THIS WAS OPRAH’S IDEA, these super simple snacks. In a recent issue of O magazine, the one I read cover to cover with so much longing for the actual Oprah show that I practically ate every page–Oprah! Where are you? Now that I am finally, for the first time in my life, actually at home every day at 4pm…you’re gone?–I found this recipe. I know, the show’s been off the air for some time now but it still hurts. Sniff.
Anyway, pulling myself together long enough to tell you about these banana oat bites because we made them as a snack for Phoebe’s preschool class today and this is major: it’s the first time ever that our snack container has come home completely empty.
Her teacher even reported a number of kids who aren’t typically into trying new foods devouring them on the spot. A hit, I say and a sugar-free one at that. (And there’s more where these came from. From muffins, to smoothies and more, we’ve got dozens of low-sugar snack ideas right here.)
The only ingredients you need are ripe bananas (notice the brown spots, must-have for flavor and sweetness) and old-fashioned oats.
Then you can add whatever you want.
We used chia seeds one day because the preschool is a nut-free zone. But with another bunch of bananas aging on my counter, and two toddlers who are steamed because they didn’t get a single cookie, we made another batch and added pecans to the simple mix. I think Oprah would approve.
p.s. Phoebe told her class about our new rating system, “Thumbs Up”, “Thumbs in the Middle” or “Thumbs Down”, and everyone at her table gave these a Thumbs Up!
2-ingredient banana bites (and neither one is sugar)
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- optional: 1/4 cup of any of these: dried cranberries, walnuts, peanut butter, raisins or chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet with a non-stick silicone liner or parchment paper.
- Mash the bananas with a fork, add the oats plus other add-ins and stir. Once it’s all incorporated, drop 1 1/2 inch balls on the baking sheet and press down (like peanut butter cookies but without the fork). They won’t rise or change shape in the oven so make them the size and shape you want now. About 2 inches across works best. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.
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I just made a half batch, because I only had one banana, and added a tablespoon of peanut butter. They were very good! I’m hoping the girls will eat them for breakfast. I need to get some chia seeds. I’ve never tried them.
That’s great, Romy! I can’t wait to make more here this weekend. Let us know how the girls like them for breakfast. Phoebe’s teacher said she wanted to make some for her own kids to eat on the way to school. Like oatmeal on the go!
LOVE! Looking for new finger foods for my 1 year old every day.
My son didn’t want breakfast today, so I said let’s make cookies instead! He loved that idea, and this is what we made. We used a couple frozen bananas from the freezer, some chia seeds, peanut butter and oats (all organic) and he loved them. What a great and healthy breakfast as a special treat! Thanks for this great recipe.
Love the peanut butter idea, Jenn! So glad these worked out for you guys. We did a no-bake version today that I’ll post soon. Even easier and with a few chocolate chips thrown in, pretty addictive. 🙂
Just made these! Used chopped dates as our mix-in and added a pinch of salt to compliment the sweetness. Yum!
That’s great, Maureen! Dates are so hard to come by in my neck of the woods for some reason, so I’m glad they worked so well for you guys. We’re usually prune people instead. And the salt is so smart, I’ll bet they were perfect. Thanks for letting us know!
Charity – do you think this would work with applesauce instead of banana? My kids are banana addicts and they love these cookies, but I’m trying to broaden their horizons a bit and not give them everything banana (though they would gladly eat bananas 3 times a day).
Hmm, I’m not sure. You could certainly try. They would work very well with peanut butter though, and you don’t even have to bake the cookies. I have a new post coming out next week but think I can do a sneak peek here (if I’m not too technically challenged.) 🙂 Very similar idea, and I think even tastier.
Do you need to soak the chia seeds so they become more gelatinous or just use them dry right out of the bag?
Hi Star, no you don’t need to soak the chia seeds. I just added them right in.
I made these at the weekend and they didn’t turn out great. I think I made them far too thick and they were very chewy in the middle.
Looking at your pictures yours are quite thin so I think I’ll do that next time 🙂 It usually takes me 2 or 3 goes at a recipe before I get it right!
Sorry about that, Adam! You can even squish them down a bit with your fingers or a fork, like peanut butter cookies. There’s no butter or anything so they won’t change shape in the oven. Try again, they’re really quite tasty!
Hi!
I have always been told that any question is a good question, so after I bake the banana,oatmeal cookies should they be kept in the fridge? Looking forward to trying this recipe! Thank you!!
Hi Franceine! Yes of course you can ask any question here any time. I keep these in the fridge and will update the recipe with that info right now. Thanks for asking, I’m sure others wondered too.
How long do you bake them? Probably could have baked them more. I did not like with peanut butter but with cranberries is good so far.
Hi Kathy! Bake them for 12 minutes. I like the cranberries too.
I was wondering if you ever tried this with quick oats?
Hi Melissa! I haven’t and I suspect that they MIGHT be a little mushy but you could certainly give it a try. It’s a pretty low risk proposal since you’re really just mashing up bananas and oats. If you do try it, let us know how it goes!
Thank you for sharing this! I just made it for my 16 month son. I tried one and they are tasty, especially for just bananas, oats and chia seeds!. It was also very quick and easy to make. I made 16 small “cookies” and did it for 14 minutes just in case so they wouldn’t be mushy. I think 12 minutes would have been fine. Now let’s see how my son likes them! 🙂
Good luck, Christine! These are an easy snack my four-year-old asks to make all the time. Hopefully your little guy will do the same.
I am not a “little person”, but am a chemo patient without an appetite. My son-in-law told me about these cookies . I tried them and found them to be a great breakfast. I added my fiber powder and mini chocolate chips. Enjoyed them with a spoonful of yogurt and fruit on the side.
Hi Fran! So happy to hear from you and love that this recipe worked out for you. Good luck with your recovery!
I made these cookies and they ended up being disgusting for everyone who tried them. I used two overripe bananas, rolled oats and some peanut butter. I baked them for 15 minutes and they were sort of a mushy disgusting texture and didn’t taste great either. what did I do wrong? any ideas? are they supposed to be hard/crunchy?
Hi MK. That doesn’t sound great at all! Ours were never mushy, nor any other disappointing consistency. They’re chewy, not crunchy or hard. I wonder about the size of your cookies. We made ours pretty small, about 2 inches across. I rolled them into balls first then flattened them out, like you do with peanut butter cookies. Sorry they didn’t work out for you but I hope you’ll try them again. They’re truly one of our favorites to both make and eat around here.
Looks good going to try them this evening
Hope you enjoy them, Brian! They’ve got more of a banana bread feel to them than a crispy cookie–and our kids gobble them up every time.
Thanks for the recipe and fresh inspiration.
I cook with elementary children after school.
I am always looking for new ideas.
These cookies are simple, economical, fun and deliciously healthy!
I added a 1/4 of raisins to a 1/2 recipe because I only had one ripe banana.
It is perfect for the last 1 or 2 really ripe bananas in a bunch.
I’ll let you know what the kids think tomorrow!
Susan
Great easy recipe. I even grated a bit of carrot and courgette and hid them in there!
Sounds great, Laura!