Zucchini Oatmeal Bars are a simple, one‑bowl after‑school snack that kids love. Naturally sweetened with bananas and made with no added refined sugar, these bars are a nourishing option you can feel good about serving — and enjoying yourself.
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Soy Free
Back‑to‑school season comes fast, and one thing is guaranteed: kids come home hungry. Having wholesome, satisfying snacks ready helps bridge the gap between school and dinner.
Zucchini Oatmeal Bars with No Added Sugar
These bars are naturally sweetened with bananas and made from oats and chia seeds, with a handful of chocolate chips for extra appeal. If you have zucchini in season, give them a try — they’re a delicious way to sneak in vegetables.
Why you’ll love these bars
- One‑bowl recipe for easy cleanup
- Packed with fiber from oats, banana, and chia
- Contains zucchini to boost vegetable intake
- Kid‑friendly and simple to make together
- Tasty and naturally sweet without added sugar
This recipe is a great way to get kids involved — they’ll enjoy seeing zucchini mixed into batter and then love the final result.
Ingredients
You only need ten simple ingredients, many of which you likely already have in your pantry.
- Rolled oats (or store‑bought oat flour)
- Bananas
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla extract
- Milk or a non‑dairy alternative
- Chia seeds
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Zucchini
- Dark chocolate chips (optional)
Make your own oat flour
Oat flour is easy to make at home: pulse rolled oats in a food processor or high‑speed blender until fine and flour‑like. Use a 1:1 ratio — 1.5 cups rolled oats yields about 1.5 cups oat flour. Store extra oat flour in an airtight container for future baking.
How to make the bars
The recipe is straightforward. The only slightly time‑consuming step is shredding and draining the zucchini. Use a box grater or food processor to shred, then press the zucchini in a clean dish towel or cheesecloth over the sink to remove excess moisture. Removing extra water prevents soggy bars.
Combine wet ingredients, mix in dry ingredients, fold in drained zucchini and chocolate chips, and bake in an 8×8 pan. In about 27 minutes you’ll have golden, flavorful bars that cool and slice beautifully.
Kitchen tools
- Grater or food processor for shredding zucchini
- Mixing bowl and spoon
- 8×8 baking dish
- Parchment paper (optional, for easy removal)
Zucchini Oatmeal Bars with No Added Sugar
Zucchini Oatmeal Bars are a nourishing, one‑bowl snack naturally sweetened with bananas and made without added refined sugar. Great for school snacks or lunchboxes.
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Soy Free
- Author: Chelsey
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk or non‑dairy milk alternative
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, excess water squeezed out
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and milk.
- Stir in oat flour, chia seeds, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the drained shredded zucchini and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Add extra chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake about 27 minutes, until edges are golden and pull slightly away from the pan. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
How to make oat flour
Pulse rolled oats in a blender or food processor until a fine, flour‑like texture forms. Use a 1:1 ratio — 1 1/2 cups rolled oats makes about 1 1/2 cups oat flour.
Don’t forget to PIN IT
XO