coconut:
Healthy Cookies, Really
Photos by Valerie
My girls are addicted to bars—no, not the Friday night happy hour variety, more like granola bars, Zbars, and even the old-school Tiger Bars. I’ve been on the hunt to find something that allows them a sweet fix, is healthy and also is an easy take and go snack.
In walks this healthy cookie recipe. Normally, I feel if you’re gonna eat a cookie, then eat a cookie — one that is sinfully delicious. However, this one is yummy and completely healthy. Not yummy for a healthy cookie, but just plain yummy. There is no added sugar at all (it’s sweetened solely by ripe bananas and ok, a few chocolate chips), high in protein and no gluten (I buy gluten-free oats at TJ’s). Everyone loves them – I love them with a tea at the end of the night and I feel fine about tucking a couple into the girls’ school lunches.
Healthy Cookies
Adapted from a recipe found at 101 cookbooks
3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond flour
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6-7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips. The dough is a bit looser than standard cookie dough, don’t worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. I like to use my small ice cream scooper, I pack in the dough to make a nice little ball and then release onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.
If you want to make them into bars, press dough into parchment lined 8 x 8 pan, then cut into bars after cooling.
