Halloween is around the weekend corner. Which, in my book, means the start of the glutinous holiday season. Lots of pumpkin spice. And most importantly, treats treats treats! And while salt is clearly my b*tch, sugar is my total soft spot. My edible achilles heel. My delicious kryptonite.
When sugary treats are around, I can’t help but devour it. All of it.
But beyond sucrose overload, most sweet treats are also high in…sodium! NO? YES! It’s true. Whether it is the baking powder and baking soda in baked cookies, breads, and muffins OR actual salt in bars, gummies, and hard candies — those sweet treats could quickly add up to a few hundred milligrams of sodium, or more.
So this Halloween, if you need to sneak in a treat (or two), I get it. Just read labels carefully and remember to balance it all with a healthy dinner of kale or cauliflower or basically any vegetable.
But if you’re willing to ditch the processed sweets for something SUPER NATURAL (see what I did there?) then try these super simple, super chewy, super Spooky Cookies made from none other than bananas and oatmeal (and a cookie cutter). That’s it. Based on this recipe from Cooking Light. Of course you can always add chocolate chips, frosting (store-bought or made from purple sweet potatoes) and edible googley eyes. But that’s up to you and your stomach.
And if you’re looking for some other healthy Halloween cooking tricks, also try making these purple “Monster Brain” Empanadas. Or these spinach tortillas to make and bake “Witch Chips” or “Goblin Quesadillas.” You can also turn any of these four spud and oil-free fries into “Edible Tombstones” – just stick them standing up in dip (of the avocado, broccoli, or tomato variety) for a full, graveyard effect.
Low-So and Simple Oatmeal Banana Cookies
inspired by Cooking Light Two-Ingredient Banana Bread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 small overripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the bananas in a bowl and mash them with the back of a fork. It’s okay if there are a little chunky, but don’t be lazy. Do measure it — you want 1 cup. Then add in the oats and stir until combined.
If you want to make little balls: Use your hands or a spoon to make little round cookie drops. Should yield about a dozen. If you want to make shapes: Put your cookie cutter on the parchment paper and use your hands (or spoon) to fill the cookie cutter about 1-inch high/thick. Then carefully lift up the cookie cutter and continue until all the dough is used. Then place in the oven and bake until the top turns golden brown and the dough feels firm-ish, about 15 minutes.
Let the cookies cool before decorating. Then store in an air-tight container for up to a week.
