Skinny Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Anyone have any fun getaway plans coming up, like jetting off to a tropical island or a relaxing on a long cruise? Around this time each year I find myself missing summer and craving warm sunshine, sand between my toes, and the sound of waves crashing. Not only do I find myself missing the beach but I also find myself wishing that I could turn into a bear, hibernate, and wake up when it's warm again. If you need to know something about me, it's that I love heat and will do anything to avoid cold weather. Until I can get powers to make myself turn into a bear half of the year, I settle by taking a trip each year to someplace warm. A few years ago it was the Bahamas, then Aruba, and this year is Costa Rica. I couldn't be more excited to visit Costa Rica for the first time and escape the cold, dreary weather in D.C.

Along with warm weather comes minimal clothing...and exposing new, unwanted curves that winter clothes normally cover. In hopes of getting in tip-top shape for Costa Rica, I am trying to tone-up and lose those few pesky holiday pounds. Check out my Healthy Recipe Roundup to see recipes that I've been making to help me achieve those results. In addition to those recipes, I've also been loving these Skinny Banana Oatmeal Cookies.

These cookies remind me of banana bread, but in a cake-like cookie with delicious chocolate (or white chocolate, in this case) chips mixed in. If you are a fan of banana bread, you are going to love this recipe. Not to mention that you only need one bowl and 30 minutes to mix and bake these cookies. Skinny and easy, now that's my kind of recipe.

Skinny Banana Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life)
(2 dozen cookies)

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups oats (regular or quick)
1 cup chocolate, white chocolate, or peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

Mix the mashed bananas, melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until incorporated. Add the vanilla and egg to the batter and mix. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly mix ingredients together until well mixed. Fold in oats and chocolate chips. The dough will not be very stiff.

Spoon tablespoon size cookie dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden brown. Cool cookies on sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Print this recipe!

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 115.0
Total Fat: 3.8 g
Cholesterol: 10.3 mg
Sodium: 30.0 mg
Total Carbs: 22.0 g
Fiber: 1.8 g
Sugars: 13.3 g
Protein: 2.0 g

Pros:
-Very easy to make
-One bowl recipe
-Mixed and baked in under 30 minutes
-Skinny, cake-like cookies that are satisfying and low in calories and fat
-Versatile-add different flavor chocolate chips to cookie dough

Cons:
-Has a strong banana flavor (similar to banana bread)-if you don't like bananas, you won't like these cookies