Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Healthy Cookies?

What's the point? If I'm going to eat a cookie, it should be good- full of butter and chocolate not light in calories and good for you. But this one is a little of both. Don't believe me? Try it yourself.

I discovered this recipe because I was looking for a low sugar/sugar free cookie for a little boy that I take care of. His parents don't eat a lot of sugar (one is diabetic) and I know they don't want him to either. I made a cookie - if you want to call it that- it was more like a saucer- from a healthy cookbook of theirs, but they only had whole wheat flour, date sugar, and margarine. If you bake at all you know those are not the greatest of ingredients to work with, especially if you're wanting it to taste good. I searched the web and found Sugarless Oatmeal Banana Cookies. They're not exactly "sugarless" though because bananas, raisins and milk all have sugar. I guess you could call them "No Sugar Added Oatmeal Banana Cookies" but that makes for a really long name. And besides I added chocolate chips to mine, so I added sugar. Oh, well.

Oatmeal Banana Cookies
  • 1/3 c. butter, softened
  • 1/4 c. milk
  • 2 c. oats
  • 1/2 c. raisins
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Let stand for 5-10 minutes allowing the oats to soak up all the milk. Drop by tablespoon full onto a cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees*. Allow to cool. Makes 2-3 dozen.

*NOTE: I baked the first batch at 350 for 15-20 minutes, but they didn't seem cooked all the way through, but they were getting too dark on the bottom. I did the next 2 batches at 325 for 25 minutes and they were much better. I would suggest this temp, but all ovens vary, so you'll just have to keep an eye them.

These are not your typical "cookies". They don't contain flour or leavening, so they won't rise or spread. They taste very much like banana bread. Even the texture is the same. I was pleasantly surprised by these "healthy" cookies. The family loved them.

Other additions (add 1/4 c of any of these to batter):

  • mini chocolate chips
  • chopped nuts
  • dried chopped fruit (cranberries, apricots, cherries)
  • shredded coconut

16 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing! I just made some and on the last few cookies I added some Nutella! Even though it takes away from the "no sugar added" i think it's a good addition!

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  3. well they look beautiful and sound healthy, at least natural! :)

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  4. These are such a good idea! I just made them with all organic ingredients and with some added chocolate chips, cinnamon and a pinch of brown sugar. Thanks!

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  5. These look great! Would quick oats work fine do you think?

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  6. FANTASTIC! I added some of the "other options" you suggested...chopped almonds and walnuts AND chopped apricots (didn't even use raisins!...I also cut down on the butter by about half and added 2 eggs. Being a health nut and avid runner, I wanted to up the protein, hence the eggs and nuts. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! My new staple treat! THANKS SO MUCH!
    xo

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  7. Just made these for the first time, with the addition of chopped pecans. WOW!! These will also be my go to snack. I may try to reduce the fat with some applesauce next time, but only because I want to be able to eat 2 for a snack and not just one!

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  8. We were planning to make Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies, but it is such a complicated recipe. I wanted something that my 6 year old could handle without much help from me. These looked fabulous and amazingly simple to make - and SO much healthier than what we had planned to make. My daughter had a great time making these with your easy-to-follow directions and we were all delighted with how good they are! My girls were amazed that I let them eat more than they are usually allowed for "special treats." Thanks for our new "go to" treat!
    note: we did add nuts and also some cinnamon - YUM!!

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  9. Great cookies... But wrong.. Bananas, raisins and milk dont have actual sugar - milk has fat (and yes, that somehow raises the bloodsugar), and the fruit, crazily enough, have fruit sugar in it. :)

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  10. Very good for a low sugar low cal cookie. I added flaxseed to mine & about 1 tsp cinnamon. They turned out good, next time think I will try to add a little splenda brown sugar just to give a bit more sweetness to it. Thanks much enjoyed :)

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  11. I just made these with melted coconut oil and almond milk for a dairy free alternative, and they were DELICIOUS! I added raisins, chia seeds, flax seed, hemp hearts and a dash of cinnamon. Will make again and again!

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  12. I was looking for exactly this kind of cookie. I love you :D !

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  13. You can also buy sugar free chocolate chips. Found them at Winn Dixie. Made by Hershey's.

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  14. Great for the lower sugar minimal calorie dessert. My spouse and i additional flaxseed to be able to acquire & with regards to 1 tsp nutmeg. These people ended up excellent, the next occasion think Let me consider adding a little splenda brownish sugar simply to provide a extra sweet taste for it. Cheers much loved :) cheapest runescape gold
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Thank you for your supportive comments. I appreciate each and every one of them!