Happy Valentine’s Day

 (source)

Don’t you feel the love out there? Hah! The only thing I like about this holiday is having an excuse to eat chocolate because chocolate is all over the place! Other then that it is not one of those important holidays. Definitely a cute holiday with all the pink and red hearts, cupids flying around and heart boxes of chocolate. We don’t celebrate this holiday by going out for a special dinner that night and getting a dozen of roses. Instead we stay home, drink wine (eat chocolate too) and hang out.

I like anything with chocolate, if you didn’t know me by now. Like these Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies I made the other day. I had brown bananas screaming to be made into delicious banana bread but I really wasn’t in the mood for banana bread. I wanted cookies! Healthy cookies, so if I wanted 4 cookies I wouldn’t feel bad about eating all 4 cookies ;).

These cookies come from the Clean Food By Terry Walters. Without hesitation I sent myself to the kitchen to bake these up bright and early. All natural ingredients used and could be gluten free if made with brown rice flour. I used whole wheat flour because we don’t have gluten allergies here. I may of added more chocolate chips then the recipe states too ;).

Make these for your honey or for yourself. If they don’t like coconut, leave it out and add more chocolate chips! Depending on the size of your bananas you may need to add a little more flour if the cookie batter is a bit runny. A little tip from me is to freeze the dough for 15 minutes before baking. It will stiffen up the batter and will prevent the cookies from spreading too much. Plus the dough frozen is quite delicious but you didn’t hear that from me!!!

Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Clean Food

Makes 21 cookies

Ingredients

2 bananas, mashes

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine bananas, oil, syrup, and vanilla. In separate medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, coconut and salt. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and blend until just combined (do not over stir). Fold in chocolate chips.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop batter by the heaping teaspoon onto sheet. There is no need to roll, flatten or shape the mounds. Place in oven and bake 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and place directly on wire rack to cool.

Other sweet treats to enjoy on Valentine’s Day:

Almond Joy Chocolate Bark

Cranberry Almond Chocolate Clusters

Dark and Milk Chocolate Brownies

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

White Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

Peanut Butter and Honey Muffins

Oat ‘N’ Toffee Grahams

Red Velvet Cake

Always,

Fallon