We’ve all been there. It’s four in the evening, there’s a craving for something sweet, and the only things in the kitchen are a couple of very ripe bananas and a packet of oats. Well, that’s actually all you need. These two-ingredient oat cookies skip the flour, sugar and butter completely, take about five minutes to put together, and come out of the oven in under twenty. They’re soft, mildly sweet and just the sort of snack you can feel good about handing to the family with a cup of chai. Here’s how to make them, step by step.
All you need are ripe bananas and oats, and the ripeness really matters. Pick bananas with plenty of brown spots, since they’re naturally sweeter and mash more easily. As a rough guide, two medium bananas and about one cup of oats make a small batch of around ten cookies. Quick-cooking oats give a softer bite, while rolled oats make the cookies chewier. If you only have rolled oats, a quick pulse in the mixer will do the trick. Don’t expect a crisp bakery-style cookie. These are tender, chewy and naturally sweet, and many people find they taste better a few hours later, once they’ve softened and settled. Once they’re completely cool, keep them in an airtight container. They stay fresh for a couple of days at room temperature, and in humid weather they’re better kept in the fridge. They’re great for tiffins, a mid-morning snack or a pre-workout bite.
