Who doesn’t love a treat you can feel good about?
These little cookies bridge the gap between a snack and a dessert in the best sort of way. They’re gluten-free, lightly sweetened with maple syrup and banana and oil-free.
Like many healthy-ish snacks, the base is rolled oats, which are full of gut-friendly soluble fibre and add texture to the cookies. Where these cookies are different from the rest is in the mix-ins. I use tahini instead of peanut or almond butter here, an underrated ingredient for sweet recipes, as well as chopped walnuts, caramel-y medjool dates, shredded coconut and dark chocolate. A hit of cardamom adds to the middle-eastern flavour profile and makes these extra-special.
I’ve made these at least three times since developing this recipe which I think is a testament to how good they are. Plus, they’re a perfect way to use up that last, browning banana. I hope they’re a hit in your house too :).
Banana-Tahini Cookies
makes 8-10 cookies
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup walnut or pecan halves, roughly chopped or broken into pieces
2 large medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3 tbsp of chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 large egg
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, salt, baking soda, spices, shredded coconut and walnuts. Stir to combine.
In a large measuring cup or bowl, mash the banana, then add in the egg, tahini and maple syrup and whisk together until well combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and dates. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes so that it can firm up. This is not completely necessary but will help the cookies hold together when portioning them out.
After the batter has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, divide the batter into 10 cookies. Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes until firm and edges are beginning to crisp. Allow to rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet , then remove and place on a cooling rack until cool. Store cool cookies in a airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to one week.