Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Oat Cookies {vegan + gf}

These healthy cookies are made with oats, peanut butter, banana, and cocoa powder, sweetened with monk fruit, and include chocolate protein powder for a protein boost. Ideal for breakfast, dessert, or anything in between!  

Have you guys ever seen photos of people’s meal prep for the week that includes 5 containers of the same bland thing for each meal? If you’ve worked your butt off for a bikini competition and ate that way to get there, good on ya, but that looks like a bit of a nightmare to me.

I like food too much, and I like diversity in my eats too much. Sure, I have my favorite smoothies and my go-to dinner recipes, but I certainly don’t eat them on the daily. In general, monotonous, robotic living scares the hell out of me. No thank you, I don’t want to do the same thing every single day in the same exact way!

I’m just not a person that likes what I like, is resistant to anything new, and that’s all there is to it. That sounds so boring to me, and I’m always looking to switch things up in one way or another – whether that means finding new trails to take my dog hiking and new road trip routes to explore, or by scoping out new restaurants and switching up my eats by experimenting with new recipes.

And I’m an adult and all, but let’s be honest, sometimes I just want cookies for breakfast.

This recipe was born out of me wanting to play around in the kitchen to come up with a new cookie recipe. It features the beloved chocolate + peanut butter + banana flavor combo. Of all the food combos in the world, I think this chocolate + peanut butter may just be the best one ever! And banana just makes it even better. Do you agree?

For these cookies, we’ve got a base of breakfast-y and nutritious oats. We throw some in a food processor to make an oat flour.

Next, we add a ripe banana, some peanut butter, apple sauce, almond milk, cocoa powder, your favorite chocolate protein powder (I use a plant-based mix), and some monk fruit sweetener. 

I’ve been using monk fruit in baking for some freelance recipe projects because it’s low-glycemic and keto friendly (I’ve created some low-carb recipes as of late by request). It’s made from the extract of the monk fruit and was first used by Buddhist monks many centuries ago. Some people don’t like the taste of it, but I’m liking it as a sweetener alternative. For this recipe, you can use maple syrup, honey, cane sugar, or whatever other sweetener you want if you prefer.

After we process the mixture into a batter, we add in the remaining oats and mini chocolate chips, and pulse for just a few seconds. Then, we spoon the batter onto a baking sheet and bake until golden brown.

They’re pretty easy to whip up, and can serve as breakfast on-the-go, an afternoon snack, or dessert – whatever works for you! I’m in Las Vegas for work this week, and packed some cookies with me on the trip.

I know we’re talking about cookies here… but in the larger scheme of things, I just want to reiterate that you shouldn’t be afraid to switch things up in your life – especially if something isn’t really working for you. Don’t do things that you’ve always done just because it’s comfortable. Living boldly can expand your horizons and open your heart up tremendously. Here’s to adventurous living my friends (let’s cheers with these cookies)!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Oat Cookies {vegan + gf}

Foodie Loves Fitness

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Servings 12

Calories 197 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups dry oats
• 1 ripe banana broken into a few chunks
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener
• 4 oz unsweetened apple sauce
• 60 grams chocolate protein powder
• 1 TSP baking powder
• 1/2 TSP salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Place 1 cup of the oats in a food processor, and pulse until it's mostly ground into a flour.
• Add in the cocoa powder, almond milk, chocolate protein power, monk fruit, banana, apple sauce, peanut butter, baking powder and salt.
• Add in the remaining oats and chocolate chips, and pulse for just about 10 seconds.
• Spoon the batter onto the baking sheet, forming 12 large cookies.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom.
• Allow to slightly cool before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

*If you want the recipe to be gluten free and vegan, make sure to use ingredients that adhere to that. Use certified gluten free oats if necessary, along with dairy free chocolate chip and protein powder.

Nutrition

Serving: 2gCalories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 12gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gFiber: 5gSugar: 9g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tell me… How have you lived adventurously lately? What’s your all-time favorite food combination?