Chocolate Chip Banana Bars (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

These chocolate chip banana bars are soft, moist, and perfectly sweet. Made with oat flour, ripe bananas, and coconut sugar, they’re ready in just 30 minutes (which is way faster than banana bread). Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and naturally sweetened.

There’s something so warm and comforting about banana bread. My healthy banana bread is basically on weekly repeat in my house, and my vegan banana muffins aren’t too far behind. But lately, these chocolate chip banana bars have made it into the rotation.

When I first tested this recipe, I knew it was going to become my newest snack obsession. They’ve got all the same cozy banana bread vibes, but they’re quicker to make, faster to bake, slice beautifully, and are somehow even more snackable than banana bread.

They’re made with oat flour which gives these bars just enough structure while still staying perfectly soft, moist, and tender. Plus, they’re ready in just 30 minutes (half the time of traditional banana bread!)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

All the flavors of banana bread, but in bar form.

• Moist, soft, and tender…they just melt-in-your-mouth!
• Studded with melty chocolate chips
• Ready in just 30 minutes (half the time of banana bread)
• One-bowl recipe
• Naturally sweetened with ripe banana + coconut sugar
• Vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free
• Perfect for snacking, dessert, or meal prep

These bars are faster, easier, and even more snackable than banana bread!

Ingredients You’ll Need

You only need a few simple ingredients (which you likely already have in your pantry) to make these vegan banana bars.

• Bananas: This recipe uses 3 bananas. The riper the banana (lots of brown spots), the sweeter and more flavorful your bars will be.
• Oat Flour: I opted for oat flour in this recipe because it keeps the bars gluten-free while creating a soft, tender crumb (+ a fiber boost). While you can make your own oat flour, I recommend using store-bought oat flour for this recipe to get the softest crumb.
• Coconut Sugar: Adds natural sweetness and a subtle caramel flavor that pairs beautifully with the banana. Coconut sugar is my go-to sweetener in all of my refined sugar-free baked goods!
• Peanut Butter: Opt for an all-natural peanut butter with a runny consistency. Almond butter or cashew butter work too, or use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
• Non-Dairy Milk: Any dairy-free milk will work (soy, almond, oat).
• Vanilla Extract: An essential.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: It can be tricky to get vegan and gluten-free baked goods to rise, so we have to use a bit more leavening agent to assist.
• Spices: Cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
• Mini Chocolate Chips: Make sure your mini chocolate chips are dairy-free to keep this recipe vegan.

Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full recipe with measurements!

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Here’s how to make these chocolate chip banana bars in just a few easy steps:

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease or line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Mash the bananas: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth.
3. Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the coconut sugar, peanut butter, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients: Fold in the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips: Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
6. Bake: Add the batter to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with mini chocolate chips. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
7. Cool and slice: Cool completely before slicing into bars (I know it’s hard, but worth it). Enjoy!

Storing Your Banana Bars

If your banana bars aren’t gone within the first hour…store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature, or for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.

Want to store them for longer? Freeze your sliced banana bars for up to 2 months!