Healthy Banana Oat & Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan, GF)

After the massive baklava binge in Turkey, I figured I’d get back to baking with a slightly more redeeming recipe, saving the sugar for another day. These cookies are made with basically oats and bananas, with a handful of other ingredients to amp up the flavour. They are chewy, satisfying and really delicious!

Yes, I did drizzle melted chocolate on top which is totally optional, but it elevates these from breakfast cookies to straight up dessert. Win!

I first saw this recipe on Kitchen Sanctuary and it seemed like a great way to use up a ton of rolled oats I had lying around. The ones used in that recipe seem a little finer than I’ve usually seen, so I wasn’t sure whether the texture would be right buuuuut what I loved most was the oats go in whole, no need to blitz them into a powder. They provide a whole lot of chewiness and structure, without the use of any other flour. I also added peanut butter, swapped the coconut oil for olive oil, reduced the honey a bit and added sliced almonds.

The melted chocolate on top was an afterthought and yes it does means some refined sugar and fat, so feel to leave it off. I liked it because banana and chocolate go so well together, the drizzle pretties the cookies up a bit and makes them taste extra delicious!

The cookies are crispy on the edges because I baked them a bit longer than necessary, but loved the end result. They remain soft and chewy in the center though, because once oats absorb moisture, they do go soft. Which is why these are best stored in the fridge after they’ve cooled so that they don’t absorb additional moisture at room temperature, particularly if you live in a humid area. Hey, Mumbai right now!

The banana shines through, as does the peanut butter even though there’s very little of it. It’s a great combination! Almonds add a welcome crunch and a bit of cinnamon takes the flavour up a notch. The ‘dough’ comes together so quickly that you can make these on a complete whim. Happy healthy cookie baking!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Healthy Banana Oat Peanut Butter Cookies (Vegan, GF)

Chewy, naturally-sweetened rolled oat cookies with bananas and peanut butter

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Makes: 9 cookies

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Ingredients

  

• 2 small, firm but ripe bananas (or 1 medium; not super mushy)
• 2 tbsps creamy peanut butter (see notes)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 tbsps sliced almonds, or any other nuts of your choice
• Pinch of cinnamon powder
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: melted dark chocolate or chocolate chips, to drizzle on top

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a baking tray with a silicone baking mat, or lightly grease the tray.
• In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas very well, then add peanut butter, oil and honey. Stir well till smooth.
• Add the oats, almonds, cinnamon and salt and mix well. The dough will be wet, so allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the oats absorb the moisture, the dough will thicken on its own.
• Using a cookie scoop (recommended because the dough is sticky, although you could use a spoon or your palms as well), form 9 equal portions of the dough and place them an inch apart on the baking tray.
• Flatten each one into a disc as they won't spread much in the oven.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are browned and the cookies no longer look wet on the top. Rotate the tray as needed to ensure the cookies are getting evenly browned.
• Leave the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature. They will firm up a bit more, but the centers will remain on the softer side. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired, then store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days in an airtight tin. Happy baking!

Notes

*Rolled oats are recommended for the best chewy texture, however instant oats can be used if you're ok with softer cookies, because instant oats are finer and absorb more moisture.

*You can increase the honey to 2 tablespoons if using an unsweetened peanut butter. I usually like to use a natural, honey peanut butter.

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