Description

These Oatmeal Breakfast Bars made with nutritious quinoa are a wholesome and delicious way to start your day. Packed with oats, ripe bananas, peanut butter, and dark chocolate morsels, they provide a perfect balance of fiber, protein, and natural sweetness. Ideal for a quick breakfast or healthy snack, these bars are easy to make and wonderfully satisfying.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup quinoa (cooked and cooled)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients

3 bananas (ripe and mashed)
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Additional

Cooking spray
1 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate morsels

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃). Spray an 8×8 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside to prevent sticking.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, cooked and cooled quinoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Stir well until fully mixed.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, combine the mashed bananas, flaxseed meal, peanut butter, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup. Mix thoroughly to form a uniform mixture.
Combine Both Mixtures: Pour the wet banana mixture into the dry oat and quinoa mixture. Stir well to ensure everything is evenly combined.
Add Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the semi-sweet dark chocolate morsels using a rubber spatula. Allow the batter to sit for about 10 minutes so the flaxseed meal can absorb some moisture, improving the texture.
Spread Batter: Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. For extra chocolatey goodness, sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top if desired.
Bake and Cool: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Once done, remove the baking dish and place it on a cooling rack. Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares to ensure they hold together well.

Notes

Make sure quinoa is fully cooked and cooled before mixing with other ingredients to prevent sogginess.
If you prefer nut-free, you can substitute peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or tahini.
Use ripe bananas for natural sweetness and better binding.
These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
For a vegan option, ensure the chocolate morsels are dairy-free.
You can also add nuts or dried fruits to customize flavor and texture.
Allowing the batter to rest lets the flaxseed meal absorb moisture, improving the final bar’s texture.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Breakfast, Snack
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 1/9 of recipe)
Calories: 210 kcal
Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 60 mg
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: oatmeal bars, quinoa breakfast bars, healthy breakfast, snack bars, peanut butter bars, banana bars, vegan friendly option