Recipe: Energy Oatmeal Cookies

These flourless cookies are the perfect way to start changing your dessert habits — your sweet tooth will be satisfied, but without all those added sugars and fats found in typical cookies. The combination of the banana's natural sweetness and almond butter's rich nutty background almost doesn't even need the chocolate chips! But who wants a cookie with no chocolate? These cookies are high in fiber and "good" complex carbs, so they'll keep you full for longer. The oats absorb and digest slowly, giving you that boost you need to make it to lunch!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Yield: 11 servings
Serving size: 2 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana, mashed

• 2 cups quick oats

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

• ¼ cup almond butter

• 2 tablespoons reduced-sugar dried cranberries

• 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, and set aside.

2. In a food processor, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix all of the ingredients together until just incorporated.

3. Drop heaping tablespoon full mounds on the prepared baking sheets, or use a small cookie scoop. Gently flatten the tops of the cookies before baking with a rubber spatula. If you decide to not flatten them, they will stay in a ball shape after being baked.

4. Bake until the edges are slightly brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire cooling racks.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (2 cookies)
Calories: 125
Calories from fat: 49
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 16mg
Sodium: 8mg
Carbohydrates: 14g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 4g
Protein: 4g
SmartPoints: 4

3.1 The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.