These soft and naturally sweet baked banana bars make a brilliant on-the-go snack or breakfast option for the whole family. They’ve been a big hit with my own little ones – easy to prep, ideal for batch-cooking, and a fab way to use up ripe bananas. These bars are freezable and travel well, making them perfect for busy days out or lunchboxes. This recipe is taken from my book How to Feed Your Family which is full of more family-friendly healthy recipes.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50–55 minutes
Makes: 24 small squares or 12 larger bars
Ingredients
- 100g porridge oats
- 180ml milk of your choice
- 2 large, very ripe bananas (around 200g peeled weight)
- 85g sultanas/raisins or other dried fruit (e.g. chopped apricots or soft dried prunes)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon or mixed spice
- 3 tbsp mixed seeds (ground or left out if serving to younger babies/toddlers)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper.
- Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl. Stir in the milk, oats, dried fruit, cinnamon, and seeds until everything is well combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the lined tin, pressing it down gently with the back of a spoon to level it out. Bake for 50–55 minutes until the top is golden and firm to touch.
- Cool in the tin before slicing into squares or bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze individually for a ready-to-go snack. Defrost in the fridge overnight or reheat briefly in the microwave if needed.
For babies and young children:
Once your little one is used to soft finger foods and beginning to manage more complex textures, these bars are a lovely option. Avoid whole seeds, offer them ground instead, or simply leave them off any of the bars that are for your baby/toddler.
For more breakfast bar recipes, take a look at my raisin and banana bars and my figgy porridge fingers.