Sinless Banana Oat Cookies

A Sinless Banana Cookie recipe was going viral on Facebook last month.  I made it, but thought, "I can do better."  Here's that recipe but with some Kim touches. 

A play on baked oatmeal, but put into a cookie form.  Good as a snack, on the go breakfast or dessert, just be prepared for a very soft cookie.

Sinless Banana Oat Cookies

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 heaping Tbs natural PB
• 1 Tbs coconut sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ c mini chocolate chips (optional but recommended)

Mash bananas well. Mix all ingredients with the bananas. Scoop by rounded ½ Tbs onto a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 12 mins.

Oatmeal Spice Cookies

A new favorite healthy cookie - no butter, tons of flavor, and options for making them what your family wants. The original recipe came from Whole Grain Gourmet with raisins mixed in, but we aren't raisin people around here, so other options are to just leave them plain, stir in some walnuts, or chocolate chips.

Spiced Oatmeal Cookies from Whole Grain Gourmet

• 1 cup whole wheat white flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tb cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tb molasses
• 1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup mix in of your choice (optional - raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, etc)

Preheat oven to 335 degrees (a better temp for honey). In a large bowl, add all wet ingredients, top with dry, then mix all the ingredients together.  Spray your cookie sheet with nonstick spray and drop by spoonfuls onto your baking sheet.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie.

Molasses Ginger Cookies

Oh this is a beautiful cookie:

Whenever there's a cookie recipe that calls for less than a stick of butter but yields up to 4 dozen cookies, I'm there.  This gem came from the Better Homes and Gardens website and is everything that I'm looking for in a cookie - chewy, sweet, and around 50 calories.


The boys loved them too.  I was worried that my son wouldn't be on board with such a strong flavor, but he loved them, begged for them... probably ate about half of them.

One negative thing that I will say is that rolling the dough balls was a long and messy process - the flavor is worth it, but this isn't a simple, throw-together cookie.

Molasses Ginger Cookies (from Better Homes and Gardens, slightly adapted)

• 1/3 c. margarine, softened
• 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. dark molasses
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl combine the margarine with  the brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, egg and molasses. Blend until all is moist and mostly smooth, then add flour.  Stir until well combined then cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

*This is where things got messy, even using the fridge the dough still got all over my hands - I think next time I'll try the freezer.

Combine the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon on a plate. Shape dough into a 1-inch ball. Roll ball in sugar-cinnamon mixture, then place 2 inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet (use parchment paper, rubber mat, or a light cooking spray to avoid sticking). If there's dough that isn't being used during a baking cycle, cover it and return to fridge or freezer.  Bake cookies in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until set and tops are cracked. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.

Banana Oat Cookies

This is actually another semi-healthy cookie recipe.  The banana flavor pounds your taste buds, the oats give it substance, and with only 3 Tbs of butter* (I used a light spread) there isn't too much to be guilty about...

UNLESS... you choose to make them so (the cookies pictured have chocolate chips and crushed up Reese's pieces as mix-in's).

*I have yet to try these with beans instead of butter, but I think they may do well. I'll update this when I try it.

Banana Oat Cookies
(adapted from Spark Recipes)

• 3 Tbs butter, softened (I used light spread)
• 1 mashed ripe banana
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 c. flour
• 1 c. quick oats
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 c. mix in's (in the pictured cookies I used mini chocolate chips and crushed Reese's pieces, but to be healthy you could use some raisins, chopped nuts, blueberries, whatever suits your tastes)

Combine all wet ingredients and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Add dry ingredients and stir well. Add mix in's and blend until evenly distributed.  Spoon cookies out onto cookie sheets (I baked mine on parchment paper) in about tablespoon sizes, not too big.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cookies will be soft, cool on baking sheet and then on wire racks.  Makes close to 2 dozen.

Happy Cooking!