Lovely Little Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 16 cookies

These petite, semi-sweet cookies feature vegan chocolate chips and oats paired with mashed ripe bananas, maple syrup, and bit of vegan buttery spread. Here’s a delicious, jazzy twist on the All-American cookie classic!

1 cup thinly sliced very ripe bananas

2 tablespoons vegan buttery spread

2 tablespoons Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup

1½ cups gluten-free, quick cooking rolled oats

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/16 teaspoon salt

½ cup vegan chocolate chips (50% to 60% cacao)

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

Put the mashed banana, buttery spread, and maple syrup into a medium-sized bowl and mash together using a potato masher or large fork until well-combined and only small flecks of the vegan buttery spread are visible.

Put the oats, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk until combined.

Add the banana/maple syrup mixture to the dry ingredients and stir together using a large spoon until the dough comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the lined cookie sheet, spacing them about ½-inch apart. Gently flatten the top of each cookie slightly with a flat spatula. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are slightly golden, but the tops are still a nice blonde color.

Remove the sheet from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, leftover cookies will keep for 3 days.

Recipe excerpt from Easy Vegan Home Cooking by Laura Theodore. Publisher, Hatherleigh Press, October 26th 2021. Distributed by Penguin Random House. Reprinted by permission.