2-Ingredient Coconut-Banana Cookies {paleo & vegan}

Crispy-chewy, coconut-banana cookies have just 2 ingredients, can be made from start to finish in 30 minutes, and are sure to please one and all (especially, you!).

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope that you had a good weekend.

I ran a half marathon with my early morning running buddies on Saturday morning, and it was perfect in just about every way: ideal running weather (low 50s, somewhat overcast), cheerful crowd, super sponsors, and lots of friends in attendance. 4 of my 5 running mates ran, and 3 of us got new personal records (whoo-hoo!!!). And, in my book, the one who didn’t get a PR really did because she ran on what was the last day of an intense 3 week cleanse (and still finished within minutes of her usual super-fast time).

I credit my Dad for my fast time; I dedicated the race to him, in honor of Veterans’ Day, and felt him with me (you’ve got this, darlin’!”) the whole way.

(It looks like I’ve had 20 cups of coffee in the pre-race photo; just one, I swear!)

Following a long shower, big breakfast, and a few hours of reading/dozing on the porch, I headed to the kitchen to bake for the week ahead (as well as for afternoon tea + more reading). Included in the mix were these super-easy, delicious and healthy cookies:

This is a follow-up post to my recipe from a few years back for 2-Ingredient Banana-Oat Cookies.  It is one of my most popular posts (easy, delicious, thrifty, vegan, gluten-free), but some of you have written to ask if these could be (1) crispier, and (2) made without grains.

Yes and yes!

Step one: Replace the oats with unsweetened, shredded  coconut.

It is not a measure for measure replacement of coconut for oats–the ratio of coconut to banana is greater in this recipe than oats to banana in the previous recipe.

Additionally, one extra (small) step is required: finely chopping the coconut until it is about the size and texture of panko breadcrumbs:

You can chop the coconut in a food processor, but it can also be done by hand (use a large kitchen knife). I do not recommend using a blender, though; it will over-process the coconut. You’ll end up with baked coconut banana smoothie instead of cookies.

My second trick? Flatten the cookies into circles before baking to promote toasted coconut crispiness. The cookies do not spread on their own, so if you simply scoop and bake, you’ll have a cookie akin to a mounded macaroon. That’s a delicious option, too, but to achieve an even, crisp bake, press out the cookies with moistened fingertips.

I used a small cookie scoop to measure the batter (it’s a 2-teaspoon scoop) and pressed each cookie into a 2-inch rounds. This yields exactly 17 cookies.

And, oh my goodness, what delicious cookies!

If you love toasted coconut as much as I do, you will adore these cookies.

They are:

*grain-free
*gluten-free
*vegan
*Paleo
*oil-free
*nut-free
*refined sugar-free

And they are heavenly with a cup of tea and a good book when you are enjoying a relaxed, weekend afternoon.

Also, how many cookies also qualify as superior exercise recovery fuel? These do! The natural coconut oil in shredded coconut is an excellent source of medium chain triglycerides, which aid in the process of muscle recovery, while bananas are rich in fast-acting carbs and potassium, exactly what your body needs to recover after a bout of intense exercise (half marathons included!).

Happy baking, everyone!

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