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Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies {vegan, oil-free, GF}

Minimalist, yet magnificent, healthy chocolate banana oat cookies! Vegan, gluten-free and oil-free, they are also low in sugar and only 56 calories each.
Healthy chocolate banana oat cookies on a baking sheet

Do you remember chocolate no-bake cookies? I did not have them in childhood, but in graduate school. There, at Indiana University, they were (and still are) a favorite offering at the Sugar & Spice bakery.

Recipes for chocolate no-bakes vary, but most follow this basic format:

  1. Melt peanut butter, margarine, canned evaporated milk, a bit of cocoa powder, and a truckload of white sugar in a saucepan.
  2. Add a few oats to promote solidification of said sugar concoction.
  3. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper to cool.

A Healthy Chocolate Oat Cookie Recipe

I like the combination of chocolate and oats, but decided to make a better option. Namely, a healthier, more-chocolatey cookie with a fraction of the sugar. I like my sweet tooth; I’d rather it not fall out.

They’re my Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies, and they’re pretty great!

What Makes These Cookie So Healthy?

These healthy chocolate lovelies are:

  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free (use certified gluten-free oats, as needed)
  • Oil-free
  • Refined sugar free (sweetened with a banana and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar)
  • Easy
  • Only 56 calories per cookie

healthy chocolate banana oat cookie on a piece of parchment paper

The cookies are not no-bakes; I tried, but each batch produced mounds of oatmeal. Not bad, but also not cookies. I recalibrated and made a baked cookie, instead. It is still very fast and easy and begins much like a non-bake chocolate oat cookie. 

How to Make the Cookies (it’s Easy!)

First, make a chocolate fudge base with the following ingredients:

Mashed (very ripe) banana, water, cocoa powder, coconut sugar (or sweetener of your choice), creamy nut or seed butter (e.g., peanut, cashew, sunflower seed), and optional fine sea salt.

Ingredietns for healthy chocolate banana oat cookies

Make A Fudgy Base

Whisk the ingredients together until they are smooth, and then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, whisking, for 1 minute longer (the mixture will begin to thicken). 
Heated chocolate mixture on a stainless stell saucepan

Add the Oats

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (if using; it adds a big flavor boost, but no worries if you do not have any on hand). Add 1 cup of oats and stir until blended.

I prefer the texture of quick-cooking oats in this recipe, but old-fashioned work perfectly, too. 

Let the Dough Stand for 5 Minutes

Let the oat mixture stand for 5 minutes, to thicken, and then stir in 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Stir vigorously to evenly distribute the baking soda.

Chocolate oat cookie dough in a saucepan

Scoop & Bake

I used my small cookie scoop to create 12 cookies; a small spoon will work, too. Last, I dotted the tops with a few miniature chocolate chips.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 9 to 10 minutes, just until the surface of the cookies appears dry and set. The cookies will look more dry when they first emerge from the oven, but they will take on a warm, slightly glossy hue as they cool.

Hello, delicious.

Each cookie is 56 calories, with only 3.7 grams of sugar–great for snacking, dessert, or even breakfast.

BTW: If you are not a banana fan, or have a banana allergy, don’t worry: I have an applesauce option in the recipe notes. 

Happy baking!

Chocolate banana oat cookies on a plate

Other Easy & Amazing Oat Cookies to Try:

Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}

Yield: 12 cookies

Minimalist, yet magnificent, chocolate banana oat cookies! Healthy, vegan, gluten-free and oil-free, they are also low in sugar and only 56 calories each.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) mashed very ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) water
  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoons (13 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon smooth nut or seed butter (e.g., peanut, almond, sunflower seed)
  • Optional: 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (90 g) rolled oats (certified GF, as needed)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small saucepan, whisk the banana, water, cocoa powder, sugar, nut butter, and (optional) salt until blended. Bring to a low boil, whisking, over medium-high heat; boil 1 minute longer.
  3. Remove pan from heat and stir in (optional) vanilla and oats. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the baking soda until completely blended.
  4. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the dough into 12 equal mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops of cookies with a few chocolate chips.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes until surface of cookies appears dry. Transfer cookies from sheet to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Banana options: Replace the banana with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. The applesauce is less sweet than bananas, so increase the sugar to a total of 2 and 1/2 tablespoons, or to taste.

Sweetener Options: An equal amount of other granular or liquid sweetener can be used in place of the coconut sugar.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving Calories 56Total Fat 1.6gSaturated Fat 0.3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 43mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 1.2gSugar 3.7gProtein 1.6g

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Tuesday 13th of October 2020

[…] Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies {vegan, oil-free, GF} […]

Beth

Wednesday 16th of September 2020

Hi, Can I omit the nut butter completely. I am on a nut free oil free and dairy free food plan. ( to prevent and reverse heart disease) I am always looking for an oatmeal and cocoa powder recipe for a crunchy cookie. Thank you, Beth

Camilla

Friday 18th of September 2020

Hi Beth, I think you can get by with that for this recipe since there is only 1 tablespoon. Perhaps add 1 more tablespoon of mashed banana. These are soft, not crunchy, cookies. It is going to be difficult to create a crunchy oat cookie in the absence of added fat of some kind.

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Thursday 27th of August 2020

[…] Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies […]

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