Keep It Simple Cookies

Keep It Simple Cookies!!

Ingredients

2 large bananas (can be a few days old for easier mashing)

1 cup quick-cooking oats

Mix-ins of your choice (I used dark carob chips and a pinch of cinnamon)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mash the bananas in a medium bowl. Add the oats and whichever mix-ins you choose (I recommend a handful of dark carob chips, crushed walnut pieces, cinnamon or raisins - I chose dark carob chips and cinnamon) and mix.

3. Shape into balls with your hands and place on a baking pan covered with parchment paper (I used parchment instead of greasing the pan). Press down into a disc shape if desired.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes (mine were done after 12).

5. Enjoy!

YIELD: 12-16 cookies 

PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes 

COOKING TIME: 12-15 minutes

You can turn these into Protein bites, by adding protein powder!! Our favorite is RAW PROTEIN from Garden of LIFE. Besides Shakeology, we've never seen anything so nutrient packed, especially in a protein powder. This has organic sprouted quinoa, organic millet sprout, organic flax seed sprout, and so on. Finally a protein powder that is 100% clean and has ing's that are doing amazing things for your body! We had ours shipped from the Vitamin Shoppe online and it came the next day with free shipping. 

I got my Carob Chips at Winco in their bulk section. I know they're also available at Whole Foods and other Health stores.  Unlike chocolate, carob is naturally sweet, low in fat, high in fiber, has calcium, and no caffeine. And because chocolate is linked to migraines and caffeine-sensitivity for some people, carob definitely has its advantages. Carob comes from the pod of a tree that grows along the Mediterranean Sea. The pod contains a sweet, edible pulp. Once dried and roasted, the pulp is ground into a powder called carob flour (but more commonly referred to as "carob powder"). It's similar to cocoa powder in color and can be substituted one-for-one in recipes, but carob is unique with its own special flavor and texture. If you've never tried carob, you're in for a treat. It's sweet, mild and packed with pectin, a soluble fiber. Traditionally, it was used to soothe an upset stomach. The chips are sweeter so you don't need to use as much as you would with regular Hershey's chocolate. 

There's so many options to do with this cookies. I like to add in trail mix and random nuts and seeds. They're so versatile and HEALTHY!