Try This! Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Fake Cookies

I make amazing chocolate chip cookies. Actually, my original recipe for chocolate chip cookies was part of what my husband loved about me when we were first dating. Then after our middle daughter had surgery to repair a broken arm at age 2, a neighbor made an even better chocolate chip cookie recipe, and we had to have it. Those cookies are legendary, and something I make for our close friends to eat the day after an Ironman. I myself can no longer eat them, as one cookie has enough sugar to make my head hurt, and I can never stop at one cookie.

Instead, I have to satisfy my craving for chocolate with something I call fake cookies. This recipe is not original to me, and in my research, does not seem to be original to anyone. It’s been scrawled on the back of napkins, posted all over Facebook in various forms, and shared on countless blogs and Pinterest. I’m sharing how we make the cookies, and obviously you can make substitutions based on what you have on hand. Toss in some raw walnuts or chopped dates to keep it vegan and sweet. No almond milk in your house? Substitute skim milk. My family likes when I add mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, and just that tiny hint of chocolate is enough to make me feel like I’m eating a dessert. I’m not going to lie and tell you these are just like chocolate cookies– they aren’t. What these taste like is a naturally sweet, lightly baked fake cookie. If you are trying to get off of white sugar, it’s a good first step to keep your sweet tooth in check and your processed food intake down.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (optional- I leave it out)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet or use a silicone baking mat (we use a mat).
Mix the mashed bananas and applesauce until combined; add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Let the mixture sit to allow the oats to absorb liquid (I often skip this part as I’m in a rush to eat cookies).
Using two spoons, scoop out mixture and smoosh it down on the cookie sheet- they will not flatten in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown; cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Hint: It takes a while to get used to the texture. Some of my friends find these are too rubbery, but I’m desperate for chocolate so I love them. Also of note- these are kid tested and approved by my oldest, age 11, who begs me to make them.

By: Anne Reed, a local triathlete, wife to an Ironman athlete, mother of 3, and online contributor to Fit Nation online.