Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

A recipe has been floating around on Facebook called "Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies".  The picture that goes with the recipe looks a lot like No Bake Cookies which are my husband's favorite.  So, he shared the recipe with me and requested that I try it out - for a "healthy" alternative.  The recipe is simple and we already had all the ingredients on hand.  As you can see from the picture above, in reality these cookies look nothing like No Bake Cookies.  And sadly for my husband, they taste nothing like them either.  The cookies are kind of spongy and not sweet in the least.  Really you could only taste bananas and cocoa powder.  I wouldn't go so far as to call them cookies.  The boys ate them, but I think that is just because we haven't had anything in the house the even resembles a cookie in months.  The way the calories compared between the skinny and the no bake were about 2 to 1.  My husband said he would rather have 1 no bake than 2 skinny. The only problem with that is a lot of the ingredients in the no bake are not healthy in the least.  I think if you go into eating this cookie understanding it is not sweet and better for you than a regular no bake cookie it would be just fine.  I think you could trade out the cocoa powder for some chocolate Shakeology for a quick and easy breakfast on the go that would travel well in the car (you just couldn't bake them, they would need to be refrigerated).  Or trade the cocoa for some chocolate protein powder and these would make great snacks to take to sporting events for kids at half-time or to eat between matches.  As always, remember to let people know they contain peanut butter.  Here is the recipe:

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

3 Ripe Bananas
2 Cups Oats
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter (I used natural creamy peanut butter)
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash bananas then add the rest of the ingredients and stir.  Let sit for 20 minutes.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  
Makes 30 cookies.
*Note, the cookies will stick, it helps to loosen them with a spatula a few minutes after they have come out of the oven.