Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. My childhood, in cookie form.
We all know that I suck at choosing favorites, right? Well, I think I can confidently say that these are my FAVORITE homemade cookies of all time. You guys, this is a big deal.
You see, my grandma made these cookies when I was a kid. Well, my grandma made a LOT of cookies when I was a kid… actually, she still makes a lot of cookies to this day. They are all amazing, of course. Especially her biscotti. and pizzelles. and ohmygosh, the Italian wedding cookies! She even makes my whole wheat honey chocolate chunk cookies (better than I do, of course).
My grandma… is the best. IYKYK
But her banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies will forever hold a special place in my heart. One bite, and I’m transported back to all the best parts of my childhood.
Tragically, I haven’t been able to enjoy these cookies in quite some time since they are in no way, shape or form gluten-free. So I’ve been on a quest to convert her recipe for awhile… and also cut it in half. Oh, and maybe health it up a tiny little bit? Because of course the original recipe calls for shortening, and contains more sugar than I’ve had all month… and it also makes like four dozen cookies.
Needless to say, I’ve been working on this for awhile.
So after plenty of trial and error, I’m happy to say that this recipe is precisely what I’ve been hoping for. Tastes just like grandma’s, except gluten-free AND dairy-free! Soft and chewy, these cookies have just the right amount of banana, and practically melt in your mouth — especially right out of the oven. There’s a kick of cinnamon, and enough oats for them to be an acceptable part of your breakfast.
(Hey, if cereal with marshmallows can be “part of a balanced breakfast”, then these cookies can too!)
I’m especially excited to share this recipe with you on the SEVENTH blogiversary of Confessions of a Midnight Baker! It felt appropriate to finally nail down my favorite cookie recipe. Anything is possible at this point, amiright?!
(truth time: the 7th blogiversary was couple of weeks ago… but I just perfected these cookies last night (no joke), so… yea. timing has never been my thing)
Anywho! My goal this year for the blog is to finally make it to 100 posts (slow and steady over here) — and complete another Cookie Week in December. CAN SHE DO IT?! Stay tuned to find out!
- 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup coconut oil (or butter), softened
- ⅓ cup coconut (or brown) sugar
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
- Add coconut oil and sugar to a larger bowl, and combine using a hand mixer. Then add in the mashed banana, and mix well. Finally, add in the egg and vanilla, and mix one last time.
- Once batter is combined, fold in oats and chocolate chips. Chill dough 5-10 minutes (see Notes).
- Drop dough by the tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1-2 inches apart. Cook 9-11 minutes or until cookies appear to be browning at the edges.
- Cool 5-10 minutes on a wire rack. Store cookies in an airtight container for no more than 3 days or in the fridge up to 5 days.
If your dough is sticky, I recommend chilling it for 5-10 minutes before rolling & baking; this also keeps the cookies from spreading. Alternatively, I throw my bananas in the fridge about an hour beforehand -- then, when you mix them into the dough, it has a similar effect and you likely won't even need to chill your dough.
Feel free to replace the chocolate chips with walnuts (if you're into that kind of thing).
Excuse me while I go make my eighteen batch of banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, toss a candle in one and call it a dang celebration.
