Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm sure I've mentioned my love/hate relationship with bananas before.  Mostly, I just have trouble eating them before they go bad.  In theory, this is no big deal, because I love turning my rotten bannas into something else.  In practice, though, it's kind of annoying, because I never know what else to make besides banana bread.  And, while I LOVE banana bread, there are only so many variations you can make of it before that gets boring, too.

These cookies are a mouthful... literally.  I've made these a few times and every time, I try to think of an easier name for them, but I keep drawing a blank.  The name is a lot to say, but they're so easy to make that it's definitely worth it.  I'm pretty sure that my brother has eaten an entire container of these by himself without thinking twice about it.

For me, these cookies are perfect as a snack, but I've been known to have a few (or maybe 5 or 6) for breakfast.  I'm probably just deluding myself into thinking that the oatmeal makes these way healthier than they are, but all things considered, I'm pretty sure these are pretty decent. I mean, oatmeal's good for you!

What helps me feel better about it, right?

The awesome part about this recipe is that you can pretty much make any substitutions you want and you'll still get something delicious.  I normally use regular all-purpose flour and old-fashioned oats, but I've also made these with whole wheat flour and quick oats.  Making it this way, you get a little bit of a wetter batter, but no discernible taste difference.  I also like to substitute dark chocolate chunks or chips instead of semisweet chips.  While they taste good, I find that the dark chocolate tends to mask or overpower the banana flavor.  Nest time, I might do a combination of dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips and see what happens.

You'll notice that the cook time on these is a little bit longer than the cook time on pretty much any other cookie I make.  The banana makes these cookies really moist which does two things: first, it means they can hang around for a little longer before they're get too dry and stale.  Second, it means you end up with a really wet batter that takes a little longer to cook!  Fret not, though, because even though you're cooking them for about 10 minutes, you still get a really moist and chewy cookie with a TON of banana and chocolatey flavor.

What's your favorite thing to make with bananas?

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/2 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 ripe bananas
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. flour
2 c. old fashioned oats
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips.

Combine all ingredients except flour, oats and chocolate chips. Stir in the flour, then the oats, then the chocolate chips. Batter will be wet.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are dry. Let cool on cookie sheets for two minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Try not to eat them all in the meantime!