Hello! Well hello! I wanted to share a treat with you all in order to keep your good health juju flowing into the new year. We all need a little help, and this recipe will please everyone (except my sister, who hates bananas. How are we related?). Everyone loves banana bread. I love it, you love it, and everyone loves chocolate. We could all use a healthy snack to add to our repertoire, right? You can see that things are going well in the new year. I told you so, naysayers.
These gems are a little fluffier and denser in texture than banana cookies, but they’re still somewhere between the two. The banana flavor is always present, and the chocolate chip adds that extra “treat” feeling as if you were eating a cookie. This escalated very quickly.
Since her royal Ladycakes gave me a homemade vanilla extract bottle when John and I went to visit her in December, it has been on my mind. It was the first time I used it, and it worked great (you guys should definitely check it out). The batter is quite healthy, with oats and whole wheat flour as well as flax seeds, maple syrup, or agave for natural sweetness. These bites are perfect for a vegan snack or breakfast to take along. I preferred to eat as many as I could in one sitting. You know, to sample and all that.
Ingredients
- Two medium, very ripe bananas
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- Baking powder, 1/2 tsp
- Sea salt, one pinch
- Flaxseed, 2 Tbsp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp Almond butter
- Use two tablespoons of maple syrup or agave nectar (or honey if you’re not vegan).
- Extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup rolled Oats
- Divide 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate (some for the topping)
- Turbinado sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas. Add baking powder, baking soda, flaxseed, vanilla extract, and almond butter. Add agave nectar and olive oil, and stir until well combined.
- Stir in the rolled oats, whole wheat pastry powder (using the spoon-and-level method instead of using the measuring cups as scoops and then leveling), and rolled oats. If the mixture is too runny or wet, add 1/4 cup of oats.
- Stir in the remaining semisweet chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes while heating the oven to 375° (190 C).
- Pour the batter into 1 Tbsp scoops and drop them onto a baking tray lined with parchment or non-stick silicone baking mats. Place about an inch apart. Then, lightly press the back of a spoon to flatten them slightly. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips or turbinado.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges are brown. You don’t want brown edges; you want them to be moist and cooked. Serve warm or at room temperature. Let them cool on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight jar for up to three days.
