BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

The count down is on for the last day of school! Anyone else excited? I love change, so right now I'm welcoming the lazy days and schedule-free activities in our future. Talk to me in another couple months and I'll probably be singing a different tune, but for now I'm happy.

The other day I was craving a soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. I decided to whip up a batch but when I walked in my kitchen, I saw a few very ripe bananas on the counter top. Hmmm... The gears began turning in my head and I opted to modify my pumpkin cookie recipe and instead make Banana Chocolate Chip cookies. I omitted the oil and sugar and replaced them with applesauce and honey. I even used whole wheat flour! The result was a soft, moist cookie that the kids devoured as an after-school snack. They aren't overly sweet so I didn't feel bad about eating a couple for breakfast too!

Just a note about using honey in place of sugar- it makes the dough a lot thinner. It resembles a thick muffin batter. It was still manageable though, so don't add any additional flour or you'll dry the cookies out. Instead, place the bowl in the freezer for 10-20 minutes to help set the dough more. Even without the freezing, I didn't have a hard time, but I wanted to give you all a head's up!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup ripe banana, smashed

3/4 cup white sugar {or use 1/2 cup honey instead}
1/2 cup vegetable oil {or use 1/2 cup applesauce instead}
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour {can replace with whole wheat}
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients until well blended. If you opt to use raw honey, you can microwave it for about 30 seconds to make it easier to mix in. It's not necessary but does make it easier.