Recipes › Breakfast

Vegan Choc Chip & Banana Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

By Samira Kazan

updated September 16, 2020

Healthy vegan banana oatmeal breakfast cookies with chocolate chips and hazelnuts – a delicious and healthy treat.

These store cupboard friendly vegan banana oat chocolate chip cookies are a wonderful breakfast or snack. With just 7 ingredients (3 of which are technically optional), all of which are probably already in your kitchen, these vegan oat cookies can be whipped up within 20 minutes. Plus, they’re also fairly versatile with your choice of chocolate and nuts and are flourless, eggless, dairy-free, and gluten-free !

I’ve been cooking healthy meals and tons of DIY’s more and more during the extra time at home for the last couple of months. However, we all deserve a treat and these healthy oatmeal cookies are one of the simplest, quickest ones to make. Not only are they a great way to use up ripe bananas, but they’re also a great recipe to get the kids involved.

I love banana breakfast dishes in general and often add them as a filling and topping for these Fluffy Japanese Style Pancakes , mashed up within overnight oats, and of course mashed into oatmeal and as part of a delicious smoothie bowl, like this Rose & Raspberry Smoothie bowl (I have tons of other smoothie bowl recipes for you here in the blog too).

This recipe is 100% dairy-free too – which means no egg, butter or milk (or even dairy-free alternatives of these). And are even refined sugar-free too. Instead, these cookies are made with a mixture of ripe banana, oats, chocolate, maple syrup, coconut oil with hazelnut and chocolate fillings.

Plus, these healthy oatmeal cookies also naturally gluten-free (as oats are actually gluten-free). However, I know that there are specific ‘gluten-free oats’ available – so feel free to use them, if preferred.

The resulting cookies are soft and chewy with a kind of banana oatmeal flavour that can be easily customised to taste.

Different Flavour Options:

There are various ways you can customise these vegan banana oat cookies to your tastes and what you have available in your kitchen. For example:

• Chocolate: feel free to use your chocolate of choice – dark, milk, white (or even ruby if you have any)
• Nuts: swap out the nuts for your nut of choice – walnuts are a delicious option or even cashews, peanuts etc.
• Seeds: as well as nuts, seeds are a great way to add flavour, texture and nutrients to your cookie. I.e. Chia, pumpkin, flax etc.
• Spices: are a simple and easy way to customise these cookies. I.e. with Cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg etc. I also use homemade vanilla extract sometimes.
• Dried fruit: small pieces of dried fruit are a great way to jazz up these cookies. If using raisins just make sure to soak them first, so they don’t burn in the oven.
• Fresh Fruit: depending on how ‘wet’ they are, this can affect the texture of your cookies slightly but you could add apple, raspberries, blueberries etc.
• Grated Vegetables: Because, why not? Grated carrot could work amazingly for carrot cake inspired cookies, or even grated zucchini
• Coconut: whether it’s flakes or desiccated, coconut adds a little bit of texture and flavour the cookies. You can see my DIY for Coconut Bowls, chips & Shredded (desiccated) too.

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• The Recipe How-To:
• Other Vegan Recipes You May Like
• Vegan Choc Chip & Banana Healthy Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

The Recipe How-To:

Needed:

• rolled oats
• hazelnuts
• banana
• cinnamon (can also add ginger powder or your favourite spice) and salt
• dark chocolate chip or chopped chocolate bar
• coconut oil
• maple syrup (I like to keep mine refined sugar free, it also helps with making a sticky mixture)

The Steps:

Start by making the oat flour by grinding half of the oats. You can do this is a spice grinder or a blender/food processor.

Chop the hazelnuts roughly – some smaller and larger bits are fine. You could also blitz them in a blender for a second, to crush them (especially if you want smaller pieces).

If you don’t have chocolate chips and only a bar of chocolate, then chop that too, into smaller pieces.

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients – rolled oats, oat flour, hazelnuts, chocolate, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients – mash the banana and add the coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix thoroughly to combine.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Make sure to incorporate well. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit more maple syrup or coconut oil.

If you want to add any additional ingredients then you can add them now too.

Make small balls from the mixture. You can use a measuring spoon to scoop out the same amount of the mixture if you’d like.

Place the balls on a baking sheet with parchment paper and slightly flatten the balls using your hands or a small cup. These cookies won’t spread in the oven at all so you can fit them as close to each other as you like.

Bake in the oven at 170ºC (fan-assisted) for 10-12 minutes. If you like the cookies to be more crunchy and golden, leave them a couple of extra minutes in the oven but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

Let them cool to room temperature before removing from the baking tray and transferring to an airtight container or a cookie tin. These can be kept at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Other Vegan Recipes You May Like

For another delicious banana-based treat you might like my Banana Bread and Homemade Nutella . Alternatively, how about this Almond Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies Recipe .

Equipment

• Parchment paper

IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x

• ▢ 1.5 cups rolled oats half will be ground into flour, the rest stay oats
• ▢ 1/2 cups hazelnuts
• ▢ 1 banana
• ▢ 1/4 cup chocolate chips dark
• ▢ 1/4 cup maple syrup
• ▢ 2 tBsp coconut oil
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cinnamon powder can also add ginger powder or your favourite spice
• ▢ 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• Make the oat flour by grinding half of the oats. You can do this is a spice grinder or a blender/food processor.Â
• Chop the hazelnuts – some smaller and larger bits are fine. You could also blitz them in a blender for a second, to crush them ( especially if you want smaller pieces).
• If you don’t have chocolate chips and only a bar of chocolate, then chop that too, into smaller pieces.
• In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients – rolled oat, oat flour, hazelnuts, chocolate, cinnamon and salt.
• Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl – mash the banana and add the coconut oil and maple syrup.
• Mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Make sure to incorporate well. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit more maple syrup or coconut oil. If you are wanting to add any additional ingredients then you can add them now too.Â
• Make small balls from the mixture. You can use a measuring spoon to scoop out the same amount of the mixture.Â
• Place the balls on a baking sheet with parchment paper and slightly flatten the balls using your hands or a small cup. These cookies won’t spread in the oven at all so you can fit them as close to each other as you like (see how I do it in the video)
• Bake in the oven at 170ºC (fan-assisted) for 10-12 minutes. If you like the cookies to be more crunchy and golden, leave them a couple of extra minutes in the oven but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
• Let them cool to room temperature before removing from the baking tray and transferring to an airtight container. These can be kept for 2-3 days in the fridge or frozen for up to 3 months.Â

Video

Notes

• See the blog post for flavour variations

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipes › Desserts

Almond Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

By Samira Kazan

updated September 21, 2020

Delicious gluten-free, vegan bite-size almond & pistachio thumbprint cookies. Not only are they easy to make- they can either be baked or kept as a no-bake cookie recipe!

These almond pistachio thumbprint cookies are a delicious vegan and gluten-free cookies recipe using almond flour and pistachio butter. Unlike your generic shortbread thumbprint cookies, these vegan bite-size snacks have a delightful crumbly almond base and can be cooked or kept as a no-bake cookie recipe.

Depending on whether you want these as raw snacks or baked cookies, they are delicious. However, it’s worth noting that there will be some textural difference.

For the raw version, these pistachio thumbprint cookies are a little more gooey and moist. In comparison, when baked, these cookies are more crumbly.

I always love to switch up classic recipes and decided that rather than using the usual choice of jam filling for this thumbprint cookie recipe, I used some homemade pistachio butter .

Pistachio butter is one of the most delicious, decadent version of all nut butters and yet can be made at home with just pistachios, salt and a blender or food processor. Plus the pistachio flavour compliments the flavour of the gluten-free almond cookies.

These cookies are then an excellent healthier cookie snack option. They can also be displayed in mini cupcake cakes, in a gift box, for a delicious homemade edible gift at Christmas (or any time of the year!).

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been cooking up a storm this festive period, with a new recipe posted every day. Honestly, I couldn’t wait for the day to share these pistachio thumbprint cookies though because they are one of my favourite treats so far.

I’ve very recently compiled a post for the ultimate guide to homemade nut & seed butters, so I have spent a LOT of time this year in the kitchen blending up delicious nut butters and nut butter recipes. As much as I have a soft spot for good old almond butter, pistachio butter has taken my heart.

While it’s not a nut butter you’d want to eat by the spoonful every day (or rather you would – but your hips wouldn’t like it!), pistachio butter has an incredible luxury element that works well in so many different recipes. Check out my pistachio butter post for some inspiration.

Want to save this recipe?

• Variations on these thumbprint cookies
• How To Make The Thumbprint Cookies
• Other great snack recipes you may like
• Pistachio Almond Cookies Recipe

Variations on these thumbprint cookies

Obviously, my filling of choice is my homemade pistachio butter. However, you can experiment with various fillings including a delicious vegan homemade Nutella , the classic choice of jam, or even some vegan chocolate chips (that will melt from the heat and be heavenly!).

For a sweeter pistachio creme style filling, melt some white chocolate in a heatproof bowl then mix in some pistachio butter with a dash of homemade vanilla powder .

You can also make a delicious chocolate version of these pistachio thumbprint cookies by adding some cocoa powder into the base almond cookies recipe. If the biscuit mix feels too crumbly after adding the powder, add another tsp of coconut oil to offset the powder.

Plus, you can experiment with additional toppings for the pistachio thumbprint cookies. For example, a drizzle of melted white chocolate is a lovely dessert-like touch.

Note* For vegan cookies use dairy-free white chocolate and chocolate chips.

How To Make The Thumbprint Cookies

This pistachio thumbprint cookies recipe is super simple and can be made in just five minutes if you’re keeping them raw. Or around 20 minutes, if baking- which means they’re an excellent option for a last-minute edible gift idea or to whip up on busy days when you don’t have much time to spare.

The almond cookies base is made up of almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut flour and cardamon.

Don’t fret if you don’t have almond flour to hand though as this can be whizzed up in a couple of minutes. Blitz some raw almonds in a high-speed food processor for a couple of minutes and you’ll get homemade almond flour, which is a great gluten-free flour to have to hand at all times.

This recipe is also a great way to use leftover almond pulp after making homemade almond milk . Simply allow the pulp to dry out, and it’s ready to use as almond flour.

Note* For this particular recipe the ground almonds don’t have to be too fine, which is why any of the above options will work fine for the almond cookies recipe.

The method

To begin, mix the almond flour with the other base ingredients and then form small, one bite-sized cookies. If you want you can measure these out and use around 1tbsp per cookie. However, I eyeballed it and made 14 of them.

To make them into thumbprint cookies, the process is precisely what it says. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, and then you can use a finger/ thumb to make the indentations. You could also use the rounded back of a spoon. In fact, I used a small 1/2 tsp measuring spoon for an even indentation in each cookie.

If you’re in a hurry to enjoy these delicious cookies, then you can have these as a no-bake cookie recipe by simply adding some pistachio butter to them now and decorating with some pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios.

Note* Due to the gluten-free nature of these cookies and the lack of dairy, these cookies are more crumbly than general cookie dough so cracking around the edges when pressing your indentation is perfectly normal.

However, if you want to bake the cookies, then you can now bake them in the oven either in mini cupcake cups or on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

These only take ten minutes to bake in the oven and will turn a lovely golden colour around the edges.

If you want to use some chocolate chips as a filling, you’ll want to add these to the cookies while they’re still warm, so they melt into the thumbprint.

For the pistachio butter-filled cookies, allow the cookies to cool down a bit before filling them.

Again you can decorate the pistachio cookies with pomegranate seeds and ground pistachios or even a sprinkle of desiccated coconut. Also, feel free to experiment with other fillings and toppings of your choice.

For a sweeter, dessert-like version you can drizzle some white chocolate over the cookies at the end. Or, for a chocolate thumbprint cookie version, you can add some cocoa powder into the base almond cookie recipe.

Other great snack recipes you may like

For another delicious no-bake snack recipe, you may like these healthy cacao & almond protein balls or these coconut bliss balls . These 4-Ingredient Stuffed Dates: with home-made almond butter & Chocolate are always a winner too!

IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups almond flour
• ▢ 3 tBsp coconut oil
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cardamom powder
• ▢ 2 tBsp maple syrup
• ▢ 2 tBsp coconut flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup pistachio butter

Toppings (optional)

• ▢ ground pistachios
• ▢ pomegranate seeds

Instructions

• To begin, mix the almond flour* with the other base ingredients and then form small, one bite-sized cookies. If you want you can measure these out and use around 1tbsp per cookie. However, I eyeballed it and made 14 of them.
• To make them into thumbprint cookies, the process is precisely what it says. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, and then you can use a finger/ thumb to make the indentations. You could also use the rounded back of a spoon. In fact, I used a small 1/2 tsp measuring spoon for an even indentation in each cookie.**
• If you’re in a hurry to enjoy these delicious cookies, then you can have these as a no-bake cookie recipe by simply adding some pistachio butter to them now and decorating with some pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios.
• However, if you want to bake the cookies, then you can now bake them in the oven either in mini cupcake cups or on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
• These only take ten minutes to bake in the oven at 160ºC (fan-assisted) and will turn a lovely golden colour around the edges.
• Once cooled down, add the pistachio butter and decorate.***

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Vegan Choc Chip & Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Equipment

• Parchment paper

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups rolled oats half will be ground into flour, the rest stay oats
• 1/2 cups hazelnuts
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips dark
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tBsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon powder can also add ginger powder or your favourite spice
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• Make the oat flour by grinding half of the oats. You can do this is a spice grinder or a blender/food processor.
• Chop the hazelnuts - some smaller and larger bits are fine. You could also blitz them in a blender for a second, to crush them ( especially if you want smaller pieces).
• If you don’t have chocolate chips and only a bar of chocolate, then chop that too, into smaller pieces.
• In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients - rolled oat, oat flour, hazelnuts, chocolate, cinnamon and salt.
• Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl - mash the banana and add the coconut oil and maple syrup.
• Mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Make sure to incorporate well. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit more maple syrup or coconut oil. If you are wanting to add any additional ingredients then you can add them now too.
• Make small balls from the mixture. You can use a measuring spoon to scoop out the same amount of the mixture.
• Place the balls on a baking sheet with parchment paper and slightly flatten the balls using your hands or a small cup. These cookies won’t spread in the oven at all so you can fit them as close to each other as you like (see how I do it in the video)
• Bake in the oven at 170ºC (fan-assisted) for 10-12 minutes. If you like the cookies to be more crunchy and golden, leave them a couple of extra minutes in the oven but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
• Let them cool to room temperature before removing from the baking tray and transferring to an airtight container. These can be kept for 2-3 days in the fridge or frozen for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

• See the blog post for flavour variations

Nutrition

Recipe on Alphafoodie: https://www.alphafoodie.com/vegan-choc-chip-banana-healthy-oatmeal-cookies/