A Mother’s Day Treat: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

When offering a recipe for Mother’s Day, I always like to share something a bit decadent yet easy enough for a toddler to join in on the cooking. These cookies are just that and healthy, too! Made with a simple base of mashed bananas, maple syrup, nut butter and oats plus a few other ingredients, little hands can help with every step. The decadence comes in with the added components. I opted for peanut butter as my nut butter, so my decadent mix-ins were roasted peanuts, chocolate chips, fancy raisins and a bit of expensive flaky sea salt that I had purchased in San Sebastian, Spain. Please note, you are free to make these to your or your mom’s liking, so opt for nut butters and mix-ins that you or she loves.

While these little gems are dessert-worthy, they are nutritious enough to serve to mom as a breakfast-in-bed treat. They whip up quickly and bake in 12 minutes so definitely a morning treat option. I recommend them with a good strong oat milk latte.

These cookies are gluten-free and vegan so a treat for all moms.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers out there!

Chef’s Tips:

• For those with peanut allergies, use any nut butter, such as almond or cashew. For nut allergies replace with sunflower butter. I used a natural peanut butter without any additives other than salt. Make sure to whisk up the peanut butter in the jar before measuring so that you don’t get too much oil. You can also replace with a standard peanut butter, though they will probably be sweeter and less intense in nut flavor.
• I use quick cooking (not instant) oats since they only bake for a short time. I prefer Bob’s Red Mill brand available at all markets.
• I prefer a dark amber maple syrup for intense maple flavor. I don’t recommend pancake syrup.
• I don’t add salt to the recipe as the peanut butter is salted and I add the flakey sea salt to the tops of the cookies. For unsalted nut butter you may need to add a pinch of salt to the batter.
• Make sure the bananas are very ripe. I use 2 medium large bananas. You could use 3 small bananas.
• I like to bake with unsalted but toasted nuts. I used toasted unsalted sunflower seeds as well as unsalted roasted peanuts. I was able to find them in bulk at Sprouts. For a saltier cookie you can opt for salted versions but be careful it doesn’t get too salty.
• Fancy raisins are the extra large raisins. They are sweet, chewy and delicious! I was also able to find these in bulk at Sprouts. They have a fantastic nut and dried fruit selection.
• Add the flakey salt when cookies are hot for best adherence. A good selection of flaky sea salts are available at Monsieur Marcel and online.
• I made 12 large cookies. They are very filling so you could make them smaller. You may need to cut down on bake time for small cookies.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
A Mother’s Day Treat!

This is my version. Use whatever nut butter, chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit mix-ins you like.

2 medium large or 3 small ripe bananas
3/4 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chia seeds
4 T rich amber maple syrup
1/2 cup natural peanut butter or other nut butter, whisked up to avoid separation of oil
1/3 cup toasted unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup large fancy raisins, making sure to separate the raisins
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
Flakey sea salt, optional

Set oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the middle. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment baking paper. I bake 2 pans separately as I like to bake cookies on the middle rack. If you want to bake both pans at the same time have racks in the upper and lower third of your oven. Rotate pans halfway through baking.

Mash the bananas with a potato masher until smooth

Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, chia seeds and maple syrup and combine well.

Vigorously stir in the peanut butter and incorporate well.

Stir in the sunflower seeds, peanuts and chocolate chips and combine well.

Stir in the raisins and combine well.

Stir in the oatmeal and combine well, stirring all up from the bottom. Make sure all of the oatmeal is coated and mix-ins are evenly strewn throughout the batter.

Chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.

Using a large spoon or ice cream scooper make 12 equal-sized cookies, 6 per tray. Flatten and condense sides in with a spoon or your hand, they can be a bit crumbly.

Bake for 12 minutes or until set and tops a bit golden.

Immediately top with flakey sea salt, if using. I do this with the oven rack pulled out but the cookie pan still on the oven rack so the cookies are still hot.

Let the cookies mostly cool on the pan then transfer carefully to a cooling rack.

If some of the salt falls off simply sprinkle a bit more on to serve.

When completely cooled can be transferred to a storage container. They freeze well.