Nikki's Healthy Cookie Recipe

This recipe I got from the website www.101cookbooks.com. (The link to the cookies is http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/nikkis-healthy-cookies-recipe.html). Seriously check the website out. The author is a culinary genius with what healthy stuff she comes up with. My husband loves these cookies (and so do the doctors at my office who live off of salad---so high praise indeed!). Almond meal and coconut oil can generally be found at farmer's market grocers, like Sprouts, although I have also seen coconut oil at regular grocery stores as well (almond meal also might be at regular grocery stores, I just haven't ever looked there...). I do cheat and use regular sweetened shredded coconut, because that's what I have on hand.

Ingredients:

• 3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm, so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2/3 cup almond meal
• 1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 6-7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.