Healthy Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies

How to Easily "Healthify" a Baking Recipe
- Fresh dates and a ripe banana are the best sweeteners when it comes to baking. Next time you see a recipe call for sugar, consider adding 10 dates and/or a ripe banana instead.
- Instead of white flour, opt for ancient grains such as einkorn or spelt flour, which are lower in gluten and contain more nutrients. For some recipes, like cookies and pancakes, gluten-free oat flour will also do the trick (recipe below).
- If your recipe calls for margarine, canola, or some other kind of refined, vegetable oil, swap it out for coconut oil or grass fed butter.
- Don't be afraid to add nutritious extras like nuts, seeds, chia, hemp hearts, berries etc.
- Last but not least, avoid Teflon and other non-stick bake wear. The toxic coating can end up in your food, or off-gas when heated. I prefer to use silicone baking mats and stainless steel baking trays.
How to Make Oat Flour
Make an easy, gluten-free flour in seconds using organic, rolled oats, like this. To make 1 1/2 cups of oat flour for this recipe, simple place 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats in a blender, and blend on high speed until you have a fine, flour. That's it! You're now ready to made the best sugar-free, gluten-free, peanut butter and banana cookies ever!The Best Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies - Gluten-free, Sugar-Free
Author:
The yummiest gluten-free, sugar-free Peanut Butter & Banana Cookies in town! Your kids will never know the difference!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Oat Flour (see above for how to make)
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Ripe Banana (about 1/2 cup)
- 10 Fresh Dates, pitted
- 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/4 cup Peanut Butter (or substitute for another nut butter, like almond or cashew)
- 1 Egg, free-range
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional but recommended!)
- 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds, hemp hearts etc. (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix oat flour and baking soda.
- Add banana, dates, coconut oil and peanut butter to a food processor, or stand mixer on high. Pulse/mix until fully combined and dates are in small pieces.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture.
- Add chocolate chips and any other optional ingredients.
- Shape the dough in to one inch balls and place two inches apart on a silicone or stainless steel, greased cookie sheet.
- Use a fork to press down the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
