Tart, sweet and chewy, these healthy cranberry banana oatmeal bars with chocolate chips and pepitas require no egg, no flour and no butter or oil. The only added sugar in this vegan recipe comes from the dried cranberries and chocolate chips.
These baked banana oatmeal bars with dried cranberries, chocolate chips and pepitas are a variation on these 5-Ingredient Healthy Banana Oat Bars.
Make these for snacks, a healthier dessert for your kids or as part of a balanced breakfast served with fresh fruit and yogurt. This recipe is nut-free and gluten-free.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
- Mashed banana - Use overripe sweet bananas for this recipe, the kind you would use to make banana bread. Since we're not adding sugar (or even maple syrup) to this recipe, using ripe bananas will make them naturally sweet. Of course, if the banana has really bad spots when you peel it, then remove that and discard it.
- Chocolate chips - Trader Joe's chocolate chips happen to be vegan and are affordable, so those are the ones I would recommend. Of course, if you're okay with standard chocolate chips, you can use those - just keep in mind that they are likely not vegan since they contain milk.
- Pepitas - a small oblong seed that is light green and crunchy. Look for unsalted, unflavored pepitas in the nut and seed aisle at your grocery store.
📋 Substitutions and variations
Here are some suitable substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:
- Rolled oats - you can use quick oats instead of rolled oats for this recipe, but don't try to use steel cut, as they won't work.
- Cinnamon - instead of ground cinnamon, you can use pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice or vanilla extract
- Dried cranberries - instead of dried cranberries, you can use raisins, dried cherries or currants
- Pepitas - instead of pepitas, you can use sunflower seed kernels, hemp hearts, pistachios, sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or chopped pecans.
- Ground flaxseed - instead of ground flax, you can use chia seeds
- Chocolate chips - you can use cacao nibs, chopped dark chocolate or vegan chocolate candies instead of the chips. Or, omit them altogether.
- WFPBNO - make this whole food plant based no oil by omitting the chocolate chips
- SOS-free - make this SOS-free by omitting the chocolate chips and using sugar-free dried cranberries and sodium-free baking powder
Switch things up with these variation ideas!
- Coconut pepita with brown rice syrup - sub the cranberries for big coconut chips and then drizzle with brown rice syrup for a sweet sticky coating.
See this chocolate pecan version of this recipe on my website!
🔪 Instructions
Step by step instructions with photos for how to make these banana oatmeal bars with dried cranberries, chocolate chips and pepitas.
In a large bowl, mash the banana very well with a potato masher or fork.
Add ground cinnamon, ground flaxseed and baking powder to the mashed banana.
Mix everything together with a large spoon.
Add rolled oats to the bowl.
Mix everything together well. This is what the finished batter should look like.
Spoon batter into glass 13x9 baking dish and spread batter out evenly. (If using a metal pan or baking sheet, line with parchment paper or silicone baking mat to prevent sticking. No need for this in a glass baking dish.)
Sprinkle dried cranberries, chocolate chips and pepitas across surface. Gently press the toppings into the batter with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Bake banana oatmeal bars in oven for 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
This is what it looks like after it's baked. Allow to cool and then slice into bars. Store cut bars in refrigerator for 3-4 days.
🧯 Food safety
- Wash hands with soap and water before cooking
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
🥡 Make ahead and storage tips
You can definitely make these cranberry oatmeal bars ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve them. They will keep for up to 5 days.
🚦 Calorie density score
🟡 This recipe gets a yellow light on the calorie density chart. Some of the ingredients (the dried cranberries, chocolate chips and pepitas) are higher than 600 calories per pound, so eating richer meals like this regularly may prevent you from losing body fat or may even cause you to gain weight. Learn more about calorie density from Jeff Novick, MS, RDN.
Get your own printable calorie density chart for your refrigerator and free ebook explaining calorie density in simple terms.
☕️ Tea pairing
This recipe would be delicious paired with black tea, rooibos tea or chai tea.
💜 More recipes you'll love
If you love this cranberry oatmeal bar recipe, check out these other plant-based dessert recipes!
Love this recipe? Please rate it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below in the recipe card. And, if you make it, please tag me on Instagram or Facebook in your posted photos! I would love to see your creations. 😄
📖 Recipe
Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cranberry Bars with Chocolate Chips and Pepitas
Ingredients
- 4 overripe bananas 460g, mashed
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 18g
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 8g
- 2 tablespoons baking powder 26g
- 2 cups rolled oats 215g, old-fashioned or quick oats
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries 50g
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips 75g
- 2 tablespoons pepitas 26g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, mash the banana very well with a potato masher or fork.4 overripe bananas
- Add ground cinnamon, ground flaxseed and baking powder and mix together with banana.2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons baking powder
- Add rolled oats to the bowl and mix together well.2 cups rolled oats
- Spoon batter into glass 13x9 baking dish and spread batter out evenly. (If using a metal pan or baking sheet, line with parchment paper or silicone baking mat to prevent sticking. No need for this in a glass baking dish.)
- Sprinkle dried cranberries, chocolate chips and pepitas across surface. Gently press the toppings into the batter with your fingers or the back of a spoon.⅓ cup dried cranberries, 2 tablespoons pepitas, ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- Bake banana oatmeal bars in oven for 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
- Allow to cool and then slice into bars. Store cut bars in refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Kelly says
Hi, Definitely going to give these a try! Always looking for quick healthy breakfast with a piece of fresh fruit. You didn’t mentioned if these can be frozen? Have you tried? Love your recipes 😊.
Abi Cowell says
YES, exactly! Me, too, Kelly. Plus, you get to use up that bunch of spotty bananas. Win/win.