Banana Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Soft, healthy banana oatmeal cookies made with just 4 ingredients. Naturally sweet, gluten-free, and perfect for snacks, breakfast, or meal prep. No sugar or flour!
Servings: 14 cookies
Ingredients
- 3 overripe bananas mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or almond extract, adjust amount to taste preference
- 1 ½-2 cups quick-cooking oats
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional but recommended for warmth
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips peanut butter chips, chopped dried fruit, chopped nuts, or a mixture of the mix-ins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment for easy release.
- Mash the bananas. Place the bananas in a medium bowl and mash until mostly smooth with a few small chunks. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and softer your cookies will be.
- Mix the dough. Add vanilla, oats, salt, and cinnamon (if using). Stir until the oats absorb the banana and the mixture looks thick and cohesive (add a little more oats if needed). Fold in your chosen mix-ins. Let the dough rest 5 minutes before scooping, this helps the oats hydrate for better texture.
- Scoop the cookies. Scoop with a small cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon-sized mounds onto the baking sheet these cookies will keep their mound/dome shape.
- Bake. Bake 12–15 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges and set in the center.
- Cool & enjoy. Rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack. Enjoy warm or fully cooled.
Notes
Top Tips from Elena
- Use deeply spotted bananas. Pale yellow bananas will make the dough dry and less sweet.
- Let the dough rest 5 minutes before scooping—this helps the oats hydrate for better texture.
- Flatten the cookies. They won’t spread on their own.
- For firmer cookies: bake closer to 15 minutes.
- For softer cookies: bake 11–12 minutes.
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: Keeps well up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 10 seconds.
Nutrition
Serving: 16g | Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
