Banana Coconut Cookies: A Simple, Healthy Cookie Recipe
Healthy cookies can taste great — with as few as two ingredients! Can you believe it? I wanted to create a healthy treat with no refined sugar but great flavor, so I experimented. This banana coconut cookie recipe is the result. Each cookie has only 7g of sugar, including the chocolate topping.
You can whip up a batch of these as a simple, energizing snack anytime. They are great for kids, too.
What should I eat if I crave cookies?
The struggle is real. I adore a fully loaded cowboy cookie or crispy chocolate chip cookie, and I don’t completely deprive myself. But I do need options for when I’m cutting back on sugar and calories. One of the problems with refined sugar is that large quantities of it make us crave even more sugar. That is why it’s best to think small and stick to around 150 calories or less for a sugary treat.
Another answer for me is healthy cookies that combine natural sweetness (and sometimes a bit of chocolate!) with whole-food fiber and nutrition. Bananas and coconut flakes fit the bill perfectly. Here is how to make them into cookies. I know it sounds crazy, but the baking of just two simple ingredients makes a sweet treat as good as those less-healthy cookies. And the prep could not be simpler.
How to Make Banana Coconut Cookies
This healthy cookie “dough” doesn’t contain the standard mixture of wet ingredients and dry ingredients. If you eat gluten-free or vegan, you don’t have to worry about substituting flour or other undesired ingredients.
- Bananas: Make sure the bananas are ripe to get the best texture and sufficient sweetness.
- Coconut: The coconut flakes help add shape to create a dough ball. To cut back on sugar, you can use unsweetened coconut. 1/4 cup seeds or nuts also could be added to the banana coconut mixture.
- Optional Toppings: Melted dark chocolate and toasted nuts are my favorite toppings to add to the baked cookies. I’ve included them in the recipe below. Other possibilities include a drizzle of honey or pure maple syrup if you don’t mind the added sugar content. You also could use a nut butter like cashew or almond butter or a seed butter like sunflower or sesame butter to top the cookies if desired.
Banana Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 cups coconut flakes sweetened or unsweetened
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
- 1 tablespoon butter to melt with the chocolate optional
- ¼ cup toasted almond slivers or walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Add the coconut flakes and stir until combined.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, scoop 15 spoonsful of batter. Press each gently to form the cookie. If you are adding a chocolate topping after baking, press an indentation in the cookies with the back of a spoon. Bake cookies in the oven for about 12 to 14 minutes.
- To make the chocolate topping, melt chocolate chips and butter in a separate bowl in the microwave or in a double boiler on top of the stove. Mix the chips and butter until smooth.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and spoon the chocolate mixture into the indention or just drizzle the chocolate mixture over the top of the cookies. If using almonds, place them over the top of the cookies before the chocolate sets.
