By Sneh Makhecha (‘28)

Image courtesy of Sneh Makhecha (‘28)

In the winter months, we all tend to crave a hearty dessert in order to satisfy our sweet tooth. It might be because the cold weather makes us hungrier, or maybe it’s because of the extravagant holiday sweets displayed on store windows. Whatever the reason, I also happened to be craving a sweet treat just the other day. I had tried out my no-bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookie recipe for the first time a few weeks ago, but I couldn’t help making it again. It’s so simple and quick, yet it’s absolutely delicious. Plus, it’s vegetarian, vegan, and can be made nut-free as well! What more could you ever ask for?

Number of Cookies per Batch: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 banana (preferably ripe, but any banana will do)
• 1 ½ cup plain oats
• ½ cup peanut butter (you could also try replacing this with another nut butter, as long as it has a thick consistency)

*Note: In order to make this recipe nut-free, you could try adding two ripe bananas and one tablespoon of maple syrup. However, the cookies will probably have a more crumbly consistency*

Start by peeling your banana (or bananas), breaking it into smaller chunks, and adding it to a bowl. Then, grab a fork and begin smashing the banana until it forms a thick puree. I know smashed bananas in cookies probably sounds disgusting, but when the cookies are done, I promise you won’t even taste them. 

Next, add the oats to the bowl. Mix together the oats and the banana until they form a thick consistency. It’s totally okay if the batter doesn’t really stick together yet, since the peanut butter should help with that. 

Then, add in the peanut butter and mix everything to form a thick, difficult-to-mix cookie batter. Mix until the peanut butter is fully incorporated, because you don’t want your cookies to have unequal amounts of peanut butter. If you’re using a different nut butter or maple syrup, go ahead and add that instead.

Now, you can mix in some toppings into the batter. Cinnamon, chocolate chips, and brown sugar would taste amazing with this recipe, but those are just some of the endless possibilities that you could pair these cookies with. To add more of a seasonal touch, you can try mixing some pumpkin or gingerbread spice into the batter. Finally, grab a cookie scooper (or any other spoon you have lying around) and scoop up your cookie dough. 

If you’re planning on eating your cookies later, melt some chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil in the microwave. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the cookies, place them on parchment paper, and let them set in the freezer overnight. When you take them out, you’ll have a crunchy chocolate exterior to your cookies!

 You can also save your cookies for later (even if you don’t want to add a chocolate drizzle on them) by putting them on parchment paper and popping them in the freezer. They should stay fresh for up to a week, but I’m not sure if this varies based on how ripe the bananas you used were.

And that’s it! Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies in less than ten minutes, made with only three ingredients. Another bonus of this recipe is that, since it’s so easy to make, you only need three dishes! It makes cleanup so fast and low-maintenance, which is perfect for those days when you just don’t feel like doing much. Even better than how quickly these cookies are to make is how healthy they are. As discussed in my last article, bananas have several health benefits. From maintaining heart health to aiding the digestion system, bananas are among the best fruits to put in your body. However, I didn’t get the chance to mention the health benefits of oats and peanut butter. As explained in a Healthline article about oats and oatmeal, oats are an amazing source of carbohydrates and fiber, like the beta-glucan fiber. Peanut butter, contrary to popular belief, is also extremely plentiful in fiber. Though this nut butter does contain saturated fats, peanut butter’s other nutrients (such as fiber and some vitamins) are the reason for its healthy food status. According to an article from Harvard, peanut butter also contains several minerals (i.e., potassium). So, if you want a recipe that’s good for you and your sweet tooth, try out my Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookie recipe this holiday season.