Safety first: Lower in added sugar, not sugar-free. Not medical or nutrition advice; check with your doctor about your own diet. Please read our editorial guidelines before you start.
Key takeaways
- Use bananas that are very ripe, with brown spots, and mash them until almost smooth. Lumps leave wet pockets.
- Press each scoop flat to about 1/2 inch. The dough does not spread in the oven, so the shape you make is the shape you get.
- Let the dough rest 5 minutes. If it still looks wet, stir in 1 to 2 Tbsp more oats.
In this post4 sections
Why this version works
We read eight versions of banana oat cookies. They agree on about 2 bananas to 1 to 1 1/2 cups of oats, 350°F, 10 to 20 minutes, a small scoop of about 1 Tbsp, and flattening before baking because the dough does not spread. Where cooks ran into trouble was gummy or wet cookies, bland ones, crumbly ones, and a strong banana taste. The fixes that came up were mashing the bananas well, resting the dough or adding a few spoons of oats, a pinch of salt with cinnamon and vanilla, and finely chopped nuts. Storage advice varies, so we only give what we can stand behind.
There is no sugar added in this recipe. The sweetness comes from the bananas. Check the peanut butter label for one with no added sugar. Natural sugar from the bananas is still sugar, so this is a no-added-sugar cookie, not a no-sugar cookie.
Watch the reel by @askoliviahealth on Instagram
Tested recipe
Banana Oat Cookies
Mashed very ripe bananas, peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, rolled oats and walnuts, rested, pressed flat and baked at 350°F. Soft cookies with no added sugar. About 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 large very ripe bananas, with brown spots, about 1 cup mashed
- 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter, with no added sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Steps
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Mash the bananas in a medium bowl with a fork until almost smooth, with only tiny lumps.
Stir in the peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until combined.
Fold in the oats and walnuts. Let the dough sit 5 minutes. If it looks wet and loose, stir in 1 to 2 Tbsp more oats.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Press each flat with the back of a spoon to about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are golden and the tops feel set. Cool 10 minutes on the sheet, then move to a rack.
Notes
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats make a softer, more cake-like cookie, and instant oats can turn gummy; both untested here.
- These cookies do not spread. Press them to the size and thickness you want.
- Chop the walnuts finely so the cookies hold together.
- Contains peanuts and tree nuts.
Swaps
- Use almond butter in place of the peanut butter; untested.
- Leave out the walnuts for a tree-nut-free version; the cookies still contain peanuts; untested.
- Add 1/4 cup raisins or dark chocolate chips; chips add sugar, and this is untested.
Storage and reheating
Storage: Cool completely, then store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or in the fridge up to 5 days. We have not tested freezing.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature, or warm 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave.
Where this recipe comes from
- Inspired by 3-Ingredient Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from My Pure Plants, for the banana, oat and peanut butter dough, and Two Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies from Cup of Yum, for scooping and flattening with a fork.
- The idea came from this reel by @askoliviahealth.
What to serve with banana oat cookies
They suit a cup of tea or coffee, a bowl of plain yogurt with fruit, or a glass of cold milk. Because they are soft and not very sweet, they also work as an easy breakfast on the go.
Every recipe from Diane's reels in one printable book: the Healthy Recipes Cookbook.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my cookies gummy?
The bananas were not mashed well, the dough was wet, or the cookies were not pressed flat. Mash until almost smooth, rest the dough 5 minutes, add 1 to 2 Tbsp more oats if it is loose, and press to 1/2 inch.
Why didn't they spread?
They are not meant to. The dough is mostly oats and banana, so shape each cookie before it goes in.
Can I leave out the peanut butter?
We have not tested it. Without it the cookies will be softer and more banana-forward; the peanut butter helps them hold together.
