Superfood Coconut Banana Cookies

When it comes to my personal dessert hierarchy, I'll admit that moist chocolate cake and chewy brownies held the throne for years. Why settled for a cookie when I could put chocolate chips in a cake?

But, one night months ago, I ended up in the kitchen with too many spotty bananas, too little time, and too big a chocolate craving to ignore. Which is where Blogilate's recipe for paleo, vegan and relatively healthy cookies came into play. And landed in a permanent spot in my weekly meal plan.

By the original recipe, these cookies are low in calories (only about 15 per cookie!), high in fiber and sugar free. And, as quickly as the traditional version disappeared, my cookies with a super food twist should be on the endangered species list! 

To get started, gather a few simple ingredients:

1 ripe banana, mashed with a fork

1/4 cup of coconut flour

1/2 cup of milk (I use unsweetened rice milk)

1/4 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp maca powder (optional) 

1 TBSP chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life!)

1 heaping TBSP of cacao nibs 

The ingredients of choice!

Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, add the banana to a mixing bowl, mashing it with your spoon. Once it has been broken down into a loose puree, pause to chop the chocolate chips into your desired size of chunks.

Next, add the rest of the ingredients and stir thoroughly. One of the best parts about baking vegan cookies? You can taste test the batter without any guilt! The mix should reach a wet consistency and a sweet but mild flavor, so feel free to add more spices and milk as needed. 

A graceful mixing...

And don't be afraid to experiment with even more add-ins. I've thrown in mashed strawberries, broken up banana chips, pumpkin spice, nutmeg and cacao powder - all with equally delicious results!

After the mix is ready, start plopping your to-be cookies on a baking tray, pressing down gently on the centers with a fork. I usually make my cookies the size of a large half-dollar, which gives me crispy edges and gooey centers. (And it means I can eat five cookies in one sitting and still have a happy belly!) 

My kind of cookies!

Once all the dough is rolled out, pop the tray in the oven and wait for your house to start smelling like Christmas time! Because I like a crisper cookie, I usually bake mine for 40 minutes, turning the tray half way. When the edges start browning, I know the cookies are ready for eating! 

For the tastiest treats, let them cool on the counter for at least an hour before storing them in the fridge. This prevents the cookies from crumbling and keeps them fresh. For whatever short time they last anyway. 

All the beloved cookie creations!

As for how to enjoy these beauties, it's hard to do any wrong. Besides eating them straight as snacks, I love crumbling mine in yogurt and berry parfaits or on top of my smoothie bowl. The chewy cookie combined with creamy smoothie and crunchy homemade granola truly is the best way to spend every breakfast! 

Growing up always involves changing - whether it's hobbies, hair style or favorite type of dessert. For this college celiac, though, these versatile cookies have more than earned the right to my taste buds' throne! 

*Also found at RunningwithSpoon's link love!*

What is your favorite kind of dessert? What would you try adding to these cookies? Comment below!