Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (vegan and gluten free options)

I’m always on the lookout for new healthy baking ingredients so when I first heard about banana flour I knew that I had to get my hands on it! It was just my luck that I one day came across it at Home Sense!

Banana flour is made from grinding dried green bananas into a flour. It’s gluten free, low in calories (100 calories per 1/4 cup!), and is packed with potassium. You can use about 2/3 cup of banana flour for every cup of flour called for in a recipe but it’s best when mixed with another flour so that your product won’t come out too dry. 

So what does banana flour taste like? Contrary to it’s components and that it even smells a little like bananas when you open the flour packet up, it doesn’t taste like bananas at all! I would even say that it tastes a little more like spelt flour (or compliments it) but with a chewier texture. I for one definitely liked it and will be using it again!

Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 24

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups banana flour
1/2 cup spelt flour* 
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg, room temperature*
7 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup honey*
1/4 cup coconut sugar
A couple handfuls of chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine the banana flour, spelt flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
2. In another bowl whisk together the egg, coconut oil, and honey until well combined. Add in the coconut sugar and then stir again until its dissolved. 
3. Add wet to dry ingredients and stir until combined
4. Fold in chocolate chips
5. The mixture will be very sticky so stick the bowl covered in some plastic wrap in the fridge for at least 15 minutes (more is better if you can). While you wait, preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Scoop heaping spoonfuls of the batter on to your prepared pan. If the dough isn’t too sticky you can also roll them into balls
7. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden brown, allow to cool on baking sheet before serving


*If you want to make this recipe vegan and/or gluten free you can substitute the spelt flour for oat flour. The egg for a flax egg and the honey for maple syrup.