Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I'm always looking for easy, healthy and yummy treats that I can make up a batch or two and have available for on the road trips, work snacks or a fun lunch box treat. 

If you're like me, I steer clear of pre-packaged snack bars as they often contain colours, additives and preservatives that contribute to illness, digestive disorders, can be allergy causing or leave you feeling bloated or tired.

Although these are not gluten free, they are Vegan, refined sugar and sulphate free. I do use organic rolled oats and sulfur dioxide free dried fruit as key ingredients. You could substitute the oat flour in these cookies for buckwheat, brown rice or any gluten free flour you choose. The texture may vary along with the cooking time so just play around with quantities and cooking times until you achieve your desired cookie. 

It's hard to go wrong making these and they are very child friendly to make together and to eat. 

Just 4 ingredients for these quick and easy cookies. You can mix up the flavours depending on what you have in your pantry.

I like to change up the ingredients and use chia seeds, shredded coconut, chopped dates, chopped apricots, sultanas, dried chopped figs and sesame seeds. 

You most probably have all of these ingredients waiting for you in your pantry and can whip up a tray full of these right after you read this post. 

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups organic rolled oats ground into flour

1/2 cup organic dried cranberries or sultanas 

2 tbs desiccated coconut 

Variations: Cranberries, sultanate, chopped dates, chopped apricots, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, dehydrated apple or pear.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a tray with baking paper.
2. Pulse oats in a blender to make a rough flour.
3. In a bowl, mash 3 bananas with a fork.
4. Add the oat flour, dried fruit and coconut and mix until well combined. 
5. Spoon large tablespoonfuls of mixture onto the baking sheet and spread out, slightly flatten and shape into a cookie.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Cookies will get a little golden colour and feel springy in the centre. 
7. Take the baking paper with cookies of the tray and let them rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes to cool down.

I often eat them while still hot but they are delicious when they have cooled. Banana oatmeal cookies will keep for about 2-3 days in a tin. 

Do not store them in plastic container as they will sweat and become rubbery and mushy from the banana.

For more delicious recipes check out our Alkaline Cookbook.