Banana Coconut Cookies. Vegan. Gluten Free.

Banana Coconut Cookies that are vegan and gluten free.  

Walk this way!  After-school snacking can be so fun and delicious. My kids love after-school treats I whip up – especially after a long day and then practice.  My oldest is gluten and dairy free so that can be quite tricky with cookies or baking for that matter.  Lots of experimenting occurs in my kitchen.  These cookies aren’t overtly sweet – my family is sweet enough without lots of extra refined sugars.  These cookies are reminiscent of a shortbread texture.  Easy to make and bake up nicely.  If you’re looking for a sweeter option – you can always add vegan mini chocolate chips to the batter.  Packable for lunches and a lovely sidekick to your coffee or tea.

*Bowl can be found at Dylan Kendall.

Ingredients:

1 cup of oat flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free oats)
1 cup of coconut flour (you can use any all purpose gluten free flour you have on hand)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil – melted – I love Skinny & Co. coconut oil

3 ripe bananas
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of coconut butter – manna
Optional:  1/4 mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life makes a great vegan chip), 2 tablespoons of toasted coconut flakes

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line your baking sheets with a Silpat liner – set aside.  In your food processor add your oats and blend down to a flour.  Then add your baking soda, powder and salt.  Blend again until incorporated.

In your stand mixer, paddle attached, blend the bananas for 1-2 minutes.  Then add the maple syrup, coconut oil and coconut butter and blend.  Avoid over mixing.  Then add your dry ingredients to the wet.  Blend again until just incorporated.  I used a scoop to measure out the dough per cookie but rolled the dough in my hands.  Pressed them gently down on the cookie sheet, because these don’t grow while cooking.  Bake for 12-16 minutes or until golden just around the edges.  If you want them more crunchy, cook more towards the 15-16 minute mark without burning.   Remove and let cool on the sheet then transfer.

Fitness update… well this week I’ve so far run 22.09 miles.  I’ve lifted two days and I’m feeling slightly more energetic than I did last week. All in time and with my faith in God. My pace running is still around lower 8’s  minute mile and I struggle for my 7’s.  Learning to listen to my body and add to my activities as I can.  I also had a 40k+ step day yesterday with a nice long walk with a good friend.  Staying very active while the kids are at school and working on a fun new adventure for the future.

oxo

 

— Knead to Cook