Soft Hazelnut Mocha Cookies

It seems like at any given time I have at least a couple very ripe bananas sitting on my counter.

Truthfully, there’s only so much banana bread a girl can eat.

Ripe bananas are also fabulous in smoothies (and in Chocolate Chip Banana Cookie Dough Truffles), but their use doesn’t stop there…they also make a great natural sweetener for cookies!

My favorite way to enjoy these cookies is after they’ve cooled just a couple minutes from the oven when they’re slightly crispy outside and gooey inside (but be careful not to burn your tongue!). You can store them in an airtight container layered between parchment paper for up to two days at room temperature, but these cookies tend to get very soft. If I have any leftover I prefer to store them in the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about five minutes before serving, which keeps them chewy.

Do you have a favorite recipe to use up super ripe bananas?

Soft Hazelnut Mocha Cookies

 

Author: Faith

Nutrition Information

• Yields: About 24 cookies

• Serving size: 2 cookies
• Calories: 145

• Fat: 13
• Saturated fat: 5
• Trans fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 7
• Sugar: 4
• Sodium: 125
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 2
• Cholesterol: 20

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  15 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Print

Hazelnut, chocolate, and coffee pair beautifully in these soft, gooey cookies.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted grass-fed butter, softened slightly (or coconut oil)
• 1 medium very ripe banana, mashed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon powdered stevia, which is equivalent to about 2 packets (see Note)
• 1 cup (3 1/2 oz/110 g) hazelnut meal
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 oz (55 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F; line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
2. Cream together the butter and banana, and then stir in the vanilla and stevia. Stir in the hazelnut meal, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt, and then fold in the chopped chocolate.
3. Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls and arrange them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets; use the palm of your hand to slightly flatten each cookie.
4. Bake until the cookies are set and golden on the bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the trays once halfway through.
5. Cool the cookies completely on the trays before removing and serving.
6. Store leftover cookies layered between parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge.

Notes

Stevia: Here is a guideline on how sweet 1 packet of stevia is: the amount of stevia in 1 packet measures 1/2 teaspoon, which is about as sweet as 2 to 3 teaspoons of regular sugar.

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