Crazy-good monkey bites

Boo asked for oatmeal cookies so I made a batch but experimented a little. I didn't have any dates or cashews so I modified the mommyguilt-free cookies and this new version is much more moist and a tad gooey, but in a good way. They're also not as dense as the original. They contain peanut butter but the taste is really subtle. I tried another batch adding more peanut butter but then they got the mouth-sticking consistency without the added flavor. Oh well, I'll take this version because of its consistency and protein the peanut butter provides. I make them pretty small so she eats about 3 or 4 for breakfast around 7:30. Around 8:30 I give her a smoothie and she's nice and full until her midmorning snack which is usually a fruit leather or something light, fluffy, and not too filling like veggie booty or snapea crisps.

I was trying to come up with a fun name so I asked my husband what comes to mind when I say peanut butter and bananas and he said "monkey nuts". Did I mention I have a second child who happens to be 36? Okay, so "monkey nuts" isn't very appetizing so I asked Boo what comes to mind when I say peanut butter and bananas and she said, "good!". So here you go, "Crazy-good monkey bites". I had to add "crazy" because how can I not with nuts and bananas? Hee hee...

Crazy-good monkey bites
Makes 4 dozen mini bites
- 2 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 TB cocoa powder
- 3 cups over-ripe bananas (approx 7 medium nanas)
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (honey, agave nectar, or sugar will work, too)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Use a blender or food processor, blend the oats into a fine flour (it doesn't have to be exactly like the consistency of store bought flour - it can be a little rougher). Add the baking soda, cinnamon, and cocoa powder and blend for a few seconds to combine. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas using a fork or potato masher. Add peanut butter, vanilla extract, and maple syrup and mix well. Add banana mixture to the oat mixture and combine well. Using a mini ice cream scooper (mine is 1.5" in diameter) place mounds of the dough on the baking sheet. These cookies don't rise so press down a little. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Cool cookies on a wire rack then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These freeze well, too. I make sleeves of them by wrapping 10 in plastic wrap then place them all in a freezer bag. I pull out a sleeve the night before and place in frig and it's ready to eat the next morning.

In the other batch where I used more peanut butter, I added pureed carrots so the next time I'll replace some of the bananas with carrots. Hmmm, I could add shredded zucchini, too. Next batch...

PS: I changed the name from "cookies" to "bites" so kiddies who are older and have expectations of what a cookie is like aren't disappointed when they get this since it's more muffin-like. :o)