2016-02-02
Joybynature.com Team
Feb
02

If you are looking for a recipe that you can make in advance and grab a bite, just before you hit the gym, you are at the right page. This recipe is very easy to make and healthy and nutritious enough to be a pre-workout snack.

Ingredients

 

1 and a half cup oats

half cup coconut flakes

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup almond meal

1/2 cup mixed nuts

1/2 cup pitted dates and raisins, chopped

3 ripe bananas

Vanilla extract as per taste

salt to taste

 

Recipe

 

Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 175-degree centigrades.

 

Line the baking tray with butter paper or Silpat.

 

Dry roast the oats, this step is optional. But if you can spare a few minutes, this will add a new dimension to your cookies

 

Dry roast the mixed nuts. Again optional, but will make a great difference in the final product. Chop them finely.

 

Throw the coconut flakes on the pan after turning off the flame and before the pan cools down, this will lightly toast the coconut flakes. Again, optional but beneficial. This process also helps to secret the natural coconut oil from the coconut flakes, which enhances the flavours of the cookies.

 

Mix the roasted oats, roasted and chopped mixed nuts, coconut flakes, almond meal and mix them together thoroughly.

 

Chop and add pitted dates and raisins. Again mix thoroughly. Make sure that the dates and raisins do not form large chunks together, break them down if any. You can also add any other dry fruits and berries to this mixture, like cranberries or prunes, to make them more flavorful.

 

Peel and mash the bananas thoroughly in a medium bowl and add a few drops of vanilla extract, cinnamon powder and salt to it. Mix thoroughly.

 

Add the oats, nuts, berries mixture to banana mash and mix thoroughly. Again try that berries and nuts don’t form large chunks.

 

Roll them in small balls and flatten them on the lined baking tray. You can also directly make patties or give them the shape you like using a cookie cutter. Try not to make them thicker than 1 cm, this will ensure the cookies are properly baked, inside out.

 

Bake them in the oven 20 minutes or until they appear golden brown from the top.

 

Indulge and enjoy!

 

Health Benefits/Nutritional Value

 

Oats: Rich in fiber and protein, thus helpful to reduce weight. Oats also contain minerals like magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. To know more benefits of oats, click here.

 

Coconut flakes: Rich in dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. Helps to reduce liver cholesterol.

 

Almond meal: Rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids, protein, Folate (Vitamin B9) Choline, Vitamin E, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous and Potassium. Boosts memory, provides instant energy. To find out more reasons to include almonds in your daily diet, click here.

 

Cinnamon: Rich in antioxidants hence helps to detoxify the body. Boosts metabolism, aids digestion. To know more benefits of this wonder spice, click here.

 

Dates: Rich source of natural sugars (sucrose), dietary fiber, Vitamin A, B complex and K. Also contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Natural sweetener. To know more benefits of this amazing dry fruit, click here.

 

Raisins: Contain a high amount of potassium, phosphorus. Also provides the body with calcium and magnesium. Natural sweetener. To know more, click here.

 

Banana: Very rich source of potassium. Make great pre-workout food as it is packed with energy and helps to sustain the blood sugar level during the workout, also prevents muscles cramps or sore muscles during the workout.

 

Notes

 

The dates, raisins, ripe banana, vanilla extract contain natural sweetness, sufficient to sweeten these cookies. But in case you need them to be sweeter, you can add organic honey or brown sugar.

 

This recipe is very flexible, so you can replace the ingredients as per your needs and taste. For example, you can replace the almond meal for peanut meals or any other nut meals.

 

You can also add natural peanut butter to improve the consistency. Remember that natural peanut butter does not contain any added fat or sugar, thus is very healthy.

 

You can also bake these cookies in a microwave oven, using the convection option and following the same instruction. Or can opt for the grill, just remember to preheat the microwave oven just like a regular oven, this reduces the cooking time.

 

Adding salt is not compulsory, but adding it to a sweet recipe, it enhances the sweetness.

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