Banana Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

These are legitimate healthy cookies! No sugar or oil added (although there is some in the peanut butter). My toddler loves these and so do I! I usually add chocolate chips to mine so they aren't too healthy, but he eats them plain or with raisins now that he's old enough. 

I like to keep a batch of these in the freezer. When the kiddo asks for a cookie, I can give him something that I feel is still healthy enough for a snack (or even breakfast on the go). I just pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and they are ready to eat! He hasn't quite figured out that mine have chocolate chips and his have raisins... and I hope it stays that way for awhile! He is in love with raisins anyway, so I think I'm good for now ;)

Everyone who's tried these cookies likes them and I hope you do too! 

makes about 2 dozen small cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Quick Oats

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 Banana, Mashed

3 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Dash Vanilla

1/3 cup Applesauce

optional: 1/4 cup chocolate chips or raisins 

Directions

Mix wet ingredients and then add in dry and stir to combine.

Add raisins or chocolate chips if using.

Drop by spoonfuls on to parchment paper and flatten a bit (cookies won't change much in shape)

Bake at 350 for 15 mins or until they are starting to firm up a bit.

 

wet ingredients

mix and add dry

drop by spoonfuls and flatten with a spoon

bake at 350 (some with chocolate chips and some plain)

Brownie Cookies

This is another great coconut flour recipe. It makes a nice small batch of semi-healthy cookies. The banana replaces butter and some of the sugar, and you can replace the sugar with honey or another kind of sweetener.

I find that these cookies have the best texture the day they are made, but they are still pretty good a few days old. Just store them in a sealed container at room temperature (They can be frozen but the texture isn't quite the same). This recipe only makes a dozen or so cookies, so chances are you won't have any leftovers!

makes 12-14 cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1/4 cup Sugar (or honey or sweetener of your choice)

1 tsp Baking Powder

pinch salt

1 Ripe Banana

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips 

Directions

Mash banana in a bowl.

Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a different bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Combine the 2 bowls and stir well.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons of dough on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for about 15 mins. 

Cookie dough

Drop heaping tablespoons on parchment lined sheet

Bake at 350 for around 15 mins

Let cool and enjoy

Recipe based on this recipe at Home to Heather

Granola Cookies

Gluten Free Granola Cookies

I found this recipe on pinterest the other day and just had to try it. I love that there is no sugar or sugar substitute, but it's still sweet from the mashed bananas. I made a few minor changes, but the idea is the same. This blogger called them breakfast cookies, but I decided to call them granola cookies because they are very similar to granola bars, only in cookie form. They do make a great (and healthy) breakfast on the go, and I'm sure kids would be ecstatic to have cookies for breakfast! With all the protein and fibre, they are a satisfying breakfast or snack for anyone.

(makes about 2 dozen small cookies)
Ingredients

3 Medium Mashed Bananas
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1 Egg (may be omitted)
1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 cups GF Oats (I used quick oats but rolled would work too)
1/2 cup Dried Coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 - 3/4 cup Dried Fruit (raisins, craisins, apricots, etc)
1/2 cup Chopped Nuts
1/4 tsp Salt
11/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg


Directions

Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl.
Add dry ingredients to bowl and mix thoroughly
Drop spoonfuls of mixture on parchment lined baking sheet and form into desired shape.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 mins until they just begin to brown.
Store any left over cookies in freezer.

Before Baking (line with parchment - unlike me)

After Baking

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

gluten free banana chocolate chip muffins

This is probably my most tested recipe. I make a batch of these muffins about once every 3 weeks and keep them in the freezer for a quick, yummy breakfast. You can easily substitute wheat flour in this recipe for jealous family members! (see variations below)
(makes 12-15 muffins)
Ingredients

1 3/4 cups light flour blend (see flour blends)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium)

Directions

Mash banana in a bowl and mix with all wet ingredients.
Mix dry ingredients together and add them to the wet ingredients.
Mix and spoon into muffin paper lined muffin tins. Do not fill above the edge of the paper.
If you need more space, you can put a muffin paper into a small ramekin or 2.
Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes.

Let Muffins cool in tins for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack or flip them sideways in the muffin tin.
Once cool, store in a ziplock bag in the freezer to keep fresh.
Microwave from frozen for 20-30 seconds (do not let it thaw at room temperature).

before baking

after baking

Variations
Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins (pictured above) - add 1/4 cup peanut butter to wet ingredients.

Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins - add 3 Tbsp cocoa powder to the dry ingredients for double chocolate!

Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Nut and Flax Muffins - use chopped walnuts, hazlenuts, almonds, etc in place of chocolate chips. Add 2 Tbsp ground flax seed to dry ingredients.
Wheat flour Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins - substitute all purpose flour or whole wheat flour for the gluten free flour blend. Use 1 Tbsp baking powder instead of 2. Use 1 egg instead of 2.