Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello!

You know when you get really ambitious at the grocery store, and you convince yourself you will eat these 5 bananas you just picked up in the next 3 days before they go bad? Well one time I found myself with 3 overripe bananas that I didn't want to eat, but I also felt guilty about throwing away. I decided I was going to make banana bread, but I didn't have half of the ingredients. So I took what I did have, threw it together in a bowl, and it actually turned out as a tasty little snack! These are great because there is no added butter or oil, and the only added sugar comes from the chocolate chips! I love making these and having them for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or little a nighttime treat! And, all you need is a bowl, a fork, and a handful of ingredients.

What you'll need:
-3 ripe bananas
-1/4 cup apple sauce
-2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
-1 tsp cinnamon
-vanilla extract
-1 cup (or more if you'd like) of your chocolate chips of choice (I like semi-sweet)

What to do:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees so it will be to temperature when you're done mixing your dough!
2. Peel your bananas, throw them in your bowl, and mash them up with a fork!
3. Add in your apple sauce, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Next, mix in your 2 1/2 cups of oats until it's all evenly combined.
5. After that, mix in your chocolate chips!
6. Lastly scoop them onto your parchment-lined tray with a spoon (about 2 tablespoons of dough) about a half of an inch apart, and stick them in the oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
And that's it! Enjoy!

I store mine in an air-tight container or bag in the fridge, and they're good for up to a week! I like to heat mine up for 10 seconds or so to get the chocolate melty and delicious. If you're not much for chocolate, raisins are also a delicious addition to these cookies, or you can just make them plain banana cookies with some extra cinnamon on top! Also, if you don't happen to have apple sauce, you could always substitute the 1/4 cup of apple sauce for an egg.

What are your favorite healthy treats? I'm always looking for new ones to try!
'til next time,
​Emily B