You won’t believe how delicious these Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies are! Naturally-sweetened, gluten free, and vegan friendly, these Banana Oat Cookies satisfy your sweet tooth but are still make a perfectly healthy, balanced snack. In fact, you can even enjoy these cookies for breakfast!
If you have overripe bananas, these Banana Oat Cookies are the perfect treat to whip up, along with Banana Bread, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, and Banana Oat Pancakes.
Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Say the word cookie, and the inner cookie monster seems to come out in all of us!
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could eat warm cookies out of the oven morning, noon, and night?
I am right there with you! And that is why I know you will love these Banana Oatmeal Cookies, they are healthy enough to even enjoy for breakfast!
These cookies contain no oil, no sugar, no dairy, no nuts, no corn, no gluten, and are made with whole grains and fruit. But do NOT let the list of healthy ingredients scare you off.
These cookies are moist, tender, chewy, and perfectly sweet. And yes, Banana Oat Cookies do not have the traditional buttery richness of a traditional Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie, these healthy cookies certainly satisfy your sweet tooth and are a wholesome treat that kids LOVE!
Notes on Ingredients
Banana Oat Cookies are made with just 5 ingredients. However, I do have a few tips on selecting ingredients and substitutions that can be made.
- Bananas: The riper the banana, the sweeter the cookie! If you happen to have frozen bananas stashed in your freezer, this is a great recipe to use them up. Simply microwave 3 frozen bananas until completely defrosted and mash well (no need to drain off the sweet liquid that may form after heating the bananas.)
- Dates: Whole dried dates have been referred to by my children as God’s Candy. They add just the right of sweetness without adding any sugar to a recipe. You can purchase dried dates online, or at your local grocery store near the dried fruit. Sometimes, grocery stores will have dried dates in the produce section of the store as well. Just be sure to purchase WHOLE DATES as chopped dates have been coated in cornstarch and sugar.
- Applesauce: Be sure to use no sugar added applesauce to keep these cookies refined sugar free.
- Oats: You can use quick cook oats or old fashioned oatmeal for this recipe. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats to make these Gluten Free Banana Oatmeal Cookies
How to Make Banana Oatmeal Cookies
These Banana Oatmeal Cookies are incredibly easy to make, in fact they are one of the first recipes my kids made all on their own.
However, I have a few tips that will help ensure your cookies turn out perfectly.
- Soak your dates. Dates can be a bit hard when taken out of their packaging, but if you soak in hot water they soften up perfectly and are much easier to blend into the cookie batter. I recommend soaking the dates in hot water for at least 10 minutes. If you soak longer than 30 minutes, the soaking liquid becomes sweet and is a fabulous addition to pancake batter, used to sweeten coffee, or oatmeal.
- Process the oats. I recommend adding the oats to the food processor or blender along with the bananas, dates, and applesauce to break down the oats slightly. This helps give these cookies a more cookie like consistency.
- Portion out equal amount of dough. It is important that all of your cookies are the same size, so that they bake evenly. Use either a small cookie scoop or tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out cookie dough using the onto baking sheet. Use your hands to roll into small balls or slightly flatten, if you prefer a flatter cookie.
Notes on Breakfast Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Store Cookies: Once your cookies are baked, cool completely and then place into an airtight container. You can store these Banana Oat Cookies at room temperature for up to 24 hours, after that store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- If you do not have a food processor, chop up the soaked dates, and then mash together with bananas, applesauce, cinnamon and oats. You will have a chunkier, but still delicious Banana Breakfast Cookie.
- If you like, stir in up to 1 cup chocolate chips the cookie batter. My kids LOVE when I do this!
- If you can’t find dates, feel free to use raisins in their place. The cookies won’t be quite as sweet, but still delicious.
- If you are using dates, be sure they have not been coated with sugar. Dates are plenty sweet on their own.
- Reserve the date soaking liquid to add to oatmeal, smoothies, pancake batter, or as a sweetener for coffee.
More Recipes Using Dates
I often find it is more cost effective to purchase a large bag of whole dates, than it is to buying in smaller amounts. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 6-8 weeks once the package has been opened. While perfect in this recipe for Banana Oatmeal Cookies, they are also a fabulous in many other recipes.
Healthy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates
- 3 ripe bananas mashed well
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups oatmeal either quick or old fashioned work in this recipe
Instructions
- Soak dates in 1 cup hot water for at least 10 minutes to soften (and up to 3 hours). Drain dates from soaking liquid.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a food processor, mix together bananas, apple sauce, dates, and cinnamon until well combined. Add in oats and pulse together mixture until just combined.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons unto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from tray and cool completely.
Notes
- If you do not have a food processor, chop up the soaked dates, and then mash together with bananas, applesauce, cinnamon and oats. You will have a chunkier, cookie.
- Be sure to use whole, pitted dates that have ave not been coated with sugar. If you can't find whole dates, raisins will work as well, but the cookies will not be as sweet.
- Feel free to stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips to the prepared cookie dough right before baking.
- You can use quick cook oats or old fashioned oatmeal for this recipe. Just be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need these cookies to be gluten free.
- Banana Breakfast Cookies can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours in an airtight container and up to 5 days refrigerated. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
This post was originally published in August 2017, but has been updated in January 2020 with new tips.
Kristen Chidsey
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I am making these this week. Thinking of adding powdered peanut butter to them. I love PB and banana. Not putting in dates. Wondering how much I should add and how it might effect calories per cookie? Or if you already have a similar recipe?
Hi Karen, if you aren’t using dates, this recipe would work with raisins. But It will not work with these ratios by completely omitting. If you are looking for a more traditional cookie/bar you may want to make my Peanut Butter Banana Bars–they are still a bit healthier, but don’t have dates in them 🙂
Can you please tell me how long these keep and should they be stored at room temperature or fridge.
Thanks in advance
Hi Janelle! Banana Breakfast Cookies can be stored at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container and up to 5 days refrigerated. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Love that there’s no added sweeteners in these cookies! Healthy and delicious!
I am so glad you enjoyed this healthier treat Taylor!
Oh we are a banana loving family and these will surely be loved by all!
LOVE these cookies! They taste great and they’re healthy! You can’t beat that!!
We love healthy, easy snacks too!
This was the perfect after school snack! So easy too!
My kids LOVE these as after school snacks as well Ashley!
My kids would really enjoy these cookies, loaded with stuff they love!
My kids adore these and I hope your children will love them too!
my kids are the same way, say cookie and they will most likely eat it! these look delicious
Gotta love kids mentality 🙂
This is great simple and healthy cookies! Cookie monster will surely love this!
He sure does 😉
Love the simplicity of this recipe. Perfect for kids!
Thanks Nicole. Sometimes simple is best!
I need these healthy cookies in my life! These look terrific!!!
Thanks Liz–they are so tasty!
i’d love to make these with my daughter. She would love them
They are fun to make with kids for sure, Nicole!
Love these!
Yea!!!