Healthy Strawberry Tahini Banana Bread Oatmeal Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)

Healthy Strawberry Tahini Banana Bread Oatmeal Bars made with 6-ingredients for an easy vegan and gluten-free breakfast recipe!

Ideally, summertime brings brighter days filled with sunshine, tons of fresh fruit, and the sweet, sweet, smell of sunscreen. While Summer feels a bit different this year, there are certainly summertime staples that cannot be damped by a global pandemic, like these baked oatmeal bars.

As a kid, I used to live for granola bars and can still hear the sound the wrapper made opening the crunchy or chewy varieties. They were a quick, easy, and dependable snack that was great to grab and go to have for long summer days. The ingredients? Not as stellar. They’re filled with refined sugars, inflammatory oils, and other questionable ingredients. Luckily this bar packs a punch nutrition-wise with simple, easy to recognize, and pronounce ingredients. It also brings a cake-like take to the oat-filled bars of childhood past.

It pairs the best of both worlds with the fresh, sweetness of ripe strawberries and the comfort of a breakfast staple like oatmeal. With bananas as the base and a healthy dose of tahini for healthy fat and this combo leads to a decadent breakfast snack that’s ready to be enjoyed on-the-go.

These bars are entirely customizable to your desired sweetness and cravings. I kept them simple and slightly sweet, but you’re welcome to add in all the maple syrup, chocolate, dates, or chopped nuts your heart desires! As is, they are a great option for nut-free folks, adults and kids alike.

Healthy Strawberry Tahini Banana Bread Oatmeal Bars

(vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, oil-free)

Serves: 9

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

Wet

• 1-cup mashed banana (about 2.5 small, speckled bananas)

• ⅔ cup tahini

• 1-cup oat milk (I like Califia Farms)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup (for extra sweetness)

Dry

• 1 and ⅓ cup oat flour

• 1 and ⅓ cup rolled oats

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ⅔ cup chopped strawberries (save some slices (cut width-ways) for topping!)

• Optional: ¼-½ cup chopped nuts, dates, or chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 350 F and line a 9 x 9 baking pan with unbleached parchment paper

2. Mix together all wet ingredients (bananas, tahini, vanilla extract, and oat milk) until combined

3. Add all dry ingredients (oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and cinnamon) and stir until well combined

4. Gently fold in strawberries, allowing them to keep their form, and add to baking dish

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until ready, the bars should be slightly moist but still intact

6. Allow bars to cool for 15-20 minutes and slice into 9-bars and enjoy! Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or store in the freezer for a few months!

This recipe is inspired by and adapted from RachLMansfield's Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bars