Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe has changed my life. Seriously. The past seven weeks I've adopted a new healthy lifestyle, cutting out refined grains and added sugars, and eating more fruits and vegetables. And these cookies are still totally legal. You can make them and eat the entire batch for breakfast and not even feel bad about it (that's what I just did, actually). Nutritionally, this is like eating a hearty bowl of oatmeal, minus the milk. These totally satisfy my craving for a warm, soft, chewy cookie with absolutely none of the guilt after I eat six of them. I am so happy about this I want to sing!

The other nice thing about this is it's totally adaptable. You can put whatever you want in them. The first time I made them I only used a banana, oats and chopped walnuts and they were still good!

Are you ready for the best part? If you make these as described below and eat the entire batch, it's only about 400 calories (a perfectly acceptable breakfast, if you ask me). The walnuts also add essential omega 3 fatty acids, and you're getting a serving of fruit from the banana, and whole grains from the oats. Leave out the add-ins and you're at about 240 calories. I know. I know. You can thank me later.

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Cookie base:

1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs quick oats

The above ingredients are actually all you need, but I added a few extras:

dash of salt
splash of vanilla
2 Tbs chopped walnuts
1 1/2 Tbs craisins
1 1/2 Tbs shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together ingredients. Form into cookie shapes and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray (they will stick if the pan is not well-sprayed). These don't change shape, puff or rise while baking, so form them into the shape you want them to end up. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Makes six or seven cookies.