Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
These oatmeal cookies are a big favorite around here! They’re perfectly chewy and moist with soft oats and naturally sweet fruit flavor filling every bite. This easy recipe is quick to whip up using wholesome ingredients — and you probably have everything you need to make them in your kitchen already! Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container. They’ll keep for at least a couple of days if stored at room temperature or closer to a week (if not longer!) if stored in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or stick-style vegan butter, melted and cooled slightly (see Notes!)
- 6 tbsp (95g) mashed banana (see Notes!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil or butter, mashed banana, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the oat mixture, and stir until just incorporated. Let the cookie dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet. Flatten to ⅜”-thick using a spatula. Bake at 325°F for 9-12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy.
IMPORTANT BANANA NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For the best results, use very ripe bananas. Ones that are pure brown are ideal! (At the very least, they should be more brown than yellow.) Brown bananas have a sweeter flavor and stronger banana taste than pure yellow ones, and they also yield a more softer and chewy cookie texture.
Measure the banana by grams or tablespoons — not by “1 tiny banana.” Not all tiny bananas are the exact same size, which often affects both the taste and texture of your cookies.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies don’t spread. They’ll look exactly the same before and after baking (just no longer raw!), so it’s important to flatten the cookie dough before baking.
Do not over-bake these cookies! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. The heat from the warm baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest for 10 minutes after pulling the pan from the oven.
OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.
To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours!
COCONUT OIL + VEGAN BUTTER NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: For stick-style vegan butter, I really like this one and this one. (← I was surprised by how well that one melted in the microwave. It didn’t splatter or pop at all like some other brands do!)
Regular unsalted butter may be substituted for the coconut oil or stick-style vegan butter.
Do not substitute additional mashed banana (or applesauce) for the coconut oil or butter. That will give your cookies a more cakey, bready, or dry texture.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Regardless of which you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. If chilled, it will re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil.
I generally don't recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which makes your oatmeal cookies turn out more cakey or bready.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats (like these) and certified gluten-free oat flour (like this). Alternatively, for a non-oat-flour version, use the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
NUT-FREE VERSION: Use stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) or unsalted butter in place of the coconut oil.
DAIRY-FREE, EGG-FREE + VEGAN VERSION: No modifications necessary!
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they’ll keep for a couple of days. If refrigerated, they’ll last closer to a week (if not longer!). Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!
For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page.
{gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, nut-free}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.