Guilt-Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I must say that, despite my love for all desserts, I have a soft spot for cookies. They're portable, tasty, and easy to make. Probably the first recipe I ever applied on my own was for some variety of cookie.

Oatmeal chocolate chip is one of the best varieties, in my opinion. I love the oatmeal texture but I was never a fan of raisins, so chocolate chips are always a tasty substitute.

This recipe is a little unusual in its ingredients because it's actually fairly healthy! Most recipes use a whole cup of butter, but this one only uses about a quarter cup, replacing the rest with mashed banana. Seems a little odd, but you can't taste the difference! Each cookie is only 50 calories - how magical! :) So, whether you're baking them for health-conscious friends or just want to enjoy some yourself without feeling guilty, these cookies are for you.

 

Guilt-Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Source:Sweet Nothings

Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. flour
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 5 tablespoons margarine
• 1/3 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 c. white sugar
• 1/2 c. pureed/mashed banana (roughly 1 banana)
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. chocolate chips (can be mini or regular-size and whatever variety you want - I chose mini semi-sweet)

Before you start: Melt the butter and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Recipe

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and oats.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine the sugars, melted margarine, banana, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the larger bowl with the flour mixture and stir until a dough is formed. Add the chocolate chips and stir them in.
4. Spoon the dough out into tablespoon-sized portions on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should be slightly browned on the edges and not too gooey in the center.

Delicious! I love these - one of my favorite cookie recipes. :)

Thanks for reading and happy cooking!