Recipe: Banana Oatmeal Cookies




banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a tray with milk

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
1  and 1/2 cups to 2 cups of oatmeal (Quick or rolled oats work best. Gluten free is good too)
1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips (i.e., Enjoy life is a more natural brand)*
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (Almond extract works well too.)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork until no longer lumpy.  If bananas aren't very ripe, a hand mixer may be used. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or use parchment paper. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cookie mixture onto the cookie sheet and make rows of them, leaving space so they do not touch while baking. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until slight browning occurs. Remove from oven and let it cool for a few minutes.

Yields 18 to 24 cookies, depending on how small or large you make them.


*Variations: Instead of chocolate chips, you can try adding in raisins or craisins. Create your own flavor combination.