Healthy Banana, Oat and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am currently living down in the south of France as I am doing a French and Wine course! Our cooking facilities are not terribly fantastic so I haven't been able to do much baking, but I eventually got around to making some 'cookies' this afternoon. They are not your typical cookie, as they are healthy! I originally saw the recipe on Blogilates website but I wanted to make my own version using some chocolate chips. 

They are ridiculously easy to make and only have around 50 calories per cookie (depending on what size you make them!). The other upside to these cookies are that there are only 3 ingredients needed- and they're the kind of ingredients that one always has lurking in the cupboard. They have a soft texture with a slightly crisp outside, and the chocolate chips are perfect with the banana flavour - give them a go! 

Recipe: (makes 16)

- 1 cup of Oats

- 2 very ripe Bananas

- Good handful of Chocolate chips ( I used dark)

- Handful of Raisins (optional)

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 200c and line and grease a baking tray.

- Firstly mash the bananas until they are almost a liquid consistency. Then add the Oats, Chocolate chips and raisins if using. 

-  Mix throughly until combined and then using a spoon, dollop the mixture on to the making tray. Then bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, but keep an eye on them to check they dont burn around the edges. When ready they should have a golden top.

- Leave to cook and then enjoy with some tea for a healthy treat! 

Cookies ready to go in the oven!

Close up!

xXx

Healthy Date, Almond and Oat Cookies

I love making/ baking anything that is healthy, so I was really excited to come across a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe that used Coconut oil as the fat source. I took parts of this recipe and adapted it to include oats and dates, and it worked really well! The result was a soft in the middle, yet slightly chewy around the edge cookie and they were so good they didn't last long enough to make it in to a tupperware box! 

So have a go at making these cookies, they are very delicious, easy to make and also Vegan which is a plus! 

Recipe: (makes 12-14)

- 180g (2 cups) Almond flour

- 90g (1 cup) Oats

- About 16 small Dates, chopped

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp baking powder

- 55g (1/4 cup) Coconut oil, melted

- 2 tbsp Honey

- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract

To make: 

- Preheat the oven to 200c and grease and line a baking tray. Melt the coconut oil- I find this easiest done in a little bowl in the microwave.

- Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, and then add the wet ingredients and mix. The mixture will be quite crumbly, but If you feel it is too crumbly then add more coconut oil or even a little milk might work to bind it together. 

- Then wrap the dough in some cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 20-30 mins just to cool down.

- Take the dough and roll in to balls and place on to the baking tray. Then squash down the balls to make in to a cookie shape. 

- Bake for about 7-9 minutes, but keep an eye on them as they will brown around the edges quickly. Take them out when they are lightly browned on top and underneath. 

- Allow them to cool on a wire rack before eating them as they will be quite crumbly when still warm.

- Then enjoy!! 


Photo how to:

Chopping the dates in to small, rough chunks

The dough resting in cling film

The balls of dough squashed in to cookie shape

The cookies ready for baking 

The cookies cooling on the wire rack and looking delicious! 

Enjoy!!

xXx

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I absolutely LOVE peanut butter! So when I came across this recipe on Averie Cooks website, I knew they had to be made!

 I then took them with me to my friend Ginny's BBQ, and they certainly went down well. They are so easy to make, have a wonderful soft and chewy consistency and are also gluten free which is always a plus! 

Recipe: (makes 12 medium sized cookies)

- 1 cup of peanut butter

- 1 cup of light brown sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 tbsp vanilla extract

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 50g dark chocolate, chopped in to chunks (can use milk/white also)

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 180c, and line and grease 2 baking trays.

- Measure out and then put all of the ingredients, apart from the chocolate chunks, in to a large bowl and stir vigourously (as the mix will be quite stiff) until combined. Then add the chocolate chunks and stir them in.

- Put the mixture on to the baking trays, making 12 blobs of the mixture. Space them evenly apart as they spread when they are in the oven. Bake for about 8 minutes, but keep an eye on them as they can over bake very quickly. 

- Take them out of the oven when they are golden brown on top, they will still be slightly squidgey. Let them cool on a wire rack and then tuck in! 

Note: They are best enjoyed on the day you baked them, as they tend to get a little chewy overnight. But they could probably be refreshed by popping them in the oven for a few minutes.

Photo how to:

I used Waitrose smooth peanut butter

All the ingredients in the bowl before mixing

After mixing- it is quite a stiff mixture

The mixture spaced out on a lined baking tray

And the finished cookies! Yummy!

xXx