Banana Upside Down Peanut Butter Bars
These Banana Upside Down Peanut Butter Bars are soft, gooey, thick, and incredibly delicious! You layer sliced bananas in a quick coconut sugar caramel, spread a peanut butter banana batter over the top, then flip the pan to reveal a glossy banana caramel topping.
They are soft, sticky, and intentionally gooey. Plan to serve them the same day for the best texture and the prettiest upside down top!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Big banana flavor in two ways: caramelized slices plus mashed banana in the batter
- Peanut butter makes the bars rich and satisfying
- One pan bake, no mixer required
- Gluten free option, and easy to make with all purpose flour too
- Makes a show stopping top with minimal effort
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas, sliced lengthwise
- 2 tbsp water
- ¾ cup maple sugar or coconut sugar, see note
For the batter
- 1.5 cups mashed ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup all natural creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour, see note
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Banana and Peanut Butter Tips: Preventing Bar Problems
For the sliced bananas on the bottom: use ripe bananas that are still firm enough to hold their shape. Very overripe bananas can turn mushy and slide after flipping.
For the mashed bananas: very ripe is perfect. Measure 1 1/2 cups mashed banana for consistency.
Stir natural peanut butter very well before measuring. If it is extremely runny, the bars may bake up even gooier. If it is very thick, the batter may feel stiff.
Equipment
8 inch or 9 inch square baking pan
Parchment paper
Small saucepan
Large mixing bowl
Large platter or cutting board for flipping
Pan Size & Bake Time Guide
| Pan size | Result | Approx bake time |
| 8 inch square | thicker, gooier bars | 26 to 32 minutes |
| 9 inch square | slightly thinner, easier to slice | 24 to 28 minutes |
How to make Banana Upside Down Peanut Butter Bars
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
Carefully slice the bananas lengthwise. Place in the parchment lined pan.
In a small saucepan, combine the maple sugar and water. Cook on low medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a runny caramel sauce forms.
Pour this caramel sauce over the bananas in the pan.
Then, make the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ripe bananas, eggs, oil, and peanut butter. Stir together.
Then, add in the coconut sugar, gluten free flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Transfer this batter to the pan, smoothing out into an even layer.
Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with only moist crumbs.
Allow the bars to cool for 1 hour. Then take a knife and run it along the edges of the pan. Place a large pan or platter on top of the pan and very gently invert the pan. Remove the pan and parchment paper. Serve!
How to Slice Cleanly
These banana upside down peanut butter bars are sticky. For cleaner slices, chill the flipped bars for 20 to 30 minutes, then slice with a large sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.
Serving Ideas
Serve these banana upside down peanut butter bars warm with vanilla ice cream.
Add a spoonful of yogurt for brunch.
Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky salt to balance the sweetness.
Substitutions & Variations
Flour
Gluten free flour blend works well.
All purpose flour works if you are not gluten free.
Sugar
Maple sugar or coconut sugar gives a deeper, caramel like flavor.
White or brown sugar works too.
Oil
Avocado oil can be swapped with melted coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil.
Creative Mix-ins
Add chopped peanuts for crunch
Swap dark chocolate chips for semi sweet chocolate chips
Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to the batter
Troubleshooting
The bars stuck to the pan
Use parchment and let the bars cool fully before flipping. If needed, chill the pan for 15 minutes before inverting.
The banana top slid or looked messy
The bars likely needed more cooling time, or the sliced bananas were too ripe and soft. Next time, use ripe but firm bananas for the bottom layer.
The center is too gooey
These are meant to be gooey, but if you see wet batter, bake 3 to 5 minutes longer and cool fully before flipping.
Storage
These banana upside down peanut butter bars are best eaten within 12 to 24 hours.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate for a firmer texture, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Summary Table
| Category | Notes |
| Flavor | banana, peanut butter, caramel, dark chocolate |
| Texture | gooey, soft, sticky top |
| Best timeframe | same day, within 12 to 24 hours |
| Dietary notes | gluten free option, dairy free as written if chips are dairy free |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the base recipe is dairy free as long as your chocolate chips are dairy free.
Eggs help the bars set and flip cleanly. If you need egg free, you can try 2 flax eggs, but expect a softer, more fragile texture and plan to chill before flipping and slicing.
Use creamy, all natural peanut butter and stir it well. If it is very runny, the bars may bake up extra gooey. If it is very thick, the batter may be stiff, so add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or milk.
Yes. Use another neutral oil (grapeseed, vegetable) or melted coconut oil. If using melted coconut oil, make sure your other ingredients are not cold so it does not solidify in the bowl.
You can reduce the coconut sugar in the batter by ¼ cup without major changes, but the bars will be less sweet and slightly less moist. Do not reduce the sugar in the caramel layer too much or the upside down topping will be thinner and less glossy.
For the mashed bananas, very ripe with lots of brown spots is ideal. For the sliced bananas on the bottom, use ripe but still firm bananas so they hold their shape after flipping.
You May Also Like
- Almond Flour Brownies
- Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Small Batch Brownies
- Banana Brownies
- Almond Flour Banana Bread
If you make these banana upside down peanut butter bars, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along! For more ideas, check out these Dessert Recipes.
Get the Recipe: Banana Upside Down Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas, sliced lengthwise
- 2 tbsp water
- ¾ cup maple sugar or coconut sugar, see note
Batter
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup all natural creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour, see note
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Carefully slice the bananas lengthwise. Place in the parchment lined pan.
- In a small saucepan, combine the maple sugar and water. Cook on low medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a runny caramel sauce forms.
- Pour this caramel sauce over the bananas in the pan.
- Then, make the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ripe bananas, eggs, oil, and peanut butter. Stir together.
- Then, add in the coconut sugar, gluten free flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer this batter to the pan, smoothing out into an even layer.
- Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with only moist crumbs.
- Allow the bars to cool for 1 hour. Then take a knife and run it along the edges of the pan. Place a large pan or platter on top of the pan and very gently invert the pan. Remove the pan and parchment paper. Serve!
Notes
- I prefer to use unrefined sugar (maple sugar or coconut sugar) but feel free to use white or brown sugar instead.
- If you are not gluten free, feel free to use all purpose flour.
- The batter will resemble banana bread batter.
- Allow the bars to cool for 1 hour before inverting and slicing into.
- Since these bars are very gooey, they are best eaten within 12 to 24 hours.