Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Today we mixed it up with some delicious breakfast cookies. These are the EASIEST cookies in the world. They have zero bad stuff, and lots of good stuff. And they are delicious. 

I made banana-oatmeal-raisin-walnut breakfast cookies. The only two ingredients you actually need are the banana and oatmeal. The rest is all optional and based on your own preferences. 

I added raisins to mine today but you could also use chocolate chips or carob, cranberries or other dried fruit of choice. I dumped in the rest of what we had in the jar, maybe a cup's worth?

Quick cook oatmeal is likely easier, but since I buy mine organic it's not quick but it still works out just fine. I hand grind it up a bit as I put it in the bowl and a little after to help it bind a little better. Again, I dumped in the rest of the oatmeal that we had, which was probably 2 cups-ish.

You'll want to use ripe and old bananas, but you can just as easily use fresh ones. I used 5 bananas today, which was the rest of what we had, plus the mix was still too dry with only 4 bananas.

I like walnuts for brain food for the kids so I went with those, but pecans would have been yummy, too! Also, next time I make this I will add a lot more walnuts because I think they work really well in this recipe. I chop mine before adding to the mix. I think I used maybe 3/4 c of nuts.

Here they are baking in the oven. You can pack them in pretty tight because they don't spread out or rise.

And after they rest for a half a minute on the cooling rack they go onto plates and into tummies while still warm. 

I don't measure for this recipe, but here is an approximation:

1-2 cups oatmeal

2-4 bananas, mushed

Mix the two. It should be stirrable but not drippy runny. Add more of one or the other to get it thick enough that it doesn't spread out when dropped on the pan in a spoonful.

Then add whatever other ingredients you want- spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, nuts or seeds, dried fruit, etc. Mix it all together (I actually end up using my hands but a big sturdy spatula or wooden spoon might work, too).

Drop by spoonfuls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, depending on the size you made them. The smaller ones may be ready at 15, and bigger ones need up to 30 minutes. *If you don't use parchment paper, you have to grease the pan or the oatmeal WILL stick.

They do stay a bit chewy and it's almost impossible to over bake them. I haven't tried it but these would likely do well as dehydrated cookies, too, so you could keep them raw if you wanted to. Great work-out food or on-the-go breakfast.

Super mega healthy breakfast that kids enjoy because it has the word 'cookie' in the name, looks like a cookie, smells like a cookie and tastes like a cookie. So cookies win! Woo-hoo!