Welcome to the wonderful world of 2-ingredient recipes. They may not sound like much, but these banana oat cookies are way better than the sum of their (very low number of) parts.
They're sugar-free. They're gluten-free. They're devoid of egg, dairy, flour, oil, and basically anything that isn't just oats and bananas. It'll take you less than 20 minutes to make them and they can be stored for several days.
I don't think there's any need to dress them up, but you could easily add in a variety of different ingredients if that's what you fancy. Think chocolate, peanut butter, raisins, nuts, or jam. Whatever works for you.
I like to think of this as a vegan breakfast recipe, so if you fancy more of those then check out this banana porridge, vegan breakfast hash, and these mashed potato pancakes.
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- Sugar-free 🍭
- Nutrition 🌱
- Oats 🌿
- Gluten-free ✅
- Ingredients 📋
- Step by step 📷
- FAQ ❓
- Additions 🔀
- Recipe 👨🍳
Can I really make these without sugar?
Yup! The mashed banana acts as both a binder and natural sweetener for the mix, meaning you'll have cookies with a nice texture and flavour without the need for any refined sugar.
Are they healthy?
There's nothing more than oats and bananas in the basic recipe, with each cookie weighing in at just 65 calories.
The cookies are also free from oil and butter (and therefore very low in fat) provided you use a non-stick baking sheet or line your sheet with greaseproof paper or a non-stick baking mat.
Which oats are best?
You'll want to use rolled oats for this recipe. Sometimes referred to as 'porridge oats' or 'quick oats', these oats have been rolled flat into thin flakes and will cook relatively quickly.
'Steel-cut' or 'pinhead' oats won't work in the same way as they require more cooking time – these are better off used in traditional porridge or recipes like this ultimate vegan haggis, vegan white pudding, or vegan cranachan.
Are oats gluten-free?
Oats are naturally gluten-free, however they may sometimes be processed in an environment where there’s a risk of cross-contamination. To ensure that this recipe is 100% gluten-free, use oats that are certified GF.
What you'll need
It really is this simple:
- Ripe bananas that are easy to mash
- Rolled oats a.k.a. porridge oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
How to make vegan banana and oat cookies
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
Peel the bananas and add to a large bowl. Mash thoroughly with a fork until you have a thick liquid consistency (1).
Add the oats (2) and mix well to create a batter (3).
Using a fork or spoon (or your hands), divide the mixture into roughly 8 even balls and space these out on a non-stick baking sheet. If you don't have a non-stick baking sheet, use a sheet lined with greaseproof paper or a non-stick baking mat.
Use a fork or spoon to flatten the balls into round discs and tidy up the edges. The shape won't change much during cooking, so decide on the size at this stage.
Bake in the oven for around 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are set and starting to turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before eating.
Recipe FAQ
Once cool, I'd recommend storing these in an airtight container and consuming within a couple of days.
I don't usually freeze these, but it's certainly okay to do so. For the best results, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to another container.
Other additions for oat banana cookies
You could also include any of the following when making the batter:
- Vegan chocolate chips
- Raisins or sultanas
- Dried cranberries
- Peanut butter or another nut butter
- Ground flaxseed
- Sunflower seeds
- Chopped nuts
- Fruit jam
- Chopped dates
- Ground cinnamon or nutmeg
- Agave syrup
Keep in touch
Subscribe below to get your free download of The Vegan Kitchen – My Top 10 Tips, featuring 10+ pages of personal experience and advice to set you up for success with your plant-based cooking. 👇
More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:
- 4-Minute Microwave Porridge
- Eggy Scrambled Tofu
- Vegan Haggis Toastie
- Vegan Haggis Fritters
- Sweet Potato Pancakes with Chilli and Lime
- Crispy Baked Falafel
- Vegan Cranachan
You can also check out my full list of vegan snack recipes.
Full recipe
2-Ingredient Banana Oat Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (90 g) rolled oats (certified gluten-free if necessary, see notes)
- 2 ripe bananas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
- Peel the bananas and add to a large bowl. Mash thoroughly with a fork until you have a thick liquid consistency.
- Add the oats and mix well to create a batter.
- Using a fork or spoon (or your hands), divide the mixture into roughly 8 even balls and space these out on a non-stick baking sheet. If you don't have a non-stick baking sheet, use a sheet lined with greaseproof paper or a non-stick baking mat.
- Use a fork or spoon to flatten the balls into round discs and tidy up the edges. The shape won't change much during cooking, so decide on the size at this stage.
- Bake in the oven for around 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are set and starting to turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before eating.📸 Recipe steps >📖 Table of contents >
Notes
- Vegan Potato Hash
- Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes
- Eggy Scrambled Tofu
- Vegan Haggis Toastie
- Vegan Haggis Fritters
- Sweet Potato Pancakes with Chilli and Lime
- Vegan Cranachan
Nutrition
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Kelsee
This recipe was so surprising! I made thee original recipe the first time and it was terrific but the second time…. I added almond milk, choc chips, PB powder and chopped pecans and OMG! Soooo good! I will use this recipe forever.
The Pesky Vegan
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, your additions sound great!
Denise
SO easy! They're going on our blog later in the week. Not had a recipe that hasn't worked from you yet. Delighted to feature your work on our recipe resource. Thanks Alastair, Denise (Double-zero.org)
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers Denise, glad you enjoy the recipes and thanks for sharing!
Glenys Morgan
So quick and easy... and healthy! I love them. I added chopped dates and dark chocolate chips. Excellent for my mid afternoon energy drop, with a cup of tea. Gets me back to work until dinner time. I'll be sharing this around to all my friends.
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you've been enjoying these, thanks for the review!
Jessie
Okay, I was SUPER skeptical of this... But it works! I managed to get 11 cookies out of it, which is funny because when I'm following a recipe for cookies or muffins, I tend to yield much less than it says I will. But that's fine, because even if I eat the entire batch, we're talking 500 calories. I mean, what in the name of cookie miracles?! Thanks so much for the share! Keeping this one, for SURE.
The Pesky Vegan
Yep, they're almost too easy – cheers for the review!
Amber.
Brilliant
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed, cheers!
Shellie
These came out perfect. Thanks!
The Pesky Vegan
Great to hear it, thanks very much for the review!
jessie
Thank you for this recipe. However just to let you know rolled oats and quick oats are NOT the same thing as you mention here. Quick oats are significantly more processed compared to rolled oats and can't be used interchangeably in recipes for that reason. 🙂
The Pesky Vegan
Hi there, thanks for your comment. To be clear, the two types of oat you mention can absolutely be used interchangeably in this recipe. That may not be the case for every recipe involving oats, but the main distinction I wanted to make is between rolled/porridge/'quick' oats and steel-cut or 'pinhead' oats. These recipes are written for a global audience and so specific definitions can be tricky to nail down. Hope this helps! 🙂
Sheena
So so yummy and easy… added a few chopped dried figs and sprinkle of cinammon… thank you!
The Pesky Vegan
Those sound like great additions, thanks very much for the review!
Martha
Better then 5 star. I have made them every day since I first tried this recipe last week. I don't even bother to store them - left on thee kitchen counter on a plate and they disappear! They are wonderful for a portable breakfast.
I added just a tiny bit of salt which made them perfect. I also have been having great fun with add-ins - chia seeds, extracts, currants, etc.
Thanks again
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the rave review - I don't tend to store them either as they quickly disappear!
Vivien Haines
Brilliant and 😋 yummy..thank you so much for this recipe Alistair..so quick to make and bake ..then eat.😄.
The Pesky Vegan
Glad you enjoyed, thanks for the review!
Donna Barski
With oats and bananas in stock, I baked these cookies right after reading this week's recipe post! These naturally sweet gluten-free cookies are indeed delicious. They are a satisfying healthy quick breakfast food for me, along with a hot cup of black coffee, of course. Thank you for this recipe!
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks Donna, glad you enjoyed them with your coffee!
Donna Bee
I forgot to mention in my note that I added cinnamon and my favorite Mexican vanilla to the mix of oats and bananas. (Blue Cattle Truck Trading Company!). The vanilla IS the best I've ever used and I'm fussy.
Thanks again for sharing this so easy to make, tasty and healthy cookie recipe, Alistair
Donna
The Pesky Vegan
Thanks for the handy tips Donna!
Honey
You are amazing! I'm not that fussy on bananas but with oats, what's not to like? Thank you for a guilt free nibble x
The Pesky Vegan
Cheers!