The Last Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Have a few extra ripe bananas lying around? Transform them into a batch of chocolate chip cookies with the help of just four other ingredients! These cookies double as a healthy afternoon pick-me-up or as an indulgence-free treat for adults, and they freeze well and are a sweet-but-low-sugar treat for kids. They can also be dairy-free and gluten-free.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

COOL TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

SERVES: 20 cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or more if preferred
(Did you know using vanilla sweetens baking recipes and is a great substitute for sugar? Experiment with the amount until you reach a sweetness you love!)

1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup peanut butter or nut butter of choice
(If using nut butter that is looser than regular peanut butter, consider reducing the amount of banana you add to the recipe to keep the batter thick.)

¼ cup chocolate chips

Optional add-ins: raisins, nuts of choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mash the bananas and fold them into the oats, adding your peanut butter or nut butter of choice. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Use a cookie scooper or small spoon to drop the dough on your baking sheet. (They don’t expand much, so you can place them close together!)

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy right away, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for five days, or pop them in the freezer for up to six months!

Recipe adapted from mydarlingvegan.com