Very Berry Banana Cookies--Little Morsels of Vegan Goodness

Lest you think that 22 days eating vegan (for my 28-Day Engine 2 Challenge) means I have not been enjoying food, think again. I have been happily munching away at some great meals and even a few delicious little treats. I came across these Very Berry Banana Cookies in "The Part-Time Vegan: 201 Yummy Recipes That Put the Fun in Flexitarian" by vegan food blogger Cherise Grifoni (www.yourveganzombie.blogspot.com), and knew I had to make them. There is room in any eating plan, vegan or not, for these little morsels of goodness.

Note: I made a few very minor changes based on what I had on hand and personal preference which are in red below.

Grifoni says, "A sweet and unfamiliar treat. The combination of blueberry preserves, dried blueberries, cranberries, and the pinch of cinnamon will have you smacking your lips and coming back for seconds and thirds."

Very Berry Banana Cookies

"The Part-Time Vegan" by Cherise Grifoni

(Makes about 1 dozen cookies--or two dozen if you make them smaller like I did)

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat flour)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup blueberry preserves (I used an all-natural, no added sugar fruit spread)

1/2 cup almond milk

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 medium banana

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried blueberries

raw almonds for topping (I used sliced almonds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, preserves, and almond milk in a bowl. Mix well. Mix the oats in. Add the banana into the batter by mashing it up with a fork. Fold in the dried cranberries and blueberries.

Roll into 1 1/2" balls (I rolled them into about 3/4" balls) and place them on a well greased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper). Press an almond (or some almond slices) into the center of each little cookie. Cook for about 22 minutes (I cooked the smaller cookies about 17 minutes). Keep checking on them to make certain the bottoms don't burn and the middles aren't mushy!

Notes/Results: Yum! These are an oat-cake like cookie--moist, dense, and with great fruit flavor. I love that there is no oil in them and no added sugar--perfect for enjoying on my challenge. The preserves and fruit keep them just slightly sweet, but sweet enough to be a treat. As mentioned, I made them about half the size specified and doing the math with the ingredients, each cookie comes in at about 80 calories. Not bad for a fiber-filled, healthy little treat. I took some to my challenge "support group" meeting and some to another meeting today with people not doing a vegan challenge, and they were equally enjoyed by both groups. I will definitely make these again.