Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free)
Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are a toddler favorite in our home–and make a great healthy snack for the adults too! This easy banana cookie recipe comes together like magic, without any refined sugar or flour, and is the perfect travel snack for trips or days at the park. (Plus, those overripe bananas find a new use besides the classic banana bread!)
No-Sugar Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
No refined sugar is one of my major cooking goals for my family.
Sure, we indulge in the occasional treat. And we definitely attend dinners where sugar is present in the food.
But, as a general guideline in our own home, I don’t use sugar day-to-day.
As I have started on this journey to eliminate refined sugar as much as possible, I have been amazed by just how many deliciously sweet cookies, cakes, and no-sugar snacks I have still been able to bake for my family.
And really, when I think about it, there hasn’t been a ton of sacrifice that we have made in flavor or diversity of options–especially when I think about the energy we have gained and the inflammation we have avoided.
These sugar-free chocolate peanut butter cookies are one case in point.
My toddler will eat these things for every snack, if given the chance. And while I myself am more of a fan of Healthy No-Bake Cookies, I must admit that these cookies hit that sweet spot for me too.
What Is In These Sugar-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies?
This recipe uses only five ingredients–each of them important in their own right.
Here is a list of the ingredients and their purposes in this recipe:
Bananas–for sweetness.
Peanut butter–to add texture, flavor, and “stickiness.”
Quick oats–to be the gluten-free binding agent for the cookies (instead of flour).
Vanilla extract— to give that signature “sweet treat” flavor.
Dark chocolate–to add flavonoids…as well as just to make everything taste great.
What Makes These Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies?
Organic quick oats. We turn to oats–rather than wheat–as our grain for this recipe. Healthline enumerates some of the health benefits of consuming oats:
“They are a good source of carbs and fiber, including the fiber beta-glucan.
Oats are also a good source of high quality proteinTrusted Source, with a good balance of essential amino acids.
Oats are loaded with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant plant compounds.”
But choosing organic is key here. Why? Because of the presence of glyphosate in non-organic crops.
No refined sugar. We all love our sweet treats. But “[h]igh intake of processed sugars can contribute to problems with brain function, memory, and even anxiety and depression” (source). And who wants that–especially when we can just turn to natural sweeteners and healthy savory foods instead?
In this recipe for healthy flourless banana chocolate chip cookies, we use bananas in place of sugar.
No refined flour. Like refined sugar, refined flour can do a number on our bodies. “Refined white flour is completely stripped of its nutrient value, with virtually no vitamins, minerals, or fats to speak of” (source).
So we steer clear of it completely in this recipe and use oats to lend texture to our healthy flourless banana chocolate chip cookies instead.
Dark chocolate. Need I list the health benefits of dark chocolate here? I feel like the general idea that dark chocolate can be healthy is relatively widespread these days.
However, if you haven’t heard yet, this amazing treat not only tastes delicious but is a great source of antioxidants.
In fact, “[o]ne study showed that cocoa and dark chocolate had more antioxidant activity, polyphenols, and flavanols than any other fruits tested, which included blueberries and acai berries (4)” (source).
That’s pretty amazing…and a pretty good reason to include it in this banana chocolate chip cookie recipe without flour.
Pure vanilla extract. We avoid all caramel coloring and artificial (or “natural”) flavors by simply using pure (real) vanilla extract.
How to Add Natural Sweetener to Cookies
If you haven’t gathered yet that refined sugar isn’t ideal, then this recipe is your sign to 1) recognize this fact and 2) realize that there are so many wonderful (and tasty) options for sweet treats without the use of refined sugars.
Thankfully, options for natural sweeteners abound! Here are a few of our favorites:
- homemade applesauce
- ripe bananas (the dark brown ones are especially sweet!)
- raw honey
- maple syrup
Not all of these options are equally sweet or lend the same flavor to recipes, so choosing the appropriate one is key.
Naturally Sweetened Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (No Sugar)
For this recipe, we choose to use overripe bananas as the source of sweetness.
But sweetness isn’t the only benefit they give to this recipe. Choosing bananas means adding fiber, as well.
According to Healthline, “Rich in several important vitamins and minerals, bananas are also relatively high in fiber, with one medium banana containing about 3.1 grams of this nutrient.”
This fiber can be especially important for keeping little tummies and bowels “regular” (source).
Tools You Will Need
You only really need a few pieces of equipment to whip up a batch of healthy flourless banana chocolate chip cookies:
- a mixing bowl (no stand mixer necessary here, but you can also use that if you need your hands free)
- a cookie sheet
- a reusable silicone baking mat (highly recommended! You can grease the cookie sheet, but your cookies might still struggle to let it go after getting to know it for a few minutes in the heat of the oven.)
Ingredients and Measurements
(Find the full recipe in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.)
- 2 mashed bananas (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup organic quick oats
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
How to Make Flourless Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies (Step-by-Step Guide)
Step One: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a reusable silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Step Two: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together bananas, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Step Three: Add the quick oats and dark chocolate and mix well.
Step Four: Spoon onto prepared baking sheet in rounded spoonfuls. (Dough will be quite sticky.)
Step Five: Bake for 10-12 minutes. (The cookies may appear slightly underdone, but this is due to the bananas in the dough. They will set as the cookies cool.)
Step Six: Cool for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight glass container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Because the bananas make the cookie texture a little more susceptible to mold growth, I typically refrigerate them after the first day or–if I plan on storing them for longer periods–immediately after they have cooled completely.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
Out of an ingredient? Or want to experiment with the flavor of these easy banana peanut butter chocolate cookies? Try one (or more) of these ideas:
- Add dried fruit. (Dried cranberries would be particularly yummy!)
- Stir in 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon.
- Use rolled oats instead of the quick oats. But do this: Process the rolled oats in a food processor for a few seconds (though not until ground to flour). This will help the cookies keep the proper texture.
Other Recipes that Use Ripe Bananas
Have a bunch of overripe bananas? Here are some great recipes to use them up in a deliciously healthy way:
Other Healthy Cookie Recipes to Try
The cookie jar proudly sits in a prominent place on our countertop–full most days, even in our health-minded kitchen.
How? Because of all our wonderfully healthy cookie recipes! (We could most definitely not say that we are short on options!)
Want to join the cookie club? Then try one of these healthy cookie recipes next:
- Healthy No-Bake Cookies (a favorite!)
- Healthy Edible Cookie Dough (Without Almond Flour)
- Healthy Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (High Protein)
More Sugar-Free Snacks
Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Card
Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies (Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free)
Flourless Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are a toddler favorite in our home--and make a great healthy snack for the adults too! This easy banana cookie recipe comes together like magic, without any refined sugar or flour, and is the perfect travel snack for trips or days at the park. (Plus, those overripe bananas find a new use besides the classic banana bread!)
Ingredients
- 2 mashed bananas (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup organic quick oats
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a reusable silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together bananas, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add the quick oats and dark chocolate and mix well.
- Spoon onto prepared baking sheet in rounded spoonfuls. (Dough will be quite sticky.)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. (The cookies may appear slightly underdone, but this is due to the bananas in the dough. They will set as the cookies cool.)
- Cool for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight glass container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
Out of an ingredient? Or want to experiment with the flavor of these easy banana peanut butter chocolate cookies? Try one (or more) of these ideas:
- Add dried fruit. (Dried cranberries would be particularly yummy!)
- Stir in 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon.
- Use rolled oats instead of the quick oats. But do this: Process the rolled oats in a food processor for a few seconds (though not until ground to flour). This will help the cookies keep the proper texture.
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