Banana Oatmeal Cookies 🍌🍪

Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
Mash the bananas: In a medium bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. You can leave a few chunks if you prefer a bit of texture.
Mix the wet ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add the almond butter (or peanut butter), honey or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well combined.
Add the dry ingredients: Stir in the rolled oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder until everything is mixed well. If using chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts, fold them into the dough.
Scoop the dough: Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Press each cookie down slightly with the back of the spoon to flatten them.
Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t overbake.
Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve: Enjoy your soft and chewy banana oatmeal cookies with a glass of milk or a cup of tea!

For a vegan version: Use maple syrup and a plant-based nut butter.
Customize the add-ins: You can add shredded coconut, chia seeds, or dried fruit to the dough for more flavor and texture.
Storage: These cookies will last for about 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge.