Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana and Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

At least once a week my mom would make cookies for me and my siblings as an after school snack when we were growing up. My favorite cookies were the ones that were just out of the oven. It didn’t seem to matter what kind they were, as long as they were hot.

Now that I am a mom, I too enjoy making cookies for my kids. There seem to be many more recipes out there these days for making anything healthier. So, I like to make a little bit healthier version of the cookies that my mom used to make.

I’m sure you will notice that this recipe doesn’t call for oil, but does contain two different fruits, nuts, oats and even a little chocolate. This recipe has the healthy aspect you want, and still tastes like a cookie that grandma would make.

Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana and Oatmeal Cookies

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup your favorite nuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup shredded coconut

Throw bananas, peanut butter, applesauce, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a mixer and mix until combined. Add the oatmeal, nuts, chocolate chips and coconut and mix until well combined.

Roll dough into balls with about 2 tablespoons of dough. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet, and then lightly flatten the ball with your hand. Bake cookies for 22 to 28 minutes at 350 degrees.

Joy Larson is a mother of four boys, graduate of the University of Montana, animal lover and writer.