Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Is it really possible to have a cookie recipe that doesn’t call for any sugar or butter but still produces cookies just as sweet and delicious as the ones you’re normally used to eating? Well, not only are these treats incredibly easy to make — even for moms that rarely bake — they’re nutritious and tons of fun for kids to get involved in making. The dates and bananas add a rich sweetness to every bite and the toasty oats give these cookies a crispy texture. And if you prefer bars to cookies, it’s easy to convert this recipe.
When I whipped these up with Kenya last week, he totally got into it by helping me smash the bananas, toss the remaining ingredients into the mixing bowl and then by trying to eat as much of the dough as possible before it hit the cookie sheet. Since there are no eggs in this recipe, I didn’t worry about letting him chow away. After all, you only get to be a kid once and eating cookie dough is part of the fun of baking!
PS You have to freeze a few of these. The kids go crazy for them right out of the freezer!
Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies (Makes 30 Cookies)
3 Bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas)
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 Cup Dried Dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 Cup Oil
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips, Walnuts or Raisins
1/4 Tsp Salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mash bananas in a bowl, and mix in the remaining ingredients.
3. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
4. Using a mini ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place the batter onto a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 25 Minutes.
5. Cool and serve.
** To make into bars – place dough in a greased 7×11 dish, bake for 35-40 minutes then allow to cool. Cut into bars or squares.
**To Freeze: allow cookies to cool after baking then place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
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Do you think I could substitute prunes for the dates? I have a huge bag of them…
Sure! But I have to admit the flavors might be off since dates are more sweet and really are a key part in this recipe
I made it with the prunes and they were delicious – definitely sweet enough for our tastes. Thanks for the recipe! We will make them again!
Would rolled oats happen to work with these? I have a bunch left from a recipe and need to use them up!!
Hmm they might cook faster since they are more thin that old fashioned oats – I would give it a try !
Do you think raisins would work in place of the dates?
hmm, not sure since the dates are key part in the recipe but you can always replace it with the chocolates
Look delicious can’t wait to make them after school!
Just made and oooohhh good! Very healthy, yummy, fruity, and has made us a very filling Breakfast Cookie! Thanks for sharing!
These look delicious! Is it possible to substitute the oil for applesauce? Thanks!
Have not tested it, but if you do let me know how it goes
Love it! Will be making it today and freezing them.
What’s the best way to keep them after cooking? Refrigerator? Pantry?
I refrigerate mine
what kind of oil are you using? (also like the above comment about possible apple sauce substitute for oil??) thanks!
I used vegetable oil
Have not tried with apple sauce though
Love it! can’t wait to give it a try!
Those look delicious? Could you omit the dates completely? We are not fans of dates, prunes or raisins…
The dates are key point in this recipe where they provide some body to the cookie as well as sweetness. You can try not using the dates but honestly you can’t even tell that there are dates in the cookies since they are chopped and combined with the batter. Let me know how it goes!
Cannot wait to try these! Dates are awesome (though my favorite is when they’re stuffed with blue cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep fried — not so weelicious?)
lol!
I agree – we’re not fans of dates either but they are barely distinguishable in this awesome recipe. Also thought of substituting but the dates really make it … and the whole recipe makes dates taste yummy!! Good job on this one
These are delicious! I added about 1/4C of coconut as well…..mmmmmm! Delish
so glad you got around to tinkering with this recipe. it’s been our family’s favorite for years. i’ll have to try it with your modifications – the dates are genius!
gees i wish i had bought those dates at the store…. i have everything but those..
Definitely going to have to try these! Love that there is no sugar and no flour. Thanks!
Ok, these little things ROCKED! Yum. We were looking for something the girls could bake today, and this was just the ticket. Thanks!
I did half a batch with oil and the other half with applesauce. They were ever so slightly different, but both were good. I’d say it’s a go ahead with the switch if you wanted.
These are de-lish! I didn’t have dates, so I used dried plums! So easy and so sweet! The kids at my son’s daycare are going to LOVE these for Friday snack!
yuummmm, will have to make soon:)
Congrats on your appearance on celebritybabies.people.com!! Some great tips on making school lunches!
What’s the nutritional value? How many servings, how many calories, fat, fiber, sugar, etc.?
They were great. I made them into bars and will use them as a breakfast bar or snack.
I’m allergic to bananas; would an equivalent amount of pumpkin puree work? Thanks!
Unfortunately, I have not tested it so i would not know. I say go ahead and test it and see if it works
Let me know how it goes!
Love this recipe! My boys ate them right up, I did use homemade applesauce instead of the oil and they turned out great.
Nicholle, how much applesauce did you use?
Just tried these this afternoon- every single one of us in my family cannot get enough! We have almost eaten them all!
This was a major hit with all family! My son kept asking for his treat. He even sat calmly with a napkin to make sure it wasn’t taken from him. And he nibbled at it so gently (unlike the normal smashing/cramming into the mouth routine). Thank you for a new fav!
Just tried a sample of my first batch and realized that I totally forgot the oil! But they still taste great and the banana kept the cookie together pretty well! Delicious!
I was really skeptical of these, but gave them a try yesterday, and was so surprised at how they came together once they were baked! Like a cross between a baked oatmeal, crispy oatmeal cookie, and banana bread. Super yummy! Thanks for the great school snack idea!
What’s the nutritional value? How many servings, how many calories, fat, fiber, sugar, etc.?
If you used chocolate chips?
This maybe a stupid question but; is that 1/2 cup of chocolate chips OR raisins OR walnuts?
or is it 1/2 cup of chocolate chips AND 1/2 cup of raisins OR walnuts.
yes , it is OR
Just made these and they are looking pretty good for something that I created (I am a self proclaimed horrible cook) I have high hopes! Just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration I need to become a better cook (:
This one is AWESOME! so chewy and chocolatey! Score! thank you for coming up with this recipe!
Loved these- by far easiest things to bake w a two year old, made baking more fun and less stressful since the cleanup was easy easy easy and no arguing over keeping egg-batter out of toddler’s mouth. Added sunflower seeds.
Just made these cookies…. I only had over ripe bananas and old fashion oats. I added various nuts and dried fruit, and I had some butterscotch chips so I add those. it is kinda like a trail mix cookie.
I just made these into bars and used the dried fruit mix instead of dates and added 1/2 tsp of vanilla. OUT OF THIS WORLD!! You rock C. Thanks again!!
Are the “Old Fashioned Oats” still the “5 minute oats” as marked in other recipes?
Thanks.
Yes they are
[...] She has some great snack and meal ideas. I’ve already tried the Spaghetti Pie, Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. All very yummy and well received by my hubby and 4-and [...]
[...] She has some great snack and meal ideas. I’ve already tried the Spaghetti Pie, Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole. All very yummy and well received by my hubby and 4-and [...]
I was skeptical at first, but they were sweet enough for my family’s taste buds. The texture is very enjoyable also.
[...] no sugar, and no butter. I guess that means you can eat as many as you like! I found this recipe on Weelicious.com. When I made these, I used 1/4 cup chocolate and 1/4 chopped walnuts. So [...]
I made the original recipe (except with raisins instead of choc chips) and they were great. However, I wanted to try them without the fruit for a friend who can’t have that much sugar (natural or otherwise). So, I just left out the dates/raisins/choc chips and added in a big spoon of natural peanut butter. They were so good! Of course, they only had a little bit of sweetness, but it was enough and they had a great flavor. I think they’d be great with some chopped walnuts and/or unsweetened coconut too. My 19-month old actually wouldn’t eat the date/raisin version, but he gobbled up the ones without. Also, I think they taste best fresh from the oven so I recommend keeping the batter in the fridge (no eggs/milk to go bad so it should keep a few days) and baking just a few at a time as needed. Thanks for the great recipe!
Wow, ridiculously delicious and so simple. These will be a staple in our house from now. FYI: I incorporated the concept for hot oatmeal this morning and it was wonderful.
I made these this morning for my 2 year old and he LOVED them! I did make some changes to the recipe though. I left out the dates alltogether and used chopped cashews instead of chocolate. I also used a 1/4 cup of applesauce instead of oil. They were such a big hit I think I may need to keep these in the house 24/7(better than prepackaged snacks for sure)! Thank you!
Divine!
I have made these quite a few times since the recipe was posted. They are delicious! I have a young cousin who has many food allergies, so when I made them for her, I left out the nuts. They were still yummy and she loved them- and her mom was happy to have a cookie recipe she can eat (there are very few “good” ones).
I made these today w/ my daughters. My 5 yr. old & 3 yr. old enjoyed helping me measure ingredients and mashing up the bananas w/ a pastry cutter. Followed the recipe to a T and they came out great! Only thing is that my 1st batch came out a bit burnt on the bottom (did the parchment lined baking sheet & right temp). I even took them out 4-5 mins. early. My 2nd batch I cooked for only 15 mins. and they came out perfect!
I made this today and they are delicious. I did modify the recipe because I, too, am not a fan of dates. I read some of the suggestions before making the cookies and added coconut and peanut butter like some of you have suggested. I put in the walnuts, raisins and chocolate chips. They were great, not too sweet! Thanks!
If I make it in a bar, does it yield crunchy or chewy texture?
I made these yesterday, they are awesome! I made half without chocolate chips so my 15 month old can eat them. He likes them ok, but didn’t eat an entire cookie. I, however, really like them – with or without chocolate chips. The next time I make them, I think I will sub applesauce for the oil, add some nuts and flax seeds for more of a breakfast cookie. I might add some cooked quinoa to up the protein content.
Just made these tonight with prunes and applesauce instead of dates and oil…awesome! Thank you for such a great healthy treat
[...] Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies [...]
Any suggestions on what we use instead of dates or prunes? Thanks.
[...] Banana, Oat and Chocolate Chip Cookies [...]
[...] a good chocolate oatmeal cookie recipe. It all started when she posted a really yummy recipe for Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. My 4yo LOVES chocolate, so I thought this would be a great way to get some more whole grains into [...]
Pretty yummie. I just made these and used dried papaya instead of dates, used applesauce instead of oil and put both nuts and choc chips… Kids (2 1/2) picked out choc pieces! So I will try it next time with cocoa instead
These were very good. I omitted the dates because I didn’t have any. They were still wonderful. I bet these would be good with dried figs too.
baby food review…
[...]Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies | Weelicious ™ – Fast, Easy & Fresh Homemade Home Made Baby Food Babyfood Recipes, Toddler Food and recipes for the entire family![...]…
These are so yummy! I’ve made these twice so far and today’s combo of half walnuts half chocolate chips was so amazing! The tip about eating them frozen is spot on and dangerous for this momma still trying to loose baby weight! Thank you!
Catherine, these are so delicious when taken straight from the freezer. It has a bon-bonish type feel to them (meaning you are eating something almost frozen with chocolatey taste and a sweet soft center inside). It’s not a cookie, it’s not a muffin, it’s a delicious frozen morsel of banana-ey, date-y, chocolate- y goodness. My almost 2-year old loves these, although she picks out the dark chocolate chips. I think next time, I ‘ll look for mini-dark chocolate chips instead. Thank you so much.
Absolutely love this recipe! It’s my go to treat every now and again and one that I recommend to my clients as a healthier cookie. Just a heads up that when you use the search engine on your website to locate this lovely cookie it does not come up when you use the words “banana”, “chocolate chip” or “cookie” so can be hard to find.
Made these today for my girls. Absolutely delicious! and the best part is my insanely picky 9 year old gobbled up 3 immediately!