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These Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Mounds are a simple two-bite sized treat, made with only 5-ingredients and no flour, eggs, or oil. Use up ripe bananas and satisfy your chocolate craving with this make-ahead friendly snack!
Note from Danielle
This recipe was originally published in April 2018, over six years ago! Today, I’ve given this whole post a major upgrade. I re-tested the recipe, took brand new photos, and hopefully added more helpful information in the content.
The struggle to name this recipe back in 2018 was real. I didn’t want to call them cookies. ‘Mounds’ is… a weird descriptor for food. But valid, I think? So I hesitantly named them cookie mounds.
Now, I’m removing the word ‘cookie’ because I don’t really think these fit into the category. They’re a wacky cross between chocolate banana bread and oatmeal. So to sum up, 2190 days later, I’m sticking with ‘mounds’.
By the way – here in the post content, you’ll find detailed information on the ingredients used, possible substitutions, and helpful tips for successful results based on my experience with this recipe.
For the printable recipe card with a list of ingredients followed by concise instructions, please keep scrolling down or hit the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page. Frequently asked questions are located below the recipe card.
Recipe Overview
Total Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Baked
Prep: Make-Ahead Friendly
What are the ingredients in these Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Mounds?
This is more of a ‘use up ingredients’ recipe, rather than a fancy baking recipe. There are only 5 ingredients plus salt, so there’s a high likelihood that if you end up with ripe bananas, you’ve got what you need to make these mounds! Here’s a list of ingredients used with some info on each:
- ripe bananas – This recipe uses up even more bananas than my favorite banana bread recipe!
- semi-sweet chocolate chips – Whatever chocolate chips you have on hand will work just fine.
- old-fashioned rolled oats – I believe Instant oats might work as well, but I have not tested.
- nut butter – Any nut butter works, most recently I used almond butter. I’ve also tried cashew butter with success. Peanut butter would be really good too!
- ground cinnamon – I’m a huge fan of cinnamon so I think that’s how it made it into the original recipe. You could also add some vanilla if you want!
- salt – Just to balance all the sweet ingredients happening here, a tiny touch of salt is necessary!
FYI, this recipe does not have an acidic ingredient which would activate baking soda for spreading (learned about this from the best – Sally’s Baking Addiction Baking Basics, Baking Powder vs Baking Soda). So that’s why you’re getting a mound shape instead of a cookie that flattens and spreads when it bakes. I kept the ingredients minimal for an easy cookie-ish treat!
Equipment you’ll need to make these Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Mounds:
This recipe is even easier if you use a cookie scoop – I use a Zeroll #40 Scooper (affiliate link – the purple one!) so all the cookie mounds are evenly portioned. This scooper is just over 1.5 inches wide (40 mm) and makes perfect sized cookies AND meatballs (I also use the scooper for this meatball recipe!).
I also used a half sheet pan (affiliate link!) lined with parchment paper for baking the mounds. Costco sells my favorite kind of parchment paper (the Costco brand!).
How to make these Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Mounds:
A one sheet pan batch of these mounds is as easy as melting some chocolate, mixing up the batter, scooping the mounds, and baking. When there’s only 5 ingredients total, ingredient gathering and prep is super quick.
Start by preheating the oven to 350F. Add bananas to a large mixing bowl and use a fork to mash the them well. Melt chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl by microwaving in 15-30 second spurts and stirring after every 30 seconds. You can also do this on the stovetop if you don’t have a microwave, like me 🙂 Stir until smooth and completely melted.
Add the melted chocolate and all the other ingredients listed to the mashed bananas: oats, nut butter, cinnamon and salt. Mix everything well – the mixture should be wet and scoopable, similar to cookie dough. Be sure to get the nut butter well mixed in; that’s the part that takes the longest for me!
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to place circular mounds about 1.5 inches wide on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The mounds will not spread or flatten and can be placed about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet. The batter should make about 32 mounds placed in 4 rows of 8 on the cookie sheet.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. Let the mounds cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. I actually prefer these once they have cooled.
Ways to customize this recipe:
This is a super simple recipe that I like to keep easy with minimal ingredients and changes. BUT, if you’re going to make any changes, here are a couple of ideas:
- add a big pinch of chai or other spices like nutmeg!
- swap the chocolate chips to dark chocolate
- add something on top like a banana slice or chocolate chips
Reasons to love these Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Mounds:
- Easily use up 3 or 4 super ripe bananas! These days I’m not even mad when I forget to eat bananas. There’s always a baked good they can fit into.
- If you’ve got the bananas, there are only 4 other ingredients (and you probably already have them).
- Easy to make dairy-free by switching out the regular chocolate chips to Enjoy Life or dairy-free dark chocolate.
- They’re 2-3 bite sized, and they make the best little snack. They aren’t so small that you have to grab 3, but not a huge cookie size. Snack, dessert, whatever.
- Any nut butter will work – I’ve used cashew butter and almond butter with good results. I’ve never tried peanut butter in this recipe, but I’m sure it would be delicious.
- No flour, no eggs, no oil. EASY.
How to store Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Mounds:
Store these mounds in a sealed container on the counter for up to 7 days. I prefer them after Day 1!
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Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Mounds
These Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Mounds are a simple two-bite sized treat, made with only 5-ingredients and no flour, eggs, or oil. Use up ripe bananas and satisfy your chocolate craving with this make-ahead friendly snack!
Ingredients
- 3 large or 4 small ripe bananas, peeled (about 12 ounces without peels)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking or steel cut)
- 1/3 cup nut butter (I use cashew or almond butter)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Add bananas (3 large or 4 small, about 12 ounces) to a large mixing bowl and use a fork to mash the them well. Melt chocolate chips (1 cup) in a small microwave safe bowl by microwaving in 15-30 second spurts and stirring after every 30 seconds. Stir until smooth and completely melted.
- Mix: Add the melted chocolate and all remaining ingredients to the mashed bananas: oats (3 cups), nut butter (1/3 cup), cinnamon (1 teaspoon) and salt (1/4 teaspoon). Mix everything well – the mixture should be wet and scoopable, similar to cookie dough.
- Scoop: Use a cookie scoop or spoon to place circular mounds about 1.5 inches wide on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. The mounds will not spread or flatten and can be placed about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet. The batter should make about 32 mounds placed in 4 rows of 8 on the cookie sheet.
- Bake & store: Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let the mounds cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in a sealed container on the counter for up to 7 days. I prefer to enjoy these the day after baking with coffee or as an after dinner snack.
Notes
Nutrition information estimated with MyFitnessPal.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 cookie mound
- Calories: 80
- Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Protein: 1g
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the texture of these Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Mounds?
Think of them as a cross between chocolate banana bread and oatmeal. They’re a little bit dense, while being quite chewy and staying moist from the banana.
Aimee says
Yum! I never know what to call half my recipes and these look like cookies to me!!
Deedeedee says
It would help if the texture of these mounds was described. Are they chewy? Cripsy, crunchy? Light? Sticky? Rice Krispies treat texture? Do the oats toast up or are they on the hard side? It’s hard to imagine these with coffee as noted, and I don’t want to waste a lot of ingredients and be stuck with 36 of something that aren’t texturally to my family’s liking. This is probably why nobody is trying and reviewing this….not enough information on texture and too much on how it’s like a cookie but not really a cookie. We just need a description as to what the “bite” and “chew” is like after this concoction with raw oats is baked.
Danielle says
Sorry my description did not meet your standards. The mounds are soft with the consistency of an oatmeal cookie.