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Rating: 5 stars This recipe deserves a lot more love! As a former junk food lover who now has to follow a gluten free/lactose free diet, these are heaven sent! Just sweet enough to satisfy that craving, yet there are no added sugars, artificial sweeteners, dairy, or gluten. It is swell baked up in a little loaf pan, too. Try other sources of moisture instead of the banana, like pumpkin or peaches. Add in dried cranberries, walnuts, pumpkin pie spice, or even chocolate chips. I make this recipe several times a week now. Thanks so much! Thumb Up Helpful (132)

Rating: 5 stars ADD peanut butter! This recipe can differ every time you make them. Adding a half cup of peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, are great options. You can use any type of milk, and I love scrunching up a large size shredded wheat biscuit in place of some of the oatmeal, just before forming cookies. Makes them look more interesting! A fruity version, orange or pineapple juice instead of the almond milk, with dried blueberries, Craisins, whatever, plus coconut. My diabetic partner loves them! I make them small, so he can eat a few whenever he feels a little hungry. If you want to sweeten them up, maple syrup is a great option. Thumb Up Helpful (62)

Rating: 4 stars These are terrific as a grab-and-go breakfast on the run or for a roadtrip ... so much healthier than the usual high-calorie transfat-laden options. I started making them when I had some overripe bananas I didn't want to go to waste. Now I deliberately buy big bunches of bananas, hoping some of them get overripe before I've eaten them all. I have used crushed pineapple in place of the applesauce and it's just as tasty. I always add nuts (pecans, sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, whatever I have). I make mine with either instant steelcut (Trader Joe's) oatmeal or rolled oats. I happen to like the nuttiness of the steelcut, but others prefer the rolled oats. You can add chocolate chips (try the mini-chips), dried cranberries, dates, apricots, etc. I cut my dried fruit into smaller pieces with a pair of kitchen scissors. I've also forgotten the milk, used whole milk, and used almond milk on different occasions ... all with acceptable results. Remember to use a piece of parchment paper or lightly grease the cookie sheet before baking. Thumb Up Helpful (51)

Rating: 5 stars They turned out wonderfully, with thanks to the many intrepid bakers who offered great suggestions and substitutions. Here are some of my own: DRY INGREDIENTS - added 1/2 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup shredded coconut, 2 tbsp ground flax seed, 2 tbsp wheat bran, 1/2 tsp kosher salt AND two tiny packages of Italian "Vanillin" powder (brand: Cusina della Nonna). WET INGREDIENTS - one tbsp blossom honey, one tbsp molasses (plus the vanilla extract as per the recipe). TECHNIQUE VARIATIONS - 1. increased oven temperature to 375 degrees F - 2. lined baking sheets with parchment paper - 3. combined wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls - 4. Baked cookies for 21-22 minutes - 5. Yield = 36 cookies. Gave the recipe to some friends, and one highly skeptical friend called and apologized for ever doubting me, as she thought they were fabulous. My second batch turned out better, and I accidentally used a bit less soy milk. Baking them at a higher temperature (375 degrees) for slightly longer, and by adding nuts, coconut, ground flax and wheat bran seems to have made them less bland and lumpen. All I know is that they are the best healthy cookies I've ever made, and I'm grateful to Gene Payne (and all the wonderful reviewers) for this excellent and highly adaptable recipe. Thumb Up Helpful (31)

Rating: 1 stars Just Terrible! I made these exactly as the recipe called for except I left out the raisins. I cooked these for 15 minutes at 350. They came out with a faint taste of banana and a consistency of rubber. I will not make these again. Thumb Up Helpful (30)

Rating: 5 stars Have made these twice and they were much better the second time--actually really good!--so here are my tips to making the best of the recipe. 1. Make sure the bananas are really ripe. Mine had some brown spots on the fruit under the peel. 2. I increased the unsweetened apple sauce from 1/3 to 1/2 cup. 3. Don't stint the raisins--these provide most of the sweetness. I used a cup full. 4. I also increased the amount of cinnamon to at least 2 tsps. 5. I used skim milk rather than almond milk the second time around--no difference that I could detect. 6. I added a lot of walnuts--at least 1 cup coarsely chopped--you could add more. To me these are the best part. 7. When you put the dough on the cookie sheet flatten them into a cookie shape--the dough does not melt and spread out like other cookie doughs so the shape you put in is what comes out. 8. I forgot to grease the cookie sheet but I think it would be a good idea--the cookies do stick a bit. These are delicious for breakfast with coffee and would be great to have handy for a breakfast on the road as required. Thumb Up Helpful (29)

Rating: 4 stars Considering how healthy these are I think they are good. Don't make them if you are expecting a decadent dessert. They are dense and really more of a breakfast food than a traditional cookie. Thumb Up Helpful (26)

Rating: 5 stars I would def. give these 5 stars, of course there not going to be perfect because there's no sugar! but if your trying to eat better, these will def. satisfy your craving. LOVE Them! Oh, I also added 1/3 cup coconut and 1/3 cup chopped almonds. yummm Thumb Up Helpful (17)