These cookies are easy to make and contain no refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. Instead the cookies get their sweetness primarily from bananas and mango puree. I make my own mango puree, which is easy to do, takes minutes, and less expensive than buying the stuff. See below for the instructions for how to make the puree. The cookies are moist, lightly sweet and taste of bananas, mango, and coconut. With whole grains, beneficial fiber, and a good amount of protein, the cookies are great if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy" (in moderation, as always!). We like the cookies as a simple snack or dessert with a cup of coffee or tea, and the cookies also make a nice after-school treat for kids with a glass of milk. Enjoy!
Tropical Banana-Mango Cookies (Diabetic Friendly) -- Makes 12+
2 bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup of canola oil
1 large egg
1/4 cup of mango puree (see below)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of butter extract (optional, but good)
1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut, plus extra to sprinkle
1 cup of ground, preferably toasted, cashews
1/2 cup of rolled oats (I use old fashioned)
1/2 cup of white whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
In a large bowl whisk together well the bananas, canola oil, egg, mango, and extracts. Add the coconut, ground cashews, oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and stir them in with a spoon until completely incorporated.
Air Fryer: Cut pieces of baking parchment to fit your air fryer basket. Drop mounds of dough--it will be pretty wet--onto the parchment (about 2 tablespoon scoops), leaving at least a couple of inches between the mounds. With slightly wet fingers, flatten the mounds into rounds and sprinkle on a little coconut to decorate the cookies, pressing the coconut into the cookies a little. Air fry the cookies at 320 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool on their parchment for at least 5 minutes before removing them to cool completely.
Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with baking parchment. Drop mounds of dough--it will be pretty wet--onto the parchment (about 2 tablespoon scoops), leaving a few inches between the mounds. With slightly wet fingers, flatten the mounds into rounds and sprinkle on a little coconut to decorate the cookies, pressing the coconut into the cookies a little. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool on their parchment for at least 5 minutes before removing them to cool completely.
How to Make Mango Puree
Cover dried mango pieces, preferably the kind that contain no added sugar, with boiling water. You need to cover the mango with only enough water to just top the pieces. Let the mango/water mixture stand until it cools and the mangoes absorb a lot of the water (it won't be all). Put the mango/water mixture into a food processor or blender and process it until smooth, then use it in recipes (see others on the blog) or use it to top breads, ice creams, etc.. It's good! I usually make a big batch and store the puree in the refrigerator to use as needed. You can find the dried mango pieces at places like Trader Joe's and on-line. I sometimes buy a big bag at Costco--which is cheaper than some places--but the Costco mango does have "sugar added," so be forewarned and calculate that into your recipe/cooking planning.
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