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Oat Banana Coconut Oil Energy Cookies {vegan, GF}

Flourless oat banana coconut oil energy cookies, perfect for breakfasts, snacks & dessert! They are vegan, gluten-free, & have no added sugar.
banana oat energy cookie on a piece of slate with more cookies in the backgroun

Flourless & Vegan Banana Oat Cookies

A batch of homemade drop cookies may not sound particularly Halloween-esque. Yes, I’ve given these beauties an ample dose of fall flavor in the forms of cinnamon and cranberries, but I haven’t fashioned them into mock tarantulas, ghosts, goblins, or monsters.

But according to my husband, the prospect of a sugar-free, gluten-free, egg-free cookie is nothing short of terrifying.

The fear is warranted. At the beginning of the school year,  I tried my hand at a number of sugar-free, über-health cookies, including chocolate-avocado cookies (I know, what was I thinking?) and carrot-zucchini cookies. I admit to feeling somewhat self-righteous as I mixed my batters: do they give mother-of-the-year awards for best and most sugar-free cookies baked for school lunches? I’d give it my best shot.

Oh, what a fool I was. The carrot-zucchini cookies were laughable; think lawn clippings, bananas, and oats pressed into gummy disks. I imagine they would be effective for equine bowel disorders. At least the chocolate avocado cookies looked like cookies; however, the taste and texture were a marriage of guacamole and cocoa that ended in a bitter divorce.

So why on earth did I try again?

Stubbornness, for one. And a bunch of extremely over-ripe bananas, second.

How to Make Banana Oat Coconut Oil Energy Cookies

ingredients for banana oat energy cookies on a piece of slate

I found a handful of recipes that could serve as basic templates, but they all called for butter and milk; I decided to keep the cookies dairy-free and opted for oil  and no milk. (Please, please do not cut back on the amount of oil; it is essential!) In addition, I didn’t want the cookies to read “BANANA.” Nothing against bananas, but we do a lot of banana bread and banana muffins at our house already. I needed some stronger flavors, so I upped the vanilla and stirred in a significant amount of cinnamon.

From my previous sugar-free cookie experiments/disasters, I knew that going leavening-free was literally a recipe for leaden cookies. In went a bit of baking soda.

Add Nuts or Seeds for Crunch & Extra Nutrition

Flourless oat cookies need some texture, so I added a handful of walnuts and toasted them for added flavor. You can use just about any nuts or seeds in place of the walnuts, but do be sure to toast whichever option you choose to maximize flavor & crunch.

Last,  to make this more of an autumn cookie, I chose dried cranberries over raisins. Like the walnuts, I doubled the amount, this time for sweetness. If you like, use an unsweetened dried fruit. 

You only need one bowl to mix the cookies (less clean-up!).

dough for banana oat energy cookies in a wooden bowl

By George, I think I’ve got it! These really are delicious, perfect for breakfast, in particular (a bit like a bowl of oatmeal in handheld form). And both Nick and Kevin have been goblin them up!

Happy baking!

overhead shot of a banana oat coconut oil energy cookie on a piece of slate

More Healthy Vegan & Gluten-Free Cookies To Try:

  1. Zucchini Oat Breakfast Cookies
  2. 2-Ingredient Banana Oat Cookies
  3. Coconut Flour Zucchini Cookies
  4. Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies
  5. Overnight Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
  6. Vegan Double Chocolate Oat Cookies
  7. Flourless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
banana oat energy cookie on a piece of slate with more cookies in the backgroun

Oat Banana Coconut Oil Energy Cookies {vegan, GF}

Yield: 30 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Flourless oat banana coconut oil energy cookies, perfect for breakfasts, snacks & dessert! They are vegan, gluten-free, & have no added sugar.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats (certified GF, as needed)
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup (1 ounce) walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (375 mL) mashed very ripe banana
  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cranberries, and walnuts
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the banana, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda until well-blended.
  3. Add banana mixture to oat mixture, stirring to combine. Let stand 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets.
  5. Bake 14 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden-brown. Let cool on sheets 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely.

Notes

Tip: Almost any nuts or seeds of your choosing can be used in place of the walnuts.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at cool room emperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for for up to 3 months.

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Nutrition Information
Yield 30 Serving Size 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving Calories 61Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 57mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 1g

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Vegan Almond Flour Banana Bread {5 ingredients, oil-free} | power hungry

Saturday 5th of September 2020

[…] Oat Banana Coconut Oil Energy Cookies (vegan, GF) […]

Agnella

Wednesday 26th of August 2020

Sounds like a great recipe. which I would like to try out. What can be substituted for the mashed banana?

Thank you

Camilla

Thursday 27th of August 2020

Hi Agnella! Bananas are a central part of the recipe (1 and 1/2 cups) so the cookies will be quite different if the banana is replaced with something else (I have not tried it). You could try applesauce or unsweetened pumpkin, but the cookies will not be sweet (the bananas sweeten the cookies), so you will likely need to add some sweetener to taste.

Stacey

Tuesday 8th of November 2016

I added unsweetened coconut flakes. My kids loved them. Thank you!

Camilla

Wednesday 9th of November 2016

Wonderful, Stacey!!! :)

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eileen

Monday 10th of August 2015

So glad I found this recipe! My first batch was TEArrific!! A great compliment to a nice cup of herbal tea. Truly tasty.Thank you for creating a super healthy version of an old favorite. I have been playing with a cookie recipe with similar ingredients trying to reduce flours and sugars, and your creation is Spot On. I did add 2 tblspns of flax meal to mine. Its a winner.....Family approved!

Camilla

Tuesday 11th of August 2015

That's wonderful, Eileen! Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know :)

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