Alexis Wolfer is a well-known beauty and lifestyle expert and the founder of The Beauty Bean, an online magazine that promotes Real Beauty. She is also the creator of the international and viral Makeup Free Mondays movement and can be found tweeting about all things real and realistic beauty at @AlexisWolfer.
 
I made these gluten-free, vegan cookies with my niece. They were a big hit–and relatively healthy too! Try this recipe out with your nieces and nephews for a fun fall afternoon!
 
The Beauty Bean’s Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
 
Ingredients
1 ½ cup quick cooking oats
3 ripe bananas
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 cup crunchy peanut butter (no salt or sugar added)
½ cup vegan chocolate or cacao chips
½ tsp salt
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Use a fork to mash bananas until they form a pudding-like consistency. Stir in all other ingredients slowly. If your peanut butter is too hard to stir easily, microwave it in a microwave-safe container in 15-second intervals to soften. Bake for 15 minutes on a greased baking sheet or until the edges start to brown.
 
Let cool and enjoy!

Photo: Courtesy of Alexis Wolfer
Published: November 26, 2012