As a family of sugar fanatics I am always on the look out for healthy(ish) treats and snacks that will satisfy my family’s sweet tooth but won’t leave me feeling guilty about what I feed them. I keep the kitchen stocked with fresh fruit to help curb those cravings and we love making frozen fresh fruit pops. Smoothies and “nice cream” are another way we satisfy our sweet tooth so we always have an abundance of bananas. A couple years ago I came up with my own version of healthy banana oatmeal cookies.
I’ve made several variations of these cookies, but this Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk version is the family favorite. They are flour/oil/dairy/egg-free, and the only sugar comes from the chocolate chunks so I like to use dark chocolate with at least 65% cacao.
I like to use sunflower seed butter in this recipe so that Jax can take them in her lunch without violating her school’s “nut-free” policy. You can make these cookies using almond butter and peanut butter with delicious results so feel free to sub a nut/seed butter of your choice. I suggest you use sugar-free, organic and natural options to keep these cookies as clean and healthy as possible.
These cookies make a great afternoon treat for the kiddos and are perfect for late night snacking while binge watching Netflix. They also serve as a satisfying breakfast paired with some yogurt for dipping and fresh berries. Jax thinks I’m a cool mom for letting her have cookies for breakfast.
I hope you like the cookies as much as we do. Please drop a comment and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
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Ingredients:
(Yields 20 cookies)
- 3 Very Ripe Bananas, the more brown spots the better
- 3 Cups Organic Quick Cook Oats
- 3/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chunks
- 1/2 Cup Sunflower Seed Butter (or any nut/seed butter of your choice)
- 1/2 Tbs Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Using a potato masher or large fork mash bananas in a large bowl until smooth.
- Add the sunflower seed butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt to the banana puree and throughly combine.
- Add the oats chocolate chunks and combine. It is helpful to roll up your sleeves and use your hands to get this thoroughly mixed.
- Lightly grease a cookie sheet or use a silicone liner to prevent sticking. Remember there is no oil in these cookies.
- Roll about a 1 1/2-2 Tbs of the “dough” in your hands to form a ball. Place on cookies sheet and pat down a bit to make a small disc shape. Repeat until you have used all the mixture. These cookies will not spread out so it’s ok to have them close.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy.
**These cookies will keep for up to 3 days on the counter stored in an airtight container.
