Whiteley Creek Homestead

On the 101cookbooks blog, where I found this recipe, these cookies are called Nikki's Healthy Cookie Recipe. I renamed them "Banana Oatmeal Coconut Cookies". It won't win an award for the world's most creative name, but it accurately describes the main ingredients. From that point forward, you can change up the recipe by adding in whatever's in your pantry to add chewiness and crunch. The first time I made them, I used a chopped and shaved dark chocolate bar as the original recipe suggested. In this batch that I made last evening, I eliminated the chocolate and chopped up 1/3 cup walnuts, 1/3 cup dates, and 1/3 cup candied ginger instead. In the recipe below, I have offered additional add-in suggestions.

Banana Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

3 large ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 ½ cups)

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup coconut oil, barely warmed – so it isn’t solid to be easier to mix in

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

2/3 cup *almond meal

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut, finely shredded

½ tsp cinnamon (You can play with the spices a bit.)

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

Optional add-in suggestions: Oh, the possibilities… walnuts, dates, candied ginger, raisins, dried cranberries, raw sunnies, pistachios, a dried fruit and nut trail mix, muesli… 

Preheat oven to 350° with rack in the top third. In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.  Fold in any additions of dried fruit, nuts, and/or seeds. Drop by tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. To allow enough time for the cookies to bake through to the center, bottoms will be a deep golden brown but not burnt.

*You can purchase almond meal or make your own by pulsing almonds in a food processor until you achieve the texture of sand. Don’t process too long or you’ll end of with almond butter.