Banana-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is from my November 2008 issue of Health Magazine. It says that these cookies are a favorite of Susan Sarandon. They are from Bethenny Frankel who is a celebrity natural-foods chef and owner of the baked-goods company bethanybakes. Find out more about Bethenny at the www.bethennybakes.com website.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup  oat flour
• 3⁄4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄3 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup raw sugar
• 1⁄3 cup canola oil
• 1⁄3 cup soymilk, plain
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 banana, ripe, cut into small pieces
• 1⁄4 cup walnuts, chopped (or another favorite nut)
• 1⁄3 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips (such as Tropical Source)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together oil, soy milk and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; stir to combine. Fold in banana, walnuts and chocolate chips.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough onto pan with a small ice-cream scoop. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown, turning baking sheet halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack.
4. NOTE: Use this cookie base (minus the last 3 ingredients) as a blank canvas for other flavor variations. So instead of bananas, walnuts and chocolate chips, try one of the following: raisins and a pinch of cinnamon, dried blueberries with raw sugar sprinkled on cookies, dried cranberries and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract or slivered almonds and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.