This recipe for oatmeal banana breakfast cookies makes a healthy grab-and-go breakfast or a quick snack at any time of day. Vegan, dairy and gluten-free.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Position rack in the center.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the all the dry ingredients. Whisk together. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, incorporate the mashed bananas with the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.
Fold in the chocolate chips, cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
With a medium-sized scooper (about 1 tablespoon), scoop out dough and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
With the back end of a fork, press down gently atop each cookie.
Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges.
Allow cooling in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool down completely.
Notes
Soaking the cranberries before baking will prevent them from absorbing moisture from the rest of the ingredients. Their texture also remains soft and chewy.
If you've never worked with coconut oil before, its consistency may surprise you. This oil is generally solid at room temperature! It can quickly be melted in a microwave at 30-second intervals until liquid.
Quick oats vs old fashioned oats:Old fashioned oats are the best choice for this recipe. They hold their shape during baking and provide a final product with a pleasant texture that has the right amount of chew. Although the two types of oats can be interchangeably used, it is important to consider the main difference between them. Quick-cooking oats cook faster and have a softer texture when compared to old-fashioned varieties. The latter offers a cookie that spreads out less. Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. *Adapted from 101 cookbooks