Diet cookie, you say? Can there be such a thing? Absolutely! These scrumptious Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies have no added sugar, reduced fat, and plenty of healthy dietary fiber. They weigh in around 110 calories each, which is a mere trifle when compared with most cookies you can make or purchase. The best part is their taste – the sweet, rich flavors of peanut butter and maple syrup mingle with banana and raisins for a diet cookie you simply can’t beat.
Diet cookies are sometimes made with no eggs, which has the effect of reducing the calories a bit, as well as lowering the cholesterol content. This recipe is egg-free by nature, but there are a number of things you can use in place of eggs in most of your favorite cookie recipes. One very simple way to replace an egg is to combine two tablespoons of water with one tablespoon of oil and two teaspoons of baking powder. Mix them all together well with a whisk before adding to your recipe. Not only do these ingredients work well in place of eggs in most cake and cookie recipes, but they’re absolutely calorie free. Another trick is to use one half of a ripe banana mashed well with half a teaspoon of baking soda to replace an egg. This method doesn’t reduce the calories much, but absolutely reduces the fat and cholesterol in the recipe, and has the effect of adding a little bonus potassium to your baked goods.
Diet Cookie Paradise Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
1/3 cup peanut butter (use reduced fat and sugar varieties for an even healthier cookie)
2 bananas, ripe
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk or soymilk
2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup flour
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until fairly smooth. Add the peanut butter, milk product, vanilla, and maple syrup and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 13-16 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the bottoms turn golden brown.
By: Virginia Butters
