Perfect Bike-ride Snack: Chewy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana, Coconut add a yummy new dimension to the traditional Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie. These chewy little snacks travel well and last about a week in a sealed container, if you can resist eating them all for that long. Healthy and surprisingly filling these are great for mornings you somehow ran out of time for breakfast and easy to stash along when you go for a ride. These have become a staple in our house, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Recipe:

1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Large Flake Oats
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 stick Butter or 1/3 cup Coconut Oil (hint: if your coconut oil was warm you'll have to chill cookies before baking)
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 very ripe Banana
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Cream the butter or coconut oil with the brown sugar
• Add in ripe banana & mash
• Gently whisk egg into the wet mixture
• Stir together all remaining dry ingredients (except chocolate chips)
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and add chocolate chips 
• Scoop out large rough lumps onto a non-stick baking sheet (or parchment paper)
• Bake for 10-12 minutes (they'll seem underdone, but as long as the bottom is browned they're good take them out)
• Let cool in place and enjoy!

This recipe lends itself really well to being changed so if you're feeling adventurous add in nuts berries or whatever inspires you. Here are a couple of the changes that I've tried that turned out well.

Pumpkin: substitute banana for 3/4 cup of Pumpkin (cooked) add 1tsp of cinnamon & 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, sprinkle top with a cinnamon sugar mix before baking

Blueberry & White Chocolate: exclude ripe banana, double butter or coconut oil, up sugar to 3/4 cup, add in dried blueberries & white chocolate chips

Substitute Butterscotch Chips from Chocolate Chips (Jose's Fave)