These easy Peanut Butter Strawberry Banana Bars are a great way to use up old fruit, and the perfect snack for after school cravings.

Strawberries were on sale last week. And I may have forgotten that I had just gotten some. So, Strawberries in everything! But really, that plastic container of strawberries sitting in the back of my fridge did not get the love it needed. And when I dug it out from behind a box of spring mix, the strawberries were pretty well past their prime. My first thought was to make a big smoothie batch, maybe freeze some of it up as popsicles. So I pulled out some bananas, oats (yes I add oats to my smoothies, these kids are insatiable), peanut butter, and yogurt. But not yogurt… someone got to that already and put the empty container back in the fridge…

So the Strawberry Banana Bars were born.

No smoothie. I decided to bake everything up in the oven instead. These Strawberry Banana Bars came out pretty well. A little over crumbly, I used a much larger pan than I should have, but the thicker ones held up well, and could even make it to snack time at school if I put them in a tupperware of sorts. Plus, the kids acted like they were getting candy, instead of fruit and oatmeal – so that’s always a big win.

If you have tried my Peanut Butter Strawberry Banana Bars  recipe, or any  other recipe on Real Life with Dad, please rate the recipe.  And be sure to follow us on FaceBook and Instagram @RealLifeWithDad

If you’re looking for another fun recipe to make with the kids, these Easy DIY Candy Heartsare a blast!

Yield: 16 Bars

Peanut Butter Strawberry Banana Bars

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These easy Peanut Butter Strawberry Banana Bars are a great way to use up old fruit, and the perfect snack for after school cravings.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 stick butter, cut into 1/4" pieces
• 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
• 1 Cup Strawberry slices
• 2 Bananas - sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350, line a 9 x 13 brownie pan with parchment paper and spay with cooking oil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together Flour, oats, sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt
3. Add butter, working in with your fingers to form a crumbly mixture
4. Stir in peanut butter, and mix until uniform.
5. Press 2/3 of batter into the lined baking pan, packing down firmly.
6. Layer the Strawberry and banana slices over mixture.
7. Top with remaining batter, pressing onto fruit.
8. Bake 50-60 minutes, until the top is a golden brown.
9. allow to cool completely before slicing into 1x5" bars.

Notes

I initially made this recipe in a sheet pan, resulting in much thinner bars. While they were still delicious, they broke apart easier than I would like.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Regular Rolled Oats, 32 Oz (4 Pack)
• 
  Enamelware Large Lasagna Pan - Black Marble
• 
  King Arthur Flour Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 5 Pound

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 14gProtein: 4g

I used these Strawberry Oatmeal Bars for inspiration in creating this recipe, with some changes to accommodate the addition of peanut butter and bananas.