One-Bowl Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies

My mom is a child of the 60s. This means I grew up eating health food before it was cool, and that was the only option. Eating anything other than Adams All-Natural Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter was laughable. The sugariest cereal I got was Raisin Bran. Once in a blue moon, I got a Lunchable.

Of course, growing up in the 90s meant a plethora of the unbelievable food inventions hitting the shelf: purple ketchup, S’mores-filled cereals, smiley face fries, Gushers (my holy grail of unattainable snack foods)… the list is nearly endless.

And let us not forget the pinnacle of ridiculous American food: Cookie Crisp cereal. Literally, just tiny chocolate chip cookies that the food industry expected people to feed their child for breakfast. Obviously, it never even occurred to me to ask my mom to buy such a verboten item. But when that weird wolf cartoon character howled “cooookie crisp” during Saturday morning cartoons, I turned green with envy.

Now I’m grown up (haha jk, I’m 24) and the idea of eating that much sugar for breakfast makes me instantly nauseated. Enter these deceptively delicious vegan breakfast cookies. That’s right: cookies for breakfast, SO THERE MOM. Except my version is super low in sugar, super high in fiber and lots of other good stuff. Bonus: minimal dishwashing. Double bonus: they taste like banana bread but without the work.

#SpoonTip: Try a cookie sandwich with almond butter and banana or apple slices.

Vegan Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 18 minutesTotal time: 25 minutesServings:12 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium bananas, mashed
• 3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cup rolled oats
• 3 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pinch cloves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or baking mat.

2. 
   

   In a large bowl, combine the mashed banana, applesauce, oats and pecans. Mix well to combine.

3. 
   

   Add the maple syrup and the spices. Mix again, making sure all the ingredients are incorporated.

4. 
   

   Drop cookies onto baking mat, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each cookie. You can place them relatively close together as they don’t spread.

5. 
   

   Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until firm but springy to the touch, rotating halfway through. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.