Banana bread cookies
I should probably go ahead and apologize for the abundance of oats in my recipes (as in these, these, these, more of these, these and these) but there is just something about them that makes me happy and fulfulled, especially in the winter. The thing is, when I find something I like I want to eat it all the time. Just ask my friends. They know how to please a girl who will be forever addicted to hummus and carrots.
Because I also adore banana bread, I recently came up with these wholesome banana bread cookies. Combining ripe bananas, rolled oats, cinnamon and nuts, I consider them a hybrid between a crunchy oatmeal cookie and moist banana bread. These little guys are proof that cookies can taste incredible and still be good for you—they’re an excellent way to get fibre, potassium and protein into your diet. As far as I’m concerned, cookies don’t need to be loaded with fat and sugar to taste good, and certainly not the unhealthy fats and refined sugars that are used in most cookie recipes.
I made a few versions of this recipe before I was completely happy with it, and I found the addition of brown rice syrup made a noticeable difference in the texture of these cookies (it helps make baked goods crisp), so please don’t leave it out. They could easily be made gluten-free by substituting the spelt flour for a GF option and making sure your oats are GF-certified. These cookies are best eaten straight out of the oven, so feel free to test a few before sharing them with everyone else. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (use certified gluten-free, if necessary)
- 2 tbsp spelt flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 very ripe banana, mashed
- 2 tbsp brown rice syrup
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Using a food processor or spice grinder, process 1/2 cup of oats into flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, ground oat flour, spelt flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, blend the banana, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the banana mixture to the oat mixture and stir just to combine. Fold in the chopped nuts.
- Scoop cookies (about 1 large tbsp each) on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start turning golden brown. Allow to cool completely before removing them from the pan.
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Now I'm quite sad that I *just* used up a ripe banana in something that didn't turn out so well. These would have been a lot better!
These look so good. How much is 1 banana equal to in cups? I was thinking since I am sensitive to bananas now too that maybe I could use applesauce or and apples?? Or something else?
Cara: Let's hope another ripe banana will be in your future soon, so you can try these
Ariana: The banana in this recipe also works as a binding agent, so I would suggest substituting it with applesauce. About 1/2 cup would likely work. Let me know how it goes!
What an interesting recipe. Love this idea.
Never apologize for the use of oats! These cookies look fantastic!
I've got all the ingredients for these in the cupboard – yay! But I also have the ingredients for the nori bars and the energy balls – decisions, decisions:)
peasoupeats: I'd recommend the nori bars if you want to try something different
I cannot wait to make/eat these- you just combined two of my favorite things into one recipe. Yay!
I hope you enjoy them!