Vanana Cookies (Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies)
I’m not sure if frugality and penny-pinching is genetic but for better or worse I’ve inherited my family’s Midwestern “waste not, want not” mantra. I get phone calls like “Hey Vanessa, I’m about to throw away some bubble wrap, a yard of astroturf, and a silver ice bucket with my initials on it… I just thought you might, you know, want to do something with it before it goes into trash.” You see, I hate wasting anything.
I buy a bunch of bananas, for instance, and if the sisters and I can’t eat them all before they start to go spotty I throw the brown ones in the freezer, skins and all, to be later incarnated as banana bread or my favorite smoothie: banana-peanutbutter-cocoa.
So when challenged by a recipe development class at the Institute of Culinary Education to create a variation on the classic chocolate-chip cookie, I thought it would be fine time to clear the freezer of bananas and put them to use in a cookie version of my favorite smoothie. Effervescent instructor Sarah Copeland, recipe tester for the Food Network, used her encyclopedic baking knowledge to help turn my smoothie concept into real (and vegan!) cookies. My classmates shared inspired ideas and comments, including Myra Kornfield’s vegan baking tip to use coconut oil in the cookies for richness. The weekend class somehow flew by even though my stomach was quite heavily bogged down with test cookies.
So here they are, the results of my smoothie-to-cookie experiment - Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies, or Vanana Cookies for short. The bananas, peanut butter, and cocoa combine to create a rich brownie-like cookie with bursts of creamy banana and chunky peanut. Truly scrumptious, vegan, and a great way to reclaim a few overly ripe bananas.
Preparation = 20 minutes
Cooking = 10 minutes
Yield = 16 large cookies
Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, preferably organic
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 very ripe bananas*
1 1/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter, at room temperature
1⁄4 cup coconut oil (not virgin), at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 firm-ripe bananas, cut into large dice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
In another bowl, cream together the ripe bananas, peanut butter, coconut oil, light brown sugar and vanilla extract until all ingredients are completely incorporated, about 3 minutes.
Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the ripe banana mixture, stirring to combine. Mixture should be very thick. Fold in diced banana with a rubber spatula.
Drop on an ungreased cookie sheet in large, 3 tablespoon-sized scoops, spaced one inch apart.
Bake until the outside of the cookie lightens, starts to develop deep cracks, and the banana bits start to brown, about 8 - 11 minutes.
Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
*Can be frozen and rethawed
August 21st, 2007 23:06
Great ICE class, instructor and these terrific cookies. I must remember to freeze the bananas that spoil in my fruit bowl.
Your photos look great too!
Congrats Vanessa you have a winner!
Kathy
August 22nd, 2007 09:09
All I can say is that I couldn’t stop myself from eating 4 (count them, 4!!) of these huge muffin-size cookies in one sitting. If my stomachache isn’t proof of their delicious-ness, I don’t know what is.
August 22nd, 2007 15:17
So happy you finally put this recipe up on the web! I have been looking forward to making these since our class. Can wait to test them out and brag to all my friends about the sheer deliciousness of these cookies. Thanks for posting it!
Amanda
August 22nd, 2007 16:51
Vanana Cookies rock! Thanks for your great comments about my class, and for inspiring us all to make a few healthier choices when we bake (I may have gotten a little too cozy with refined sugar and butter….).
August 23rd, 2007 10:25
looks so good, thanks for share!
August 24th, 2007 06:53
Thanks Kathy, so nice to hear from you again! Good luck marketing those fabulous mojito cookies… hope to see them at a bakery near me soon.
Sis- I think I ate four while shooting their portraits
Thanks for the Hello, Amanda! Please do try them out… I’d love to know if someone besides me has luck with this recipe. If you do try them be sure to let me know!
Hey Sarah, no problem… just trying to change the world, one cookie at a time
Johanna - nice of you to pop by! I just noticed all the delicous-looking desserts on your site. I’m intrigued by the date-nut balls, are they raw?
August 24th, 2007 15:55
Oh, these cookies look incredible, V! Will have to add it to the “recipes to try” list.
August 25th, 2007 14:03
Sigh…I love that you are taking a recipe development course and I love the cookie recipe that you created! I am so glad I’ve found the miracle of freezing bananas- when they’re fresh, I only like them with a greenish tint. But now I know that they are still abundantly useful after that stage.
Please do more posts about your ICE experience, so I can live vicariously through you some more. =)
August 26th, 2007 00:45
Mmmm, those sound good.. And I happen to have two over ripe bananas in my kitchen right now that I was wondering what to make with. Something just got added to tomorrow’s to-do list.
August 28th, 2007 00:21
Vanessa you talked about your web site in class, this the first opportunity I’ve had to take a good look. Very Nice! You have a great way with words and your recipes and photos completely compliment.
Keep up the great work, hopefully we will meet up at another ICE class.
Christine
August 28th, 2007 18:10
Now that looks incredible. Truly incredible. And if you look the other way when the sugar is being added, you could almost argue that they are healthy. Why just look at all those wonderful bananas all bursting with healthful potassium. Well, that’s my story and I’m going to stick with it!
Thanks for the recipe. Truly.
Cheers!
September 17th, 2007 07:17
I don’t think I can get my hands on coconut oil… can I use vegetable oil instead?
September 18th, 2007 16:40
Cassie- Thank you! Please do let me know how they turn out.
Bazu- the slighly greenish stage is my fav banana stage too. After they are usually relegated to a granola topping or the freezer to save for later baked treats. Yes, will certainly let you know if I do another ICA course!
Commonplaceiris- Great! Hope everything worked out for you.
Christine- Thank you! Yes, I certainly hope to take another class and that our paths cross again. Best of luck to you!
Almost Vegetarian- Hmmm, you’re giving me an idea to try agave nectar or maple syrup next time. I’m also thinking they could be made with wheat flour and/or some ground flax seeds to really punch up the health factor. Back to the kitchen, I guess
Ben - Yes, you could substitute vegetable oil or vegan margarine. It won’t have quite the same body as the coconut oil but should work fine. Let me know how they turn out!
October 2nd, 2007 19:36
Vanessa,
Your recipes are amazing! Last week when I felt under the weather I tried out your soup with ginger and garlic and lemon - yum! Even my neighbor was lured by the smell and luckily I had plenty to spare!
I have these cookies in the oven right now and like Ben did not have coconut oil. I can’t find any around here that is not virgin. So I used vegan margarine. Can’t wait to see how they turn out. Thanks for your creativity and wonderful recipes!
October 3rd, 2007 14:23
Hi Jess, thanks for visiting.
I love these cookies - I feel like you can eat them any time of day. Coconut oil gives them such a rich flavor and texture but you can probably substitute any mild-flavored oil or vegan margarine. Please let me know how they turn out with the marg!