One-Bowl Banana Oat Cookies (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

My go to, my ride or die, my easy breezy: my banana cookies. When I’m in want of a quick fix of a treat or need to whip something up quickly to feed friends, this is my go to recipe. For years now I’ve been making these cookies because not only are they super simple to make, but they also don't leave you feeling guilty or bloated after eating a couple (or a lot of a couple). 

They take under 30 mins to make and are super diverse as to what you can add to satisfy your own cravings. The banana and oats make up the base, but you can add anything from seeds and dry fruit to make them more nutritious or you can make them more of a cookie (like I did) by adding your choice of chocolate, coconut, and whatever else fits your fancy!

Usually I eyeball the measurements, so after making them once or twice, you should get a good idea for how much you really need of each ingredient and be able to eyeball it yourself. This recipe can also be doubled or tripled depending on how many bananas used. I’d say the banana to oat ratio is 1:1 cup.

As much as I love diving into new and more complex recipes to try my hand at, these never disappoint… So, enjoy!

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats (gluten-free for those allergic or conscious)
• 2 medium ripe bananas (best when they're spotty, but not completely brown)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened medium shredded coconut
• 1/2 80% organic dark chocolate bar-chopped (use whatever type of chocolate you want)

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees (fahrenheit)

2. Add bananas to a bowl and mash with a fork until a blended consistency. Beware not to over blend, but to leave a bit chunky just incase.

3. Add oats in and stir until well combined. Depending on banana size, you may need to add more oats.

4. Add coconut and dark chocolate in and stir until evenly distributed throughout mixture.

5. Use hands to mold dough into a ball thats about an inch wide all around, then place on a nonstick cookie sheet. Cookies don't spread, so they can be quite close together when baking. 

6. Bake for 15-20 mins. You’ll know they are ready once the oats start to get golden around the edges.

7. Devour when they’ve cooled down, but are still warm. After, you can keep them in the fridge so they stay fresh, then eat them when they are chilled or warm them up again.

Anon,

Marley