No-Bake Cookies
August 24, 2011 at 7:30 am 7 comments
I have a love/hate relationship with bananas. I never ate them growing up, despising their texture and judging their affinity towards getting brown and spotty way too quickly. I didn’t eat bananas until I spent one summer working as a nanny. My friend’s daughter loved them, and I would dutifully slice one up each afternoon we spent together. On the afternoons when she didn’t want the rest, I took to nabbing a slice or two. I found out that I really liked the taste, and the slices helped me to get over the texture! Next thing I knew, I was buying bananas for myself and finding out new ways to enjoy this good-for-you fruit. I still doubt I will ever be one to snack on them, and am still weary of the spotty ones. No need to let them go to waste though… (or have endless loaves of banana bread!) There are plenty of other ways to use ’em up: smoothies, oatmeal, pancakes, monkey bites, and introducing no-bake cookies!
This recipe was inspired by another one of Chocolate Covered Katie’s creations. I have had great success with her Samoas Babies, and with her Chickpea Blondies. I love her dessert recipes because they are healthy and fun, and usually simple to make. She has turned me onto using bananas as a natural source of sweetness, allowing delicious baked goods to be a lot lower in added sugar without being short on taste! These bites are perfect for hot summer evenings, afternoon snacks, or even a morning pick-me up. Super simple to make, healthy (protein packed, filled with fiber, no sugar added, vegan) and fun to eat… what’s not to love!
Question: What is a food you have recently learned to like?
No-Bake Peanut Butter Banana Bites
adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie, makes 14 small cookies
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup oat bran
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 banana, mashed
Mix together all ingredients. Roll into bite-sized cookies and place on a sheet in the freezer. After two hours, transfer to a sealed container for storage.
NOTE: If your teeth don’t love frozen foods, microwave these treats for 15-20 seconds to turn them into cookie balls!
Entry filed under: Recipes. Tags: banana, cookies, dessert, easy, fiber, healthy, no-bake, oatmeal, oats, peanut butter, protein, sugar-free, vegan.
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homemadeadventure 
1. Amanda (Adele) Delsohn | August 24, 2011 at 1:30 pm
These look so good! I think I’ll make them tonight :)
2. jenlenew | August 24, 2011 at 4:38 pm
And so easy! :)
3. Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide | August 24, 2011 at 9:43 pm
very impressive. I love the way they look and want one, and I don’t even like bananas!
4. jenlenew | August 25, 2011 at 8:36 am
they seem to be such a controversial fruit!
5. Erin | August 25, 2011 at 1:17 am
This is great. I live in China and don’t have an oven so I’m looking forward to making these. However, bran is neither abundant here nor cheap, so is there anything I could substitute for the oat bran??
6. jenlenew | August 25, 2011 at 8:37 am
you could just use all oatmeal instead of half oats and half bran. you may want to use a little less than a full 2/3 cup though so that they stay moist!
7. jenlenew | August 25, 2011 at 9:48 am
You could also make your own oat bran by processing some oatmeal in the food processor for 20 seconds or so, if you have that tool available!