Chocolate Banana Breakfast Cookies: Low Fat, Low Sugar, Whole Grain, (And there's a tropical variation)

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch as our family of 6 tries to eat on $6/day.

We all rebel against our parents in some way. Some people let their hair get scraggly. Others take up poker. Some try drugs, stop going to church, or bring home all the wrong guys. As for me, I keep cream on hand. There's a whole pint in my fridge right now. And I'm not afraid to use it.

However. Yesterday when speaking to my little brother on the phone, I was reminded that not everyone keeps cream on hand. And with that I was reminded that not everyone wants butter or peanut butter or coconut in their breakfast (or perhaps in their anything). I can only assume that such people are walking around with very scraggly hair.

And yet, if I look back several years, I can even remember a time when I would have pitched a nice teenage hissy fit before letting anything lacking the label low-fat pass my neurotic teenage lips. Not that I'm accusing anyone of pitching a teenage hissy fit (surely not) or being neurotic, but I suspect that there are some of you out there longing for a nice low-fat, low-sugar, non-gross breakfast cookie. This is a tall order, my friends. But for breakfast cookies I will do it. And for you, of course. And maybe a teensy bit for me, because since I stopped nursing I'm not nearly so ravenously hungry as I was several months ago. Sounds like a win win win.

And if you're still nursing a baby or rebelling against your low-fat parents or just have a thing for coconut, there's a tropical adaptation that's really great too (and even still on the slim side, coconut or no).

Chocolate Banana Breakfast Cookies: Low Fat, Low Sugar, Whole Grain

Makes 12 (although I tend to get only 11 out of this batch on a consistent basis due to a clear spacial disability)

Prep time: 7 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Cost: $.90

(banana: .12, sugars: .08, egg: .10, extracts: .05, cocoa: .40, whole wheat: .10, oats: .05)

Note: If you are a banana hater or just don't have any on hand, you can substitute applesauce for the banana, although the cookies are a bit more bland this way--you may want to try adding 1 Tbsp brown sugar to liven it up and maybe an extra 1/2 Tbsp cocoa.

1 banana, well mashed (1/3-1/2 C mashed banana)

1 tsp canola oil

2 Tbsp white sugar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/3 C cocoa

1/4 tsp baking soda

dash salt

1/2 C whole wheat

1/2 C quick oats (1/4 C ground oats or whole wheat may be substituted if your family dislikes texture of any tasty kind)

1/4 C chocolate chips (optional)

Combine mashed banana, oil, sugars, egg, and extracts. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet. Add chocolate chips if using.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Tropical Variation:

-Substitute 1 tsp coconut oil for the canola oil (if you don't have coconut oil, just follow the other steps and it'll still be great)

-Substitute 1/4 tsp coconut extract for the almond extract

-Substitute 1/2 C shredded coconut for the quick oats.

Prepare as above.

PRINTABLE RECIPE