Almond Flour Banana Cookies (Paleo, gluten-free)
These soft and chewy Almond Flour Banana Cookies are a fun, healthy treat! And they're naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, vegan and Paleo.
Servings: 18 cookies
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mashed bananas from about 2 large, ripe bananas (yellow with lots of black spots)
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted and cooled
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cup superfine blanched almond flour not almond meal
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Optional mix-ins
- ¼ cup chocolate chips dairy-free, if necessary (such as Enjoy Life!)
- ¼ cup chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews or hazelnuts
- ¼ cup dried fruit such as raisins, golden raisins or dried cherries
- 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the mashed banana, coconut sugar, melted and cooled coconut oil, and vanilla until blended.
- Add the almond flour (sifting it into the bowl with a fine-mesh sieve if it's lumpy), cinnamon and salt and stir until everything is combined. Stir in any mix-ins, if using.
- Scoop the dough into approx. 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Get the palm of your hands slightly damp and gently press the balls down until they're about 1/4" thick.
- Bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown around the edges (this might seem like a long time but the cookies are very moist), swapping and rotating the pans once halfway through baking. Let cool completely and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition note: The nutritional info was calculated without any mix-ins.
Substitutions
You can use regular sugar or brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar (but then it won't be refined sugar-free/Paleo).
To make it nut-free, you can try sunflower seed flour in place of the almond flour. I have not tried this substitution so I can't guarantee the results. If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
You can add more cinnamon and/or other spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, etc.
You can add almond extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla extract. Almond extract is stronger so you only need 1/4 teaspoon.
For a more tropical flavor, you can add the zest of 1 lime to the dough.
Make ahead
The cookies can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They do get softer the longer they sit.
Freezer info
Place the cookies in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer until the cookies are frozen, about 2-3 hours. Transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer-safe container or baggie and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.1mg