Chocolate Breakfast Bars (11g Protein, 8g Fiber)

These Chocolate Breakfast Bars are easy, healthy bars loaded with almost 11 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber but with no eggs, no dairy, and no protein powder.

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While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!

Chocolate Breakfast Bars

These Chocolate Breakfast Bars are easy, healthy bars loaded with almost 11 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber but with no eggs, no dairy, and no protein powder.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Cooling: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 bars

Calories: 313.6 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 ½ cups Mashed Banana - equivalent to 3 large ripe bananas
• ▢ 1 can Canned Black Beans - drained, rinsed (note 1) (15 ounce can/425g)
• ▢ ¾ cup Peanut Butter - (note 2)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 2 ¾ cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats - (note 3)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Almond Milk
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons Chia Seeds - (note 4)
• ▢ ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips - (note 5) + extra for topping
• ▢ ½ cup Walnuts - (note 6), chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, making sure some pieces of parchment paper hang over the side to easily remove the bar from the pan later. Slightly oil the pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Open the can of black beans, drain them over a sieve, and give them a quick rinse. Set aside in the sieve.
• Mash the ripe bananas and pack the mash in measuring cups to get exactly 1 1/2 cups.
• Place the mashed bananas in a very large mixing bowl, add drained, black beans and use an immersion blender to blend the beans into the mashed banana. It will form a smooth puree. You can also blend everything in a food processor.
• When everything is smooth, add peanut butter, vanilla extract, oats, cocoa powder, almond milk, chia seeds, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
• Stir the ingredients very well, pressing them together to form a sticky, thick chocolate batter.
• Pour on the prepared baking pan, press evenly, and sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top for extra sweetness, if desired. You can also do that after baking.
• Bake the oat bars for 30-40 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until dry and set on top.
• Let the pan cool down for 15 minutes, sprinkle extra chocolate chips now so they melt and add a delicious chocolate flavor on top. Then lift the overhanging pieces of parchment paper to release the oats onto a cooling rack.
• Let it cool down completely for 1 hour before slicing into 12 bars.
• Slice and serve on a plate for breakfast with a dollop of your favorite yogurt, or eat plain.

Notes

Note 1: Equivalent to 1 1/4 cups of cooked black beans. You won’t taste them in the bar. They feel like moist pieces that go very well with the nuts and banana.

Note 2: Make sure you are using natural peanut butter with no added oil and no added sugar. You can make the recipe nut-free using sunflower seed butter or tahini. The recipe works with almond butter or cashew butter as well.

Note 3: Use gluten-free certified rolled oats if needed.

Note 4: Chia seeds act as a binder in the bar, use 2 tablespoons if you want the bar a bit softer, less firm. For firmer bars – dryer, use 3 tablespoons. You can’t remove them. But you can swap for flaxmeal. 

Note 5: The bars have no added sugar. The chocolate chips add sweetness to the bars. You can swap for dried fruits like dried cranberries, raisins, or finely chopped Medjool dates.

Note 6: The nuts add protein. You can swap for hemp seeds for even more protein, or leave them out if you don’t want seeds in your bars.

Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15 °C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.

Storage: You can store the bars in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can freeze them in Ziploc bags and thaw in the fridge the day before.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 313.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.7g | Protein: 10.6g | Fat: 16.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.2g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 149.1mg | Potassium: 481.4mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8.1g | Vitamin A: 22.2IU | Vitamin B12: 0.02µg | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 74.6mg | Iron: 2.5mg | Magnesium: 101.8mg | Phosphorus: 235.7mg | Zinc: 2mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.

• Mashed Bananas – This acts as the main binder and provides all the natural sweetness since we aren’t using added sugar. It’s important to use ripe bananas for the best sweetness and texture.
• Black Beans – These add a massive boost of protein and fiber while keeping the bars incredibly moist and fudgy. Don’t worry, once blended, you won’t taste them at all! You can also use cooked chickpeas as a swap.
• Peanut Butter – This adds healthy fats and helps hold the bars together. You can easily use almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
• Vanilla Extract – It brings a warm flavor that enhances the chocolate taste.
• Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats – This provides the hearty, chewy base and fiber. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, just ensure your oats are certified gluten-free.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – This gives the bars their rich chocolate flavor without adding sugar.
• Almond Milk – This provides just enough liquid to help the batter come together. Soy milk or oat milk also work perfectly.
• Chia Seeds – These act as a vegan binder (replacing eggs) to hold the bars together. As mentioned in the tips, the amount you use will change the final texture. Flaxmeal works well here too.
• Dark Chocolate Chips – Since there is no sugar in the batter, these provide essential pockets of sweetness. You can also use dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates.
• Walnuts

How to Make Chocolate Breakfast Bars (in Pictures)

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me share a few more tips for a perfect chocolate bar.

• Adjust Texture – You can control the firmness of the bars by adjusting the chia seeds. Using 3 tablespoons makes them ultra-firm and drier (ideal for hiking or lunchboxes), while 2 tablespoons results in a softer texture.
• Swap Nuts – Feel free to replace the walnuts with other ingredients like pecans, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds to change the flavor and crunch.

More Breakfast Bar Recipes

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