Sunday, March 10, 2013

Happy Baking Mishaps: Almond Butter-Banana Cookies

I'm so thankful for Pinterest and the vast amounts of gluten/dairy free recipes, especially healthy "cookies" that I can grab and go before my blood sugar gets too low to stay one step ahead of the kids. One of my favorite recipes so far is the Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies by Cupcakes OMG!. As I looked at the recipe, I realized that I had only around 3/4 of almond butter instead of the 1 cup that was required. That was the first in the list of baking mishaps.

Thankfully, my style of cooking and (sometimes unsuccessfully) style of baking is very much improv and substitute based, influenced largely by my mother's cooking style. With a family of six whose schedules took them in all different directions, running to the store for the one missing ingredient was generally not practical. That's when the substituting skills came in.

To sum up: to make up for the lack of almond butter, I added a very ripe banana. I also didn't have any aluminum foil, parchment or wax paper to line the cookie pan. I did, however, have coconut oil! After all the other ingredients were mixed in and the cookies were spread on the coconut-oiled cookie sheet, I realized I had left out the honey. No need for panic! I figured the the sweetness of the banana would make up some of the sweetness, so I would just have to wait until the cookies came out to see how they tasted.

Makes 8 medium sized cookies. Obviously one was sacrificed for the greater good. 

They turned out great! More cake-like, less oily and crumbly than the cookies without the banana. They didn't require a lengthy "setting" time on the cookie sheet either.  As to the taste, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not always in the mood for really sweet foods, especially for snacks, and always prefer the lessening the amount of added sugar. The chocolate chips add a bit more sweetness, making it perfect for me, almost like a lightly sweetened biscuit.


Almond Butter-Banana Cookies
Adapted from Cupcakes OMG!

  • 3/4 cup raw almond butter
  • 1 very ripe banana
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup dairy-free chips (or to taste--I get the Trader Joe's brand)
  • Approximately 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil (or foil to line cookie sheet)
  • If you prefer a sweeter cookie, add 1/4 cup raw honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mash the ripened banana. Stir in the remaining ingredients. On a coconut-oiled or lined cookie sheet, scoop out batter to make around 8 medium sized cookies. Bake around 7-8 minutes (oven temperatures may vary). 

Delicious! I think I will continue to experiment with flavor combinations. Maybe add organic, juice-sweetened fruit spread instead of the chocolate chips. Maybe mix peanut butter and almond butter. Coconut flakes? Cinnamon? Lots of different possibilities! I would say it was a successful series of baking mishaps. 

15 comments:

  1. Yummy! I bet my son would love these.

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  2. I watch Chopped a lot and they discourage messing with baking formulas so I admire you!

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    1. Thank you! I've always heard that baking formulas shouldn't be messed with, but then I remember that lots of people without a degree in chemistry or culinary degrees have made lots of successful recipes with a basic knowledge of how food works together. So I say go for it and embrace both the failures and successes!

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  3. :) I'm a very proud mom! They sound really good!

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  4. Yay Jill!! They sound delicious. You know some of the most well known and favorite foods and desserts were "accidents".

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    1. True story! When I was writing this, I was remembering stories of Grandma Smith showing someone how much lard you should use in a pie crust with her hand. No precise measurements needed! :)

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    2. Corn flakes (or bran flakes?) were invented by a doctor trying to make easy-to-digest bread for his patients. Talk about an accidental success!

      Lisa @ theeverydayceliac.blogspot.com

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  5. In France, cooking is often "au pif," or by the nose - recipes can be more conceptual, less a precise list of measurements or ingredients. Quite frustrating at times, but it's also liberating in a way. There are certainly some delicious, educational disasters. :-)

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    1. Oh good! I'm going to use that knowledge as a rebuttal against any criticism of my baking/cooking methods!

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  6. They look divine, send me some :)

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  7. very clever substitution idea--i like that your recipe omits the honey altogether. I'll have to give it a try!

    CupcakesOMG!

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    1. Thanks! Your recipe was a great inspiration!

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