High Protein Pumpkin Seed Banana Cookies (3 Ingredients)
3 Ingredient pumpkin seed banana cookies with 4 grams of protein each! Great for snacks, treats, or breakfast, they are vegan, grain-free, gluten-free & oil-free.
Servings: 12 2-inch (5 cm) cookies
Ingredients
- 140 grams green pumpkin seeds (pepitas) (about 1 full cup)
- 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar see notes for options
- Optional: 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a blender or coffee grinder, grind the pumpkin seeds into a fine flour (see my easy DIY instructions HERE).
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the pumpkin seed flour, coconut sugar and optional salt. Add the banana, stirring until completely blended into dough.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough in mounds, spacing 2 inches apart, on prepared cookie sheet.
- Smooth and flatten the tops of each portion with wet fingertips.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes until golden brown at edges and centers of cookies feel firm to the touch.
- Transfer cookies 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 5 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Coconut Sugar Options: An equal amount of brown sugar, cane sugar, or the granulated sweetener of your choice, can be used in place of the coconut sugar.. The sugar can also be omitted. The cookies will be less sweet, but still delicious.
Banana Tips: In order for this recipe to work well, it is important to (1) use a very ripe banana to create the mash (softer, higher sugar content than less ripe bananas); and (2) very finely mash the banana with a fork so that it is almost liquid (see photo above in the post).
Variation Ideas
Simple Additions: Add 1 teaspoon of lime zest, vanilla extract or almond extract to dough, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, allspice or pumpkin pie spice.
Chocolate Chip: Add 2 to 4 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips to the dough. Alternatively, prepare dough as directed and press the chocolate chips into surfaces of scooped dough.
Sugar Sparkle: Gently roll dough portions into balls. Gently press top of each dough ball in a shallow dish of turbinado (raw) sugar.
Coconut: Gently roll dough portions into balls. Gently press top of each dough ball in a shallow dish of finely chopped unsweetened flake coconut.
Peanut Butter Thumbprints: After scooping dough onto cookie sheet, make a shallow indentation in each dough mound and fill with about 1/4 teaspoon peanut butter (or the nut butter or seed butter of your choice) before baking.
Cinnamon: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the dough along with the banana.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 2mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g