Inspired by an upcoming Hiking & Yoga Retreat, this cookie has so much endurance, I’m convinced it will get us up and over the Alpines with loads of energy and excitement for more adventure!
Over the years, the cookie has morphed into something very different from what it used to be. Growing up, cookies usually came in a box, were treats or rewards for good behaviour or for special occasions, and you would always grab handfuls of them (dip them in milk, maybe), and never just one. Sometimes we made cookies with white flour & white sugar, eggs, vanilla, etc. Other times, we bought that weird pre-made cookie dough that you could just cut up into rounds and throw in the oven (remember that?!) or we would eat it right out of the package with a spoon 🤢.
These days, as an adult, a Mom, an athlete, a Nutritionist, an advocate for Positive Body Image, I can’t remember the last time I bought cookies that came in a package, my son wouldn’t have a clue what I was talking about if I told him about the store bought cookie dough, and white flour or sugar doesn’t live in our home, EVER.
So cookies, to me, are an entirely different wonder!
When we have cookies lying around our house now, that same excitement takes place in the brain: we may even salivate slightly in our mouths, due to the lovely aromas, we might anticipate them being cool enough to eat, if they are baked, and we are sad when the batch is all gone. BUT it is rare for anyone to indulge in more than 1 cookie at a time. Because they are made with real food ingredients, are nutrient-dense, are high in carbohydrates, protein, AND fats, they are extremely satisfying to the senses, the belly, and the glucose receptors. This style of cookie can, not only, make you feel that sense of joy that you love, but ALSO fuel your body in just one delightful little package.
THIS COOKIE can get you through that 2 hr hike or afternoon power run, a trip to the gym, or a long afternoon at the office, I guarantee. It may even save your soul in the hours of after-school, inundated with tiny, hungry, raging monsters 😈!!
Bake Them.
Enjoy Them.
Share Them.
Banana Date Energy Cookies
Makes 12 large cookies
Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
1 cup dates, pitted (if hard, soak in boiling water for 5 minutes & drain)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tbsp honey (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp hemp hearts
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup raisins
In your food processor, combine bananas, dates, coconut oil, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, until well blended. Add oats to the processor and blend until combined, but not overly smooth (you want bits of oats for texture).
Remove mix from processor and stir in hemp hearts, chocolate chips, and raisins. Shape into rounds on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake 350 for 20 - 25 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges.