Kids No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars are a healthy and easy sugar free kid friendly recipe perfect for your BLW babies and toddlers!
Kids No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
I have talked a little bit about the fact that we did Baby Led Weaning (BLW) with our twin one year olds. We started them on solids around 7-8 months when they showed all signs of readiness, letting them feed themselves and explore the flavors and textures of food beyond just purees. There are so many benefits to this way of eating, including the fact that you can serve them what you are eating and don’t have to make special meals just for your kids.
With that said, I don’t want my kids eating added sugars before the age of two. I know some people think that is too rigid, but I want to set them up with the healthiest eating habits possible. Therefore they won’t be eating the sweets that we like to enjoy like Chocolate Chip Cookies unless Grandma and Grandpa sneak it to them, but instead will be enjoying treats like these Kids No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars.
Sugar Free Recipes for Kids
I wanted to whip up a simple granola bar or bar recipe for the kids that I could use for breakfast or snacks that didn’t have any sugar in it. I set out on an internet search for a quick fix. The problem with searching for sugar free recipes is that people use that as a buzzword while sharing recipes that are full of sugar…just not granulated sugar. Honey, molasses, coconut sugar, etc. are all still SUGAR at the end of the day. While they are healthier forms of sugar, they aren’t actually healthy at the end of the day.
I finally came across a good recipe from Mama Knows Nutrition that didn’t have ANY added sugars in it. I made a couple changes to her recipe like adding peanut butter into the mix to appeal more to my children. Now before you call me out on it, I known that peanut butter does have a little added sugar in it. The amount of sugar that it adds to this recipe is less than a 1/4 gram per serving though, so we are still going to stick with the idea that these are a no sugar added recipe.
Sugar Free Snack Recipes for Kids
Let me be very clear about these Kids No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars, they are intended for children who are not used to eating sugar. If you take a bite of these, you will very quickly understand why. To put it simply, they are bland. There is virtually no sugar or sodium in this recipe because it is a healthy wholesome snack for kids and they don’t need all that stuff that us adults like to enjoy. To be honest, we don’t need it either, but most of us have trained our pallets to want it. I ate small bar smeared with lots of extra peanut butter and it was a good filling snack for me, but it’s nothing I would go back for seconds with.
The first time I made these Kids No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars, I handed a piece to my 11 month old son and he LOVED it! He gobbled it up in no time during snack time.
Gluten Free Sugar Free Recipe for Kids
Not only does this recipe not add in any sugar, it is also gluten-free which is a plus for anyone with who has an intolerance. Peanut butter is a high allergen that you will want to be mindful of when first serving to make sure your kids don’t have a reaction. We introduced our children to peanut butter at 7 months per newer recommendations to introduce high allergen foods as soon as possible. It has actually been shown to reduce allergies by exposing kids earlier in childhood. Just keep in mind that allergic reactions can happen the first time or 50th time you introduce a food to your child and that this pertains to children who don’t have a family history of allergies.
Prepping Kids No Sugar Snacks
Kids No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars make a big batch of 24 servings. Even with twins, this was more than I needed over the course of a week. The best part of these bars is that you can freeze them for easy snack prep. Refrigerate the bars you will be using over the course of the next 5 days and pop the rest of the bars in a freezer bag and store them up to a couple months. Pull out a few bars each week for a quick and easy snack for your kids. If you want the bars to last even longer, individually wrap each bar. This will keep them from spoiling in the freezer for at least a few months.
Whatever you do, do NOT store these bars at room temperature. With no sugar in this recipe, there is nothing preserving them and they will spoil within 48 hours. Trust me, I may know from experience forgetting some on the counter. Whoops…
Kids No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Kids No Sugar Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars are a healthy and easy sugar free kid friendly recipe perfect for your BLW babies and toddlers!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 c. oats (old fashion or quick cooking), divided
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 large banana
- 4 oz unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large egg
- 1 c. whole milk
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 Tbsp. ground flax , optional
- 1 Tbsp. hemp hearts , optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Add one cup of the oats to a food processor and blend until a flour consistency. Set aside.
- Add the coconut oil to a large bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Add the banana to the bowl and mash using a fork or potato masher. Add the apple sauce, peanut butter, vanilla, eggs and milk to the bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Add the oatmeal flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, flax and hemp seeds to the bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Line an 8x10 pan with parchment paper or spray it with non-stick spray. Add the batter to the pan and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set.
- Slice and store refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen in an airtight container for 2 months.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Mama Knows Nutrition
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 150Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 21mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g
Vp says
I love this recipe but I also recommend subbing butter for coconut oil. Coconut oil is extremely high in saturated fat.
DG says
Would I be able to substitute the gerber baby oatmeal for the oats in this? It says it’s just oat flour and potassium phosphate. I ask because we don’t have a food processor and need to use up the baby oatmeal anyway.
Danielle Green says
It’s worth a try. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for certain.
Kate says
did you end up substituting with the baby cereal?
Rose says
Were these supposed to have a gummy texture like oatmeal? I think I’m going to try substituting wheat flour for the ground oats next time.
Chantelle Beaudette says
My baby may have a dairy allergy so I’m avoiding milk products. What do you recommend instead of whole milk? I could add breastmilk but won’t it spoil faster then seeing as breastmilk can only be in the fridge 48 hours? You mentioned 5 days with your bars so it would be like 2 days once thawed I would guess with breastmilk.
Danielle Green says
To be safe, you can cut the bars individually and freeze them. Then thaw what you need as you go to ensure they don’t spoil.
Chantelle says
Can I just use oat flour instead of oats? If so how much would I use? I’m thinking of using baby oatmeal instead of oats.
Kailey says
Could you substitute breast milk for the whole milk? If so, would it just be an exact ratio? Trying to use up some stashed milk for my toddler.
Danielle Green says
You certainly could, but I’m pretty sure you loose all the good stuff in the breast milk when it bakes. I had a limited supply, so I would rather use it in a smoothie or something that will maintain it’s nutritional and immunological properties, but if you need to use it up, by all means give it a try.
Julie says
Would adding fruit to the mixture ruin these? Like blueberries? Or would they not keep their texture? Thanks.
Danielle Green says
I haven’t tried it, but dried fruit would be your best bet in order to not mess with the texture.
Shirley says
I made these today with butter instead of coconut oil. They were delicious. We all loved them, even the 20 month old. Thank you for the recipe.
Stephanie says
I don’t have apple sauce 🙁
Sarah says
Hello! I was wondering if the eggs could be substituted for something else? My 13 month old daughter has an egg allergy. Thanks!
Danielle Green says
I’ve never tried it, but a chia egg could be a good substitution. Let 1 Tablespoon chia seeds soak in 2 1/2 Tablespoons water for about 5 minutes.
Gina Cummings says
You can also do this with ground flax seeds: for each egg use 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds (or flax meal) + 3 Tbsp water, mix and let sit for ~5 min before adding to recipe. I used this when I made these bars and they turned out great! (my daughter also has an egg allergy!)
Robin Greene says
Absolutely love the texture. My brain wants it to be a tad sweeter without the added sugar, will substitute with either monk fruit, honey or dates so it will still be on the healthy side.
Jackie says
My 3 year old and I had a blast making these! We added craisins and powdered greens. A real easy on the go snack for us!
Meghan says
My two year old LOVES these!!! Thanks for the recipe.
Danielle Green says
So happy to hear Meghan!
Maya says
These look great! I will definitely be making these. Can oat flour be substituted for the ground oats?
Missy says
Yes. Oat flour is just ground-up oats.
Leigh says
My one year old loves these! I have made them twice now. Thank you for the recipe!