftover bananas and a great way of getting little hands messy in the kitchen.
Banana and oatmeal bars are a great, simple way of using up leftover bananas. It’s a really easy recipe that doesn’t need any special equipment which is perfect for kids and beginner bakers alike.
If you’ve been following our website for a while you’ll know that we’re often looking for something to make with our leftover bananas. While our banana bread recipe (based on Mary Berry’s) is our favourite from time to time we also like to try something new.
These banana and oatmeal bars a little bit like a cross between a crumble and a flapjack with a tasty layer of banana through the middle. Making bars rather than cookies, makes this recipe really easy. You can just press the dough into a baking tin and then cut them up after they’re baked – it’s really very simple.
How can kids help make the banana and oatmeal bars?
This is such an easy recipe which makes it great for kids. First they can help measure and mix all the ingredients together. You get to rub the ingredients together with your hands to make a breadcrumb – it’s a job my kids love as they can get their hands a little bit messy.
If you have younger children who want to practice their knife skills get them to chop up the banana for you with a blunt knife. It doesn’t matter too much if all the slices are exactly the same size.
Finally, your kids can press the bars into the baking tin. It’s much easier than rolling biscuits or forming cookies, and there is no need to chill the mixture before you bake it which is great if you’re making something in a hurry.
What else can you use overripe bananas in?
We use bananas in our baking all the time, so we’ve got lots of other recipes you can use bananas with:
Banana bread muffins
Banana oat cookies
Banana bread
Chocolate and banana loaf
Caramel banana bread
Chocolate chip banana muffins
Nutella and banana muffins
Chocolate chip banana bread
Cinnamon banana bread
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these banana oatmeal bars:
Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Baking tin
Wire rack
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Ingredients
150g (1 1/4 cup) self raising flour
150g (1 2/3 cup) porridge oats
150g (2/3 cup) demerara sugar
200g (3/4 cup) butter
2-3 bananas
25g chocolate chips
How to make banana oatmeal bars
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan / Gas 4 / 350F and prepare a small baking tin.
Get your kids to grease a 9 inch (23cm) square baking tin with butter or a little oil. Line it with two strips of greaseproof or baking paper going in either direction. Leave a little bit hanging over the edge to make it easier to remove later.
Make the oat crumb
Get your kids to measure the flour, and butter out. Cut the butter into small pieces, or grate it and add it to a large mixing bowl.
Rub the butter in using your fingertips until the mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs. This is always one of my kids’ favourite things to do – they love getting their hands messy and getting to feel everything with their hands.
Add the oats and sugar to your mixing bowl and stir them through.
Make the banana and oatmeal bars
Get your kids to spoon or pour half the oat mixture to the base of your baking tray and press it down with the back of a spoon. Make sure your kids press it down nicely into each of the corners of the tin.
Add the bananas
Get your kids to slice the bananas (this is a great task for little chefs who like to practice cutting but can’t use a sharp knife), and then arrange them over your crumb base.
Sprinkle the rest of the crumble on top and press it down.
Add the chocolate chips
Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of your banana oat bars. Press them down gently. If you want you can make this a little bit more colourful by adding M&Ms.
Bake the banana oatmeal bars
Bake the banana and oat bars in the oven for around 25 minutes. It’s ready when the top is golden brown.
Leave it to cool in the tin for a few minutes then put it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Slice into bars and serve.
Banana and oatmeal bars
Ingredients
Method
- Grease a 9 inch square baking tin with butter then line it with greaseproof or baking paper.
- Measure the flour, and butter. Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to a large mixing bowl. Rub them together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles a rough breadcrumb. Add the porridge oats and sugar and mix them in.
- Pour or spoon half of the oat mixture into the base of your baking tray and press it down with the back of a spoon.
- Slice the bananas and then arrange them over your crumb base.Sprinkle the rest of the crumble on top and press it down.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of your banana crumble. Press them down gently into the top of the bars.
- Bake the banana oatmeal bars in the oven for around 25 minutes. It’s ready when the top is golden brown.
- Leave it to cool in the tin then slice into bars and serve.
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Similar recipes
If you’ve liked this banana and oatmeal bars you might also like Mary Berry’s banana bread or our favourite easy bakes for kids.
This recipe was first published in September 2018 and republished in September 2026.
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