Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are my favorite sweet treat. So why is this the first cookie recipe I’ve posted? Because I rarely make them. Really, I like them too much and don’t want the temptation of having dozens of cookies around. Afterall, even a healthier cookie is still an indulgence. No one should eat several dozen indulgences!

So why have I been baking batch after batch of cookies? Because I came across an inspiring recipe on 101 Cookbooks called Nikki’s Healthy Cookie Recipe. It’s an oatmeal cookie recipe made without eggs or wheat flour.

I adapted the recipe to suit my needs, like cutting down the recipe to make a small batch and decreasing the proportion of banana to make a chewier cookie. The result is a moist and chewy oatmeal cookie…more like a breakfast cookie than a traditional wheat flour cookie. The sweetness from the banana and chocolate make them a real treat. The best part is that they’re mini cookies- gone in just a bite or two.

One of the secrets to making these cookies is to bake them on parchment paper so that they don’t stick to the baking sheet. Another trick is to use a cookie scoop so that all of the cookies are the same size. Flattening the mounds of dough before baking helps the cookies to bake more evenly.

Cooling the cookies on the baking sheet allows them to set up before removing.

Let me know how you like the cookies and please share any tips or modifications. I’m working on an applesauce version of these cookies, and will share that recipe once I’m happy with it.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/3 cup well mashed ripe banana
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In medium bowl stir together mashed banana, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla until well blended.

Add oats, almond meal, cinnamon, ginger and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Use small cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to drop mounds of cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking baking sheet. Flatten cookies with your fingers. (This helps the cookies bake more evenly.)

Bake 13 to 18 minutes until bottoms are browned. (Ovens vary, so adjust bake time as needed. It’s better to slightly overbake than underbake these cookies.) Cool completely on baking sheet.

Makes 16 small cookies

Tip: The dough isn’t as thick as traditional wheat flour cookie dough, but it should hold together when you scoop and mound the dough on the baking sheet. (You may need to push the mound together with your fingers.) If the dough appears too dry to hold together, try stirring in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons mashed banana.

For vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, make with vegan chocolate chips.

Recipe Links:
Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Vegan Chocolate Brownie Bites

Product Links:
Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal, Almond Flour
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