Recipe: Banana Oat Cookies

🍪👨‍🍳These fast & easy cookies are a great homemade option any time you crave a sweet treat. 

You can use either old-fashioned rolled oats or instant oats – but the rolled oats will give you a chewier cookie. 

Makes 12 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe banana

• 1 cup (80 g) oats

• ⅓ cup (85 g) natural peanut or almond butter

• ½ Tbsp honey or maple syrup

• Optional: 2 Tbsp raisins or cacao chips

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350ºF/177ºC.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas and stir in the oats until well combined. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until mixed. The cookie dough will be sticky – but if it seems too loose, add some more oats until it reaches a cookie dough consistency.

4. Drop the dough by tablespoon onto your prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by Eugen Barbu’s Images

Recipe: Berry-Nut Instant Oatmeal

Ready for a yummy make-ahead breakfast … an easy pre- or post-workout snack … or an overnight yogurt parfait recipe!?

Well, you’ve got it – and this recipe can cover all three of those things!

You can make this Berry-Nut Oatmeal jar right before serving or whip it up ahead of time.

You can even stash one in your desk at work for a fast meal on hectic days.

Fact about instant oatmeal: it contains about the same nutrients as regular oats … but it gets a bad rap because it’s usually packed with added sugars. 

Since you’re making your OWN mix with this recipe, you can avoid all that extra sugar.

Try experimenting with different nuts and berries! Or instead of stirring in the hot liquid, mix in ½ cup (115 g) of plain Greek yogurt and let sit for 1-2 hours (or overnight).

Your instant oatmeal mix will keep for 4-6 weeks in a cool, dry place.

Ingredients:

(serves 1)

• ½ cup (40 g) instant oatmeal

• 2 Tbsp freeze-dried strawberry or blueberry

• 1 tbsp chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)

• 1 tbsp chia seed (I also like to add hemp seeds)

• ¼ tsp cinnamon (to taste)

• ½ to 1 tsp coconut sugar, to taste (or other dry sweetener)

• ½ cup (120 ml) boiling liquid (water or your favorite milk)

Directions:

1. Place the instant oatmeal, freeze-dried berries, nuts, chia seed, cinnamon, and sugar in a Mason jar. Seal tightly if you’re making this ahead of time. 

2. When it’s time to eat, simply pour the boiling liquid over the oat mixture and stir to combine. Let sit for 3-4 minutes. It’s time to eat!

3. Enjoy!

Recipe by: Dr. Saara Haapanen

Photo Credit: Canva by destillat from Getty Images