How to Make Your First Cookie for Infants (and you)
You’ve made your share of banana pancakes; you’ve smoothies more than a few. Served it whole. Served it frozen. So, why not cookie them? Bananas are naturally sweet and soft; they take well to baking. They’re the perfect vessel for introducing a defining childhood treat.
These are real cookies (really!); they’re also made and modified for infants. The tasty, sweet stuff is all optional; you can sub out my nutrition additions–chia seeds and hemp powder for a big protein, iron, and magnesium boost–too. But the butter–lots and lots of butter–is non-negotiable: it’s what holds and pulls it all together.
(Note: if you've got a toddler with teeth--and he/she knows how to use 'em--check out our toddler cookie recipe.)
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep
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Cut each banana in half horizontally, then slice the halves vertically, resulting in eight pieces.
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Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skilled or pan set to Medium High. Once melted, add in all of the banana pieces and cook for four minutes, flipping over each banana piece at the two minute mark. Set bananas aside.
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Put the rest of the butter into the pan and cook it until browned, roughly three minutes. Stir frequently.
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Add the banana pieces back into the pan and cook until they turn into a golden brown mush, roughly six minutes. Continue stirring frequently.
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While the bananas and butter cook, mix together the flour, baking soda, hemp powder, a handful of chia seeds, and a small shake of salt. Set aside.
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Drizzle your sweetener all over the banana mixture and allow to cook until it bubbles and congeals, roughly 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and place into a bowl or onto a plate and allow to cool for roughly 15 minutes.
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In a large bowl, mix together the egg and a hearty splash of vanilla extract; add in the banana mixture and combine. Pour the flour mixture on top and stir until a dough forms. Add in chocolate chips and/or coconut flakes, if using, then roll into a large ball. Seal the top of the bowl and refrigerate for an hour (or more).
Cook
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Heat your oven to 375. Place parchment paper onto a baking pan or cookie sheet; spritz cooking spray over the top of it.
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With wet hands, grab a clump of the cookie dough, roll into a rough ball, and place on the parchment paper; with your palm, press the cookie ball down to flatten. Repeat for remaining mixture, making sure to leave enough space between the cookies so that they don’t–and won’t–touch.
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Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 14-15 minutes.
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Remove cookies from pan and place on a cooling rack (or any not-hot flat surface, really), allowing at least fifteen minutes for the cookies to cool and firm.
Serve
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All that butter and banana means the cookies will be soft–you should have no problem cutting it into the bite sizes appropriate for your child.
Adapt
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Beyond the addition of chocolate chips, you can easily switch out the flours–almond flour works great in these–or change the proportion of flour to change the cookie: add more flour to get a denser and crisper snack; reduce it if you want it to be even softer and chewier.
