Finally a healthier sweet snack!

We were going on a road trip the other weekend and I wanted to prep some healthier snacks for us and our little ones. My 4 year old loves a good snack and my 1.5 year old is always keen to try something new (foodies!).

I needed something tasty and filling. These protein date and banana cookies take a few mins to prep and are so tasty and gooey –  naturally sweetened, packed with protein and healthy oats. You can make them gluten free also, if you use gluten-free oats.

Serving: makes around 12-13 medium cookies.

Ingredients

7 medjool dates (around 110g)

75g coconut oil

1 small banana (approx. 75g)

1 flax egg (1 tbsp of ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp of water)

1 heaped scoop of unflavored protein powder (around 50g)

1 cup of oats (approx. 100g)

pinch of salt

optional: 1 tsp of cinnamon, pumpkin spice

Method

Set oven for 170C/ 340F. Put dates and coconut oil in the food processor. Mix for around 5-10 seconds, scrape down and mix again briefly. Add flax egg, banana and rest of ingredients (I like to add oats at the end to keep a few chunkier bits). Mix again for 10-20 sec; you still want a bit of texture , not to be completely smooth. The dough should be a little wet and sticky, but easy to form cookies from.

Form cookies by taking approx. 1 tbsp of the cookie dough and rolling into a ball and flattening it on a tray lined with baking paper. Bake for around 12 mins. You will see the edges slightly browned. They come out a little soft to touch, with a bit of crust on the corners. You should get soft, gooey cookies. Keep in a container in the fridge for a few days days.