Nikki's Healthy Cookies (aka Banana Batter Cookies)

Another great recipe from 101cookbooks.com.  I love love these cookies and the best part- They are healthy! (minus the chocolate chips of course.) I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Nikki's Healthy Cookies

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil- the recipe tastes great with either one of the oils)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal (if you don't have almond meal you can grind up whole or slivered almonds in a food processor or quality blender, like a blendtec, until the almonds are the texture of sand.  If you over process the almonds you will end up with almond butter.)
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. (15 minutes is perfect for my oven.)

Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.