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.)
Cut each banana in half horizontally, then slice the halves vertically, resulting in eight pieces.
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.
Put the rest of the butter into the pan and cook it until browned, roughly three minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the banana pieces back into the pan and cook until they turn into a golden brown mush, roughly six minutes. Continue stirring frequently.
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.
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.