Healthy Banana Oat Cookies – No Sugar, No Flour

The cookies are also easy to customize. You can add cinnamon, vanilla, chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, raisins, shredded coconut, or a few dark chocolate chips if desired.

One important point is that these are not designed to taste exactly like conventional bakery cookies. They have a soft, chewy, naturally sweet texture because bananas and applesauce replace much of the fat and refined sugar normally found in cookies.

Recipe Information
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15–20 minutes

Total Time: About 30 minutes

Servings: Approximately 16 cookies

Course: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert

Cuisine: American-inspired

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
Main Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, mashed

⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 cups rolled oats

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

¼ cup raisins or chopped nuts

Optional Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans

1–2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

Using parchment paper makes cleanup easier and helps prevent the cookies from sticking.

Step 2: Mash the Bananas
Peel the three ripe bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl.

Mash them thoroughly with a fork until mostly smooth.

A few small banana pieces are perfectly fine and can add extra texture to the finished cookies.

For the best sweetness, use bananas that are very ripe with plenty of brown spots on the peel. Riper bananas are naturally sweeter and softer, making them ideal for this recipe.

Step 3: Add the Applesauce
Add ⅓ cup of unsweetened applesauce to the mashed bananas.

Stir until the bananas and applesauce are evenly combined.

Make sure you use unsweetened applesauce if you want to keep the recipe free from added sugar.

Step 4: Add the Almond Milk
Pour in ¼ cup of unsweetened almond milk.

Mix gently until incorporated.

The almond milk adds moisture and helps create a soft cookie mixture.

You can substitute regular milk, oat milk, soy milk, or another unsweetened milk if desired.

Step 5: Add the Oats
Add the 2 cups of rolled oats.

Stir thoroughly until the oats are coated with the banana and applesauce mixture.

The mixture should be thick and moist rather than runny.

If it appears extremely wet, allow it to rest for 5–10 minutes. The oats will absorb some of the moisture and make the mixture easier to shape.

Step 6: Add Raisins or Nuts
Fold in ¼ cup of raisins or chopped nuts.

Raisins add extra natural sweetness and a chewy texture, while nuts provide crunch and a richer flavor.

You can also use a combination of raisins and nuts if preferred.

Step 7: Add Optional Flavorings
For extra flavor, add cinnamon and vanilla extract.

A small pinch of salt can also enhance the sweetness and balance the flavors.

If using coconut, chocolate chips, or additional nuts, fold them in gently.

Step 8: Shape the Cookies
Using a spoon or cookie scoop, place portions of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Depending on the size, you should get approximately 16 cookies.

Flatten each portion gently with the back of a spoon or your fingers.

These cookies do not spread as much as traditional cookies because they contain no butter or conventional cookie dough, so shaping them before baking is important.

Step 9: Bake
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven.

Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the edges are lightly golden.

Because the mixture contains bananas and applesauce, the cookies will remain softer than traditional flour-based cookies.

Avoid overbaking them, as this can make them dry.

Step 10: Cool
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for approximately 5 minutes.

Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

They will firm up slightly as they cool.

For the best texture, allow them to cool before storing.

Notes
These cookies are naturally sweetened by the bananas and applesauce, so the sweetness will depend on how ripe your bananas are.

Very ripe bananas with brown spots will produce sweeter cookies than yellow bananas.

Use unsweetened applesauce if you want to avoid added sugar.

Rolled oats provide a chewy texture. Quick oats can also be used, although they may produce a softer texture.

If you want a smoother cookie texture, pulse the oats briefly in a food processor before adding them.

The final consistency should be moist and thick enough to scoop. If your mixture seems too wet, add a few additional tablespoons of oats and let it sit for several minutes.

Because these cookies contain fruit rather than traditional cookie ingredients, they are soft and chewy rather than crisp.

Helpful Tips
Choose Very Ripe Bananas
The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the cookies will be. Bananas with brown spots are ideal.

Don’t Add Extra Liquid Too Quickly
Bananas and applesauce already provide considerable moisture. Add the almond milk as listed and evaluate the mixture before adding anything else.

Let the Mixture Rest
Allowing the mixture to rest for 5–10 minutes gives the oats time to absorb moisture and makes the cookies easier to shape.