It is no secret that I looooove me some cookies.
In fact, Eric calls me the vegan cookie monster.
Almost every night after dinner I take a couple cookies out of the freezer while Eric boils some water in the kettle. We enjoy a cookie with our piping hot tea and we catch up. This has become a nightly ritual as the weather gets chilly and we resist every urge to crank up the heat. Our NCIS-a-thons now require a couple extra blankets and a furball who is content to sleep at my feet.
Or in a box…
I’m not just any cookie monster though, I like delicious and wholesome cookies. [Eric always did say I have high expectations…]
Glancing at my recipes page, I have made plenty of healthy cookies over the past two years, such as…
- The Ultimate Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (top left)
- Pumpkin Pie Banana Chunk Cookies (top right)
- Banana Apricot Spelt Oatmeal Cookies (bottom left)
- Raw Energy Cookie Bites (bottom right)
All delicious, all wholesome.
Last night, I whipped up a healthy cookie recipe from 101 Cookbooks that I have been meaning to try for a while.
I will not rest until I have made every healthy cookie alive! muhauha.
Healthy Cookie Bites
These bite-sized cookies do not contain any added sugar, dairy, flour, or eggs. Because they are not overly sweet, they make a wonderful everyday cookie and pair well with almond milk, tea, or hot cocoa. No sugar crashes here!
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 large, ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, warm (or olive oil)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
- 3 tbsp coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped
Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl mash the bananas, and then mash in the vanilla and softened coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, chocolate, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. The dough is very loose and does not hold together well, but don’t worry about that. I took a couple tsp of the dough in my hand and gently formed a ball and squeezed it together as much as I could. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes until bottoms are golden. Let cool for about 20 minutes to set. Makes about 17 bite-sized cookies.
Nutritional info: (Approx. per bite, makes 17 bites): 59 kcals, 2.8 grams fat, 1 gram protein, 2 grams sugar, 1 gram fibre.
Gather up the beautiful, wholesome ingredients…
Bonus points for spotty bananas!
First, mash up the bananas with the softened coconut oil and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients.
Add dry to wet or wet to dry. It really makes no difference here.
Mix.
After mixing, you will notice that the mixture does not stick together like traditional cookie dough.
Fear not!
For You, are a baking goddess.
I took a couple teaspoons of the oat mixture and gently pressed it into a ball with my fingers. The oat mixture falls apart a bit, but all will work out in the end.
I made 17 cookie bites.
Bake for about 14 mins. at 350F. The bottoms will be slightly golden brown.
Let them cool for about 20 mins. so the cookies can firm up a bit. These are delicate bites!
They are irresistibly cute.
At first taste, I wasn’t sure if I loved the cookies, but they grew on me after I got used to the subtle sweetness. The chunks of chocolate are key in this recipe and add a little oomph. After my second bite, I was hooked and really appreciated that they were more of a snack cookie and not a dessert cookie.
I say, there are times for snack cookies and there are times for dessert cookies.
When I told Eric I made cookies ‘without sugar’, he said, ‘That is disturbing.’
After trying them, he said they were ‘good, but could be a bit sweeter’.
While I agree that they aren’t your typical sweet cookie, I think they serve the purpose of an everyday, healthy cookie. For that reason, I wouldn’t change them too much! if you can appreciate a wholesome taste, you will enjoy these bites a lot. :)
After I enjoyed a few, I popped these into the freezer for quick snacks during the week.
By the way, they are fun vehicles for nut butter hats too!
Do you have any ‘go-to’ cookie recipes that you make time and time again or do you tend to try something new each time?
I tend to try a new recipe each time, mostly for the sake of new blog content. ;) But, I often look at recipes in my archives and I always find myself saying, ‘It has been way too long!’
The convenient sizes of these cookies make them very snacker-friendly! I like how you differentiated them as a “snack cookie” versus a “dessert cookie.” Love the fusion of granola bar ingredients in a bite-size cookie presentation!
I loved this recipe at first sight! I made it but substituted dried cranberries for the chocolate to add tangy-ness. It is soooooooo good. I would just eat the dough by itself. A great start to my vegan baking phase.
Hi Angela,
Here is a funny question for you… I absolutely can’t stand the taste of bananas (poor me I know!)… Is the banana flavor really noticeable in these? If so- would it be possible to sub for apple sauce?
Thanks :)
Hey Amanda, It’s been a while since I made these so I really can’t remember how much banana flavour is in them. Sorry about that! I think it would certainly come through since it’s the only sweetener..? As for subbig with applesauce, you might be able to sub half of the banana. I tihnk the banana also has some binding powers in these cookies – they are a bit delicate. Maybe some flax added in would help? Let me know if you end up trying anything!
Another wonderful recipe! I’m now definitely a fan of your blog :)
For those interested, I replaced the almond meal by pumpkin seed protein powder and it came out wonderful!
Let me start off by saying that I love everything about this recipe. I’ve only made it about a half dozen times but I’ve done a lot of different things with it. I’ve used chocolate, dried cranberries, pecans, and most recently, vegan butterscotch chips! The butterscotch chips gave the cookies a kind of bananas foster flavor that I love. Thank you for this perfect base recipe for any flavor!
–15 year old baking goddess
Hi Jo, So glad to hear you love this recipe so much! Thanks for your feedback :)
Just made this tonight and they are really good :) I have eaten healthy for awhile now but decided to ramp it up a bit more and make more foods at home. This is perfect with tea at night. Thanks so much!!
I just made these for my lab mates! I couldn’t resist and had to have one! They were delish. The ingredients make them super unique yet not too sweet but very tasty. I used grounded cashews instead of almonds and it worked out perfectly.
LOVE this recipe! Was looking around for something quick and easy that would make a perfect breakfast and this is it! I went ahead and added some chia seeds, walnuts, pb 2, flaxseed meal and cocoa powder for a little extra nutrition. Definitely a new favorite!
I’ve been making this recipe from 101 Cookbooks for about a year now… Originally it was a good way to use up spotty bananas and the almond meal I strain out of my homemade almond milk. Then I discovered they were a really simple no-sugar-added snack I could pack along for my toddler. I just sub the chocolate chips with raisins for her (still put chocolate in the cookie bites for the adults :) ). Sometimes I remember to add some chia seed for extra crunch and the Omega 3’s. My toddler loves these treats, and so do we!
I’m glad the cookie bites are a hit, Charlotte! I love how versatile they are.
Hi,
I’ve been making your peanut butter dough bites for years now. I often use almond butter, and it’s the go to snack for ski days. I stick them in my ski jacket and it’s a great little snack when it’s too early for lunch and tummies are rumbling. The kids love them. My only complaint about your book is that it’s falling apart. Despite all the scotch tape.
Thanks,
N.
Hey Nancy, I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe so much. I often make the dough bites for the road and outdoors too! Sorry to hear about your book falling apart. I would try contacting the retailer you bought it from as they will often offer a replacement copy. :)
I always go back to this recipe- it’s the best! It’s a great go-to when you want a healthy snack/dessert. I leave them in the freezer too (so I don’t eat them all in one night). Thank you for all your great recipes.