Peanut Butter Banana Bars with a Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

On Sunday night Price, Autumn, and I headed down to Rhode Island to Lincoln Woods State Park to meet our wedding photographer, Lefebvre Photo, for our engagement photo session.

In practice of late, I was not prepared at all. #ugh #storyofmylife

We went out to Kohl’s in the morning to get some coordinating clothes, mainly plaid shirts and a dress for me to wear. Of course, I couldn’t find anything to wear. I don’t mean I couldn’t find anything that I liked since I basically LOVE all of Lauren Conrad’s current line. I mean, I couldn’t find anything I wanted to wear for the photos. Of course!!! So mini meltdown later, I rushed out to Gap Factory Store and Old Navy after lunch and threw together a $6 white tank top, with a $12 (originally $45!) sweater, some jean capris and sperry’s. And wished I had a Xanax.

Thankfully, the photo session was fun since I was a ball of nerves. The location was amazing with shafts of golden light shining through the trees. The leaves were a lovely mix of greens, oranges, and yellows above us and below our feet. Our photographer was great with setting up shots and getting us to joke around when deep down I wanted to throw up from nerves and just the thought of how corny all of it was. I went to college and worked with Danielle years ago so it definitely helped keep me semi calm as we recounted the worse boss in the history of bosses. Plus, we got to talk about our babies as her daughter is just 2 weeks older than Autumn. Besides Danielle’s wedding and engagement photography she also takes newborn and baby photos so incorporating Autumn into our photos was really easy. I’m looking forward to getting our photos in a few weeks. I’ll be sure to share them when I get them :-)

Anyway, these bars are so delightful! They are the perfect combination of flavors. I think peanut butter and banana are best friends, better than peanut butter and jelly. Yep, I said it!!! Jelly is great but too sweet at times, and you can’t dip jelly into a jar of peanut butter, like how you can with a banana… wait, you don’t do that? Err, me neither…

These Peanut Butter Banana Bars are one of the best ways to use up past their prime bananas. I swear we always have past their prime bananas. I’d assume I should buy less bananas but when I do it’s the week Autumn has decided she wants 2x as many as usual and then I need to get more anyway. It’s like that when we buy milk… if I buy a 1/2 gallon for a month and we run out every week I’ll then buy a gallon and we will only drink a glass before it goes bad. #thestruggle

I loved the texture of these bars that the banana and the oats give it. The oats make it feel like fall. I(‘m sure that doesn’t make any sense but it totally feels like a fall treat. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it all throughout the year but if you have it I’m sure you’ll think “Man, I gotta make these again this fall.”

Seriously, this frosting.

You can skip the frosting but then we wouldn’t be friends as the frosting adds to much to the bars to enhance the flavors and texture. I just love biting into the bar and getting my teeth through the frosting first before getting to the fluffy bar. Plus, frosting always wins.

Peanut Butter Banana Bars with a Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

For the Bars

• 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

For the Frosting

• 4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cup of powdered sugar

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix well.
4. Mix in bananas and peanut butter, mixing just until combined.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredients mixture, mixing just until combined.
6. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
7. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until edges are browned and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. While the bars is cooling, prepare the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again. In small batches, add in the powdered sugar, mixing well after each batch. Evenly spread over the cooled bars. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

Bars Sourced from Bake or Break, frosting from I am a Honey Bee