Recipe: Healthier Banana Cornflake Cookies

Sometimes I don't really know what I'm thinking when it comes to making a recipe. Often times, it's me in the kitchen trying to use up a plethora of ingredients in one go and that's exactly what happened with these cookies. 

I had a big box of gluten free cornflakes open in the pantry that needed using up - but I also had a stack of overripe bananas calling my name. 

I could make cornflake cookies or our healthy honey joys recipe and a batch of banana bread - or I could combine the two and hope for the best.... 

And the best is exactly what I ended up creating! 

In fact, they were loved by the whole family. 

They're a little bit different but a whole lot delicious - with crispy crunchy edges, soft middles and a delicious chewyness from the cornflakes. 

But don't let me just tell you about them, you need to make these for yourself!

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

Healthier Banana Cornflake Cookies makes 14 large cookies

low fat, gluten free, lower sugar, refined sugar free option 

3 tbsp (45g) butter

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (~75g) coconut sugar or brown sugar** (see notes)

1 medium ripe banana (about 120g) 

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup (120g) gluten free plain flour 

3/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

3 cups (90g) gluten free cornflakes* (see notes)

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F
• Grease and/or line two to three cookie sheets and set aside.
• In a mixer, cream your butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl inbetween to ensure everything is incorporated. 
• Add in your banana, mixing until your banana is mashed and no lumps remain. 
• Add in your eggs and vanilla, scraping down the bowl and mixing until combined.
• Add in your flour, baking soda and baking powder, mixing slowly until just incorporated.
• Mix in your cornflakes, mixing until everything is combined (if using a stand mixer with a mixing paddle you can do this with your mixer - but if using a hand mixer you'll find it's easier to mix by hand with a spoon).
• Scoop a heaped tablespoon of mixture onto your cookie sheet, flattening and repeating (leaving about 1/2 an inch between each cookie) until all your mix is used up. 
• Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Cookies will be soft in the middle but will firm up on cooling.
• If you like your cookies crunchy, bake closer to 15 minutes.
• These cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, however, they're best on the day they're made! 

*If you like your cookies really sweet, use 1/2 cup of sugar instead!

**If your cornflakes have been hanging around a little too long and are no longer crunchy, simply pop them in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 180C/350F to crisp them up!

But tell me, where do you find inspiration for what you cook/bake?

For me it's random cravings/ideas or an attempt to use up whatever I have in the fridge/pantry. That means we often have some weeeeeeeeirrrrd combinations in the SIL kitchen ;P