snack — kid-approved

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Shares:0
Soft, healthy banana oatmeal cookies made with Nellie's Free Range Eggs and zero added sugar. Soft, healthy banana oatmeal cookies made with Nellie's Free Range Eggs and zero added sugar.
Shares:0
prep time 25 minutes
cook time 12-14 minutes
yield 22 cookies

Overview

Did you know that as bananas ripen, they get sweeter? So sweet, in fact, that with a handful of ingredients from your pantry, you can turn them into soft, healthy banana oatmeal cookies. That's right! These cookies contain no added sugar, and can easily be made gluten-free since there's no flour required. Pop a few in the kids' lunchboxes, grab one for breakfast, or serve them for dessert; they'll satisfy your sweet tooth any time of day.

BY:Yummy Toddler Food

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2-3 small bananas; see notes)
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large Nellie's Free Range Egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Add mashed bananas to a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine thoroughly.
  • Place batter in the freezer for 15 minutes (set a timer so you don't forget!) and preheat the oven to 375F. Chilling the batter helps it hold together for scooping and portioning.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop and drop tablespoon-size balls of the batter onto the parchment paper. Press slightly to flatten to about 1/2-inch thick.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet.
  • Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge or at room temperature. Alternatively, let cool to room temperature, then freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag.

Nellie’s Notes:

Be sure to use very ripe bananas with a lot of brown spots for the best flavor. These cookies don't have any other added sugar, so it's crucial that the bananas are super sweet!

If you’d like to make these cookies a little sweeter, you can add 2 tablespoons brown sugar to the batter.

If you only have old-fashioned rolled oats, you can grind them briefly in the food processor or blender to make quick oats.

Stir 1/4 cup chocolate chips into the batter if desired, especially if your family likes a little extra sweetness!

To make these cookies gluten-free, simply use certified gluten-free rolled oats.

If you want to add icing, you can drizzle cookies with vanilla yogurt by using a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off as a piping bag.

Back to all recipes
Share:
Print:

Find our free range eggs near you

egg carton egg carton shadow Store Locator
Comments Reviews

Claudia TennysonMay 22, 2023

I added finely ground walnuts ( almost paste) and maple syrup instead of vanilla. Great taste and texture.

Nellie's

This sounds like a great addition to these cookies! Thanks for sharing Claudia! 💜

Dvora HemstreetMay 05, 2023

I made this recipe since it was similar to a 3 ingredient one I know but I wanted them to be a bit more like a cookie. I followed your recipe but added 1/2 c raisins instead of chocolate chips and served at a Chinese potluck dinner. Half the cookies disappeared before we officially opened the table to eat, the rest were gone very quickly and one lady wouldn’t leave me alone until I gave her the recipe, which then was translated into Chinese! Thanks for sharing this! PS - I live in Israel!

Nellie's

Hi Dvora, thank you for sharing this eggcellent story! We're happy to hear that this recipe can be enjoyed around the world!

MaryAugust 31, 2022

Can you used a flaxseed egg instead of a regular egg?

Nellie's

Hi Mary. We haven't tried it ourselves but would love to hear how it goes if you try it!

Susan August 30, 2022

I added butterscotch chips for added flavor.

Nellie's

Sounds delicious, Susan! Thank you for the tip.

Elaine July 08, 2022

I read several recipes & settled on this one. Chocolate chips didn't quite appeal to me. I added some sunflower seeds, ground flax seed & raisins. The raisins really added moisture & flavor !

Nellie's

Hi Elaine! Sounds like a great way to make the recipe your own, we love the idea! Can't wait to hear which recipe you'll try next!

Marie DaviesJanuary 08, 2022

Great recipe, thanks! I added 2 tbsps chocolate chips for sweetness. Will definitely use it again. 😊

Nellie's

Sounds like a great addition to us, Marie! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!

JackieJuly 27, 2021

One of my favourite dessert/snack recipes on my no sugar/flour diet. Big hit with the family, too, and it's made at least once a week :)! Thanks so much!

Nellie's

We're so glad you and your family love these yummy banana oatmeal cookies, Jackie! Thank you for choosing free range!

Anushka SapruJune 07, 2021

Hi! I was wondering how many calories are in these cookies?

Nellie's

Hi Anushka! Many of the wonderful folks who develop our recipes include nutritional information on their blog posts, which you can find by clicking their name under the recipe description. This one in particular unfortunately doesn't include that information, but we recommend using your favorite online nutrition calculator to get a sense of the breakdown. We'll also take your suggestion to heart for future recipes!

Tabitha RobisonOctober 29, 2020

My nieces and nephews but most of all my 2 year old enjoyed them! It's simple and I didn't have to spend a dime we had everything we needed. Thank You hope to see more recipes

Nellie's

Yay! We are so happy to hear these were a win for all, Tabitha! Thanks for trying our recipe.

Stasha JOctober 26, 2020

Ours are cooking right now. I added pumpkin spice and a bit of honey so I wouldn't need to freeze the batter. Can't wait.

Nellie's

Love the seasonal spin you put on this recipe. We can't wait to hear how they came out.

MelissaOctober 19, 2020

I added pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and pumpkin spice baking truffles. Also used one more banana than it called for. Can't wait for them to come out of the oven!

Nellie's

Oooh, sounds delicious! We can only imagine what your kitchen smells like right now. Hope you enjoy!

DulceOctober 17, 2020

These are awesome! I made the oats more fine and added a little brown sugar since we didn't have chocolate chips and they are a hit with my toddler! Any way to get her to eat healthier is a win

Nellie's

That certainly sounds like a win! We are so happy to hear you (and your toddler) enjoy this recipe.

Tammy LeRoyOctober 11, 2020

Made these today and added sugar free chocolate chip. They taste great!

Nellie's

We are so glad you enjoyed them, Tammy! Such a delicious way to get so many nutrients.

Terrie ValenciaOctober 01, 2020

I made the cookies and they were chewy. Are they supposed to be chewy?

Nellie's

Hi Terrie, thanks for trying out this recipe! Yes, these cookies are definitely on the chewy side. Sounds like they came out just as they were supposed to. We hope you enjoyed!

LornaSeptember 30, 2020

I made these and enjoyed them. Wish you could most nutrition information. Thanks

Nellie's

So glad you enjoyed these, Lorna and sorry about that. Our website isn't equipped to host nutrition facts just yet but there's a great free calculator out there that can help you calculate nutritional information for the time being. We recommend this one: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp. Hope this helps!

Ashlie Moore September 30, 2020

These are perfect as is!!! No need to change a thing!!! I did 2 batches one as original recipe and one with mini chocolate chips!! I actually preferred without the chocolate chips!! The no added sugar and the oatmeal makes these a great cheat treat for me with very little guilt!!! And my kids loved them!!!!!!!! Win win!!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!

Nellie's

Yay! So glad these cookies were such a hit for you, Ashlie! We love keeping nourishing treats like these around.

Diana MartinezSeptember 29, 2020

I added a scoop of protein powder and an extra egg white. They are fantastic and now protein based. 😁

Nellie's

Yumm! What a great way to sneak in some extra protein.

Bene’t MooreSeptember 29, 2020

Do you know carb contents in these cookies

Nellie's

Hi there, we haven't calculated nutrition information for this recipe, however there are some great resources out there that can help you in doing so. We recommend using this free calculator: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp. Hope this helps!

DonnaSeptember 28, 2020

These sound amazing and so healthy. Would it still work well if I added chia seeds to the mix?

Nellie's

Hi there! Thanks for the awesome feedback. We haven't tried adding chia seeds as an add-in but you would probably be just fine doing so. We can't wait to hear how they come out!

CheyenneSeptember 27, 2020

What is the nutritional breakdown of these cookies?

Nellie's

Hi Cheyenne, we haven't calculated nutrition facts for this recipe yet but if you're eager to find out, we recommend using this free calculator: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp. Let us know if you would like any help doing so.

lindaSeptember 27, 2020

Can I add oil or butter to make them moist for my pickyfamily?

Nellie's

Hi Linda! In this recipe, the mashed bananas almost act as the oil but you could certainly add a little more oil or some applesauce to get these cookies to your family's liking. Eager to hear how these come out.

RikiSeptember 26, 2020

Is there an alternative for baking powder, or can it be omitted?

Nellie's

Hi there, that's a great question. We wouldn't recommend omitting the baking powder, as it plays a key role in keeping these cookies airy. If you do choose to leave it out, just know the cookies might come out a bit more dense.

RachelSeptember 24, 2020

Added applesauce to help keep them together and moist but mine still came out a little dry for the family’s preference but I didnt mind

Nellie's

Thank you for the great feedback, Rachel. We're sorry these came out a little dry for your family's liking. If you have any left, one thing that could help is to drizzle the cookies with vanilla yogurt upon serving. This acts like frosting and is a great addition.

MindeeSeptember 23, 2020

I made these today, and my kids loved them. I did add about 3 chocolate chips to each cookie. Thanks for a great recipe.

Nellie's

Hi Mindee, We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe and added a sweet surprise!

LaurenSeptember 23, 2020

These sound amazing! Is it possible to make with quick steel cut oats, or are rolled oats required?

Nellie's

Thanks Lauren, we're so happy to hear you're eager to try these cookies! You could absolutely substitute steel cut oats. These tend to just be a bit nuttier than rolled oats, which we think would be delicious in these cookies. Can't wait to hear how you like them!

Shelly September 22, 2020

Can you use regular oats instead of the quick oats?

Nellie's

Hi Shelly, absolutely! Quick oats are essentially roughly chopped whole oats and essentially just cook a little quicker. What you can do to ensure the same results is to quickly pulse your oats in a food processor once or twice to give them a rough chop as well. Enjoy your cookies!

Regina WilsonSeptember 22, 2020

How many calories in each cookie?

Nellie's

Hi Regina, we haven't calculated nutrition facts for this recipe but would recommend using this free calculator: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp. Let us know if you would like any help doing so.

MollySeptember 22, 2020

Do you think they would hold together with some added brewers yeast to make them healthy lactation cookies?

Nellie's

Hi Molly! We haven't tried this out but bet this would work just fine. Please let us know if you end up making these with added brewers yeast. We'd love to hear how they turn out!

AndreaSeptember 03, 2020

I just made these cookies since I had very ripe bananas. I did add the chocolate chips. They are easy and delicious! Thanks!

Nellie's

We're so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Andrea! Definitely a fun way to use up those bananas.

How much did you like this recipe?

Kait

Easy to make and delicious. Added a bit more cinnamon because I love cinnamon. Made half with chocolate chips and highly recommend that! No sugar needed.

Penni

I don’t see calories?