This recipe has been floating around on Facebook ... I tried it when Ivan was under a year old and Ivan has loved them ever since! When I first started making them I made circles ... you know, COOKIES. When I gave them to Ivan I had to tear them into bite sized bits because he would put the ENTIRE thing into his mouth. With a full set of teeth now, I have begun making sticks/bars instead. They are easier for him to hold onto and nibble on.
I mash the ripe bananas with a fork prior to adding the additional ingredients. I like the banana to be creamy.
Here's what you'll need:
2 cups quick oatmeal (this is really the only thing I measure)
3 ripe bananas (smashed until creamy)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
cinnamon
vanilla
Every time I cook it's more like a science project ... I started making this recipe with exact measurements and have since just eye-balled it. Sometimes I've forgotten the cinnamon and/or vanilla and it's hard to notice. Occasionally I've also added finely ground walnuts for some extra brain power.
Pre-heat your oven before you mix to approx 350-375 degrees. Mix all ingredients until the mixture is not too runny, and not too thick (wow, I would make a horrible cook book author)!
Shape to your desired outcome on a greased cookie sheet (I use a fork to scoop and shape). Maybe due to my limited baking experience, I was ASSuming the cookies would rise or change shape in the oven. With limited ingredients, they did not! They come out the same way you put them in. Just make sure each shape is about the same thickness to ensure evenly cooking them.
make sure to grease the cookie sheet and not to keep them in too long ... they will get hard fast!
They should be done in about 20-30 minutes. Careful not to bake too long, they can get hard fast.
I store them in a container in the refrigerator but they usually don't last long! They also live in our freezer in a freezer Ziploc bag when we have a lot of ripe bananas laying around.
I've recently found myself eating a few of these for breakfast on the go!