Super soft and extra chewy cookies based off three easy ingredients and ready in just 12 minutes! These healthy 3 ingredient banana bread cookies have no butter, oil, flour or sugar but you’d never tell! They are also naturally gluten free, vegan, paleo and dairy free!
Please, pick yourself off the floor.
This recipe does NOT contain my lovechild- Coconut flour.
I know, I know. A paleo recipe on here (or any, rather!) and not containing any coconut flour? Trust me, my bags (yes, bags) of coconut flour are giving me the stink eye. However, I’m giving them a break for a day or two and sharing a recipe using a different meal/flour today- Almond meal!
Reader Ann emailed a while back saying her family really enjoyed these 3 ingredient flourless banana bread cookies. By always having those 3 ingredients in her kitchen at all times (banana, oats and smooth nut butter), they were a consistent snack for them. Ann, however, has been following a paleo diet and wanted to know if we could sub the oats for coconut flour.
Seeing as I go through coconut flour like water in my apartment, I was game to give it a go. I played around with measurements and upped the nut butter and banana in the hopes of being left with a soft and chewy paleo friendly banana bread cookie.
So after four tries, these were the outcomes.
Trial 1- Hockey pucks. The coconut flour was so absorbent, it even absorbed the cooking spray on the cookie sheet.
Trial 2- Hockey pucks….even with the decreased amount of coconut flour.
Trial 3- Pretty much this single serve banana bread, but firmer.
Trial 4- Something which tasted good, but I needed to drink a gallon of water after it.
Safe to say, I had enough of coconut flour with this endeavor.
I was not going to give up, though- I’ve worked with almond meal before and knew it could be a solid replacement (give or take) with oats in a recipe. At first, I thought I might need some eggs to bind, but I was able to work out a pretty delicious soft and chewy banana bread like cookie, without the need for oats or hockey pucks or my lovechild. Saying that- If you are after crispy, crunchy or firm cookies, I’m sorry but these are just not that (well, if 3 ingredients are your intentions). If you’re good with soft and chewy, these healthy 3 ingredient flourless Paleo banana bread cookies have YOUR name on them!
These banana bread cookies need just three ingredients and none of them are butter, flour, oil, eggs or sugar! They are soft, extra chewy and taste like a delicious, nutty banana bread in cookie form! For those following a grain free or paleo lifestyle, you’ve probably got all three ingredients in your kitchen right now- Almond meal, nut butter (I used almond) and overripe bananas! These cookies aren’t just for the paleo folk- They are also vegan, gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free!
HACK! You can replace it with almond flour, however, I really do find the almond meal (a more dense, course texture) to really compliment the banana and almond butter REALLY well! If texture is what you are after, go the meal.
Almond meal.
Make these healthy three ingredient paleo banana bread cookies and quash those banana bread cravings with three easy steps.
I mean ingredients.
Healthy 3 Ingredient Paleo Banana Bread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup almond meal
- 2 large overripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup smooth nut butter of choice
- 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet/tray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your overripe bananas, almond meal and nut butter of choice. Mix very well until fully combined. Stir through optional chocolate chips.
- Using a scoop or even your hands, form into small balls and transfer to the cookie sheet. Press each cookie down firmly and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown on top- Do not overcook.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheet for 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
Healthy Flourless Sticky Cinnamon Bun Cookies
Healthy 4 Ingredient Applesauce Cookies
What is your number 1 used ingredient for any recipe?
Do you often use/have you ever used almond meal before?
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thanks for constantly making vegan friendly treats!
curious..what do you do with your failed trial recipes? do you use/waste a lot of coconut flour and other ingredients?
You are so welcome! 🙂
Oh man, I EAT them haha- I hate wasting food!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It looks so yummy! I tried replacing the almond meal with almond flour are 1:1 ration interchangeable, but my dough came out more watery like bread or muffin batter. I wonder if my bananas were bigger, so maybe that’s why it’s more runny?
Do you have any suggestions for using this recipe with almond flour? Thanks!! =)
Hmm it probably was the banana- keep adding more almond meal/flour next time 🙂
That’s actually what I did! I added 1/2-2/3 Cup more almond flour. It still wasn’t thick enough, & I was afraid too add too much. I might try adding more next time until I get cookie consistency ? I was just thinking it might lack the sweetness I’d like the more flour I add.
Thank you so much for your yummy recipe sharing, & for your reply!! ?
Is it fahrenheit 250 degrees or celsius?
Hi! It is Fahrenheit! But to speed it up, it can be made at 180C/350F.
Can almond flour be used instead of meal? That’s all I’ve got
Of course 🙂