PB Banana Oat Cookies

This is a recipe I came up with recently and have been working on perfecting during my snow days.   My husband loves these and has been requesting them since my first experimental batch.  It really is the only cookie he wants to eat right now.  

My Father In-Law came over for a bit today and had a sample.  He loved them so much that he ate several more cookies and told me he must have the recipe.  He was amazed that they are free of butter and flour.  

These cookies are "healthy" compared to the normal cookie. There is NO butter or flour.  The worst thing about it is the brown sugar, but 1/2 cup is not a lot when it's spread out over 2 dozen cookies.  The recipe only calls for 1/2 a banana (1 whole banana is just too much in my opinion).  If you don't care to enjoy the other 1/2 immediately, wrap it up and stick it in the freezer for your next Green Monster Smoothie.  If you are craving chocolate, feel free to add 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli are my fav!).

I hope you enjoy these "healthified" cookies.  Be sure to let me know what you think!

Jenn's PB Banana Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Jif & will be experimenting with TJ's natural PB soon)

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated Splenda for baking

1 large egg

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 banana, mashed

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except oats and nuts. 

When blended, mix in the oats and nuts. 

Using your fingers, form 1-inch balls (dough will be very wet and sticky) and place onto an un-greased cookie sheet. You don't want to make them too big because they do spread. 

Bake for 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet. 

Makes around 2 dozen small cookies.