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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.
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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 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas)
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup pitted and chopped dried dates
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, walnuts or raisins
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mash bananas in a bowl, and mix in the remaining ingredients.
- Using a mini ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place the batter onto a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 Minutes.
Notes
- ** 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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Any suggestions on what we use instead of dates or prunes? Thanks.
[…] Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies […]
How much applesauce did you sub in for the oil? Would love to try it that way too!
Just made these tonight with prunes and applesauce instead of dates and oil…awesome! Thank you for such a great healthy treat 🙂
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.
If I make it in a bar, does it yield crunchy or chewy texture?
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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!
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 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).
Divine!
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!
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 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!