Banana Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Cookies are such a great snacking option. They’re portable, easy to ration out (when you’re not gobbling them down, that is!) and so tasty. But most cookies that you find at the grocery store are made with artificial ingredients or, if they’re all-natural, cost an arm and a leg. And while they might taste delicious, they’re not really appropriate to chow down on throughout the day. But these banana oatmeal cookies are.
Banana and Oatmeal? Why These Cookies Work!
Bananas and oatmeal aren’t a totally new idea. If you enjoy oatmeal for breakfast, you’ve likely sliced and topped a bowl with a fresh banana before. But a banana and oatmeal cookie? You’d be surprised at how well this healthy cookie combo works. In fact, I love it as a pre- or post-workout snack.
We use really ripe bananas in this oatmeal cookie recipe. Not only does the ripeness make the bananas easy to mash, but it means these bananas are naturally sweet — there’s no added sugar here. Banana nutrition is also an added bonus here: they’re known to increase energy and improve digestive health, making them a powerful fruit to include in a snack.
Adding organic peanut butter (made with Valencia peanuts), almond butter or your nut butter of choice adds a protein boost and a lot of flavor. The gluten-free oats provide a hefty dose of fiber, so you’ll feel full for longer after noshing on these banana oatmeal cookies. Because every good oatmeal cookie also includes chocolate, I’ve added a mix of dark chocolate chips and cacao nibs, so you’ll get your chocolate fix while still enjoying healthy benefits, like maintaining muscle and helping you lose weight.
And did I mention these are vegan cookies? That’s right, there are zero animal products in this healthy snack. Flaxseed and water take the place of eggs, though if you aren’t vegan, you can easily replace that with the real thing. And these cookies are crazy easy to make, too! Whether you’re a baking expert or new to the kitchen, you’ll find these banana cookies are a breeze to make.
How to Make Banana Oatmeal Cookies
So how do we make banana oatmeal cookies? Start by preheating the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add in mashed bananas, peanut butter, vanilla extract and flax egg.
Stir until well combined, then add in the gluten-free oats and stir again.
Pour in chocolate chips and cacao nibs until just combined.
How good does that cookie dough look? Because there’s no raw egg in it, you can totally taste test here — just make sure to leave enough dough to bake!
Form cookies using a tablespoon and place on baking sheet.
If you’d like, sprinkle the rows of cookies with Himalayan pink salt. I love doing this, as it creates a salty and sweet combination that’s fantastic.
Bake the banana oatmeal cookies for 15 minutes before serving.
Want to just eat cookie dough? Try our Paleo, vegan and gluten-free edible cookie dough recipe!
Total Time
20 minutes
Serves
24
Meal Type
Diet Type
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 6 tablespoons water
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup organic peanut butter (with Valencia peanuts)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups gluten-free oats
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, minimum 70% cacao
- 1/2 cup raw cacao nibs
- Himalayan pink salt, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine ground flax seed and water to let thicken up into a flax 'egg'.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in mashed bananas, peanut butter, vanilla extract and flax egg.
- Stir until well combined.
- Add in gluten-free oats and stir again.
- Pour in chocolate chips and cacao nibs until just combined.
- Form cookies using a tablespoon and place on baking sheet.
- Sprinkle rows of cookies with Himalayan pink salt, if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
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Over 51% of Americans earn less than $30,000 a year. It is a sad static but true. This means that over half the working population cannot even consider most of your suggestions. The cost of gluten free flours alone would break the bank for a family of four. Organic fruits and vegetables are at least twice as expensive as the GMO stuff. Grass fed meats should be less expensive but instead the price is sky high. Most “healthy” foods are outrageously expensive. People who must budget their food money just cannot buy organic.
I work as a nurse in a family medicine clinic. I see low income people daily who struggle just to keep food on the table. I’m not talking about welfare recipients. I speak of the working poor who are being squeezed to death by the cost of living. Sadly, we live in a society where only a certain sector of the population can even consider escaping the poison that is being put in the food supply. This is a totally immoral situation.
Ellie – you are so right! Sadly, it is that way and then the education factor on how to eat the healthy way. We are older, on Social Security, fixed income and medical costs even for eye appointments are present now with the change in medicare plans. I cook our meals and we eat a lot of vegan/vegetarian meals. Buying organic as much as possible but not all. Organic meat is expensive so it is something that we do limit. I see families out shopping with 4 kids and can’t imagine the food budget, but then, prepared foods are expensive also. When we were raising ours on a budget, I made our own grape nuts, soda crackers, graham crackers, etc, but most moms today don’t do that. I was in the minority in my day as well. I was raised by a father who said “Spend it on the food or spend it down the road at the Dr’s office. I believe he was right. Working poor folks have to survive. Sadly, not always making the best choices.
How many calories are these cookies?
I love these cookies. I actually prefer them to candy or sugar-based cookies!
I make mine without the cacao nibs and chocolate chips. The bananas sweeten it enough for me. I also use an egg and then also add flax seed in (not dissolved in water aka the flax-egg) for both taste and the health benefits. I also add cinnamon in with the mashed bananas.
Thanks for the recipe, Dr Axe!
Glad you enjoyed! I loved seeing how you modified the recipe to work for you.
All the cocoa or chocolate chips even with 70% cocoa has sugar, I thought these recipes were doing away with cane sugar or other sugars.
Also, silicone, or any of the sprays for none sticking healthy to use cooking?
How do people with very low incomes, purchase all the healthy ways to eat or the supplements needed? I’m doing all I can with my diet and see a result, but I know it’s not the full answer. I need bone broth and the greens, I need all the organic fruits and vegetables but I can’t afford them all. I grow what I can but that’s limited too.
Thank you for all the free information provided, it has helped me tremendously already. I do appreciate the fact you not only sell products but provide the information for others to do for themselves. Blessings on you for that.
Lori S.
Hi Lori, thank you so much. I am happy to hear that DrAxe.com has helped you in your health journey. To answer your questions, yes, the chocolate chips do have a little bit of organic cane sugar in them, but the overall sugar content is still minimal. The higher percentage of cacao you can buy, the better. I recommend a minimum of 70%, but I personally use 85%.
As for cooking sprays, I use a silicone-free avocado or coconut oil spray, where the only ingredients are avocado or coconut. Just be sure to check the label; It will be marked silicone-free.
Taking small steps to fit the needs of you and your family is the best way to approach a healthy lifestyle. I would also look into local farms around you; They are reasonably priced, and you know exactly where your vegetables are coming from. I personally love to shop at my local farmer’s market! As for supplements, I would again recommend you find what works best for your budget; However, if you have questions regarding our supplements, please reach out to our customer service team, as they are very helpful in guiding you in the selection process.
Should the oatmeal be soak and sprout to eliminate the phytic acid ?