Alright, so about these banana almond meal cookies. It wasn’t like I just magically whipped them up perfectly on the first try. Nope. It was a bit of a process, a real hands-on kind of thing, figuring it all out. You know how it is sometimes, you see a thing and think, “Yeah, I can make that.”
It all started with those bananas. Always got a few that get a bit too ripe, too spotty for just eating. You know the ones. And I hate wasting food. So, baking it is. I’d heard about almond meal cookies, thought they sounded a bit healthier, maybe less heavy than the usual flour-based stuff. So I figured, why not give it a shot?
My First Few Attempts Were… Interesting
So, I grabbed those sad-looking bananas, mashed ’em up real good. The mushier the better, I reckon, releases more of that banana flavor. Then I just started adding almond meal. Didn’t really measure much at first, just went by feel. Big mistake sometimes. The first batch? Well, they tasted okay, banana-ish, but the texture was all wrong. Kinda dry, a bit too crumbly. More like a weird granola bar than a cookie.
I thought, “Okay, what went wrong here?” Maybe I needed more moisture, or something to bind it better.
I tried again. This time, I was a bit more careful with the almond meal. I also tossed in an egg. Some folks say you don’t need it with banana, but I thought, “What the heck.” And a splash of vanilla, ’cause vanilla makes everything better, right? And a tiny pinch of salt. Don’t skip the salt, even in sweet stuff. It does something, I swear.
This batch was better. Definitely more cookie-like. They held together. But still, something was missing. They weren’t quite sweet enough for my liking, even with super ripe bananas. The almond meal itself, it’s got a nice nutty flavor, but it doesn’t add much sweetness on its own.
Figuring Out The Little Things
So, the next round, I decided to add a little something extra for sweetness. I had some maple syrup in the cupboard, so in it went. Not too much, just a couple of tablespoons. That did the trick! Gave it a nice, subtle sweetness that worked really well with the banana and almond. I also threw in a dash of cinnamon. Game changer. Banana and cinnamon, classic combo.
Here’s what I kind of settled into doing:
- Get those bananas really mashed. Fork works fine. Lumps are okay, adds character.
- Stir in the almond meal. I still don’t measure perfectly, but I aim for a dough that’s thick but still a bit sticky. If it’s too dry, they’ll be rocks. Too wet, they spread like crazy.
- An egg seems to help, for me anyway. Makes them a bit more sturdy.
- Vanilla extract is a must. A good glug.
- A bit of maple syrup or honey. Just enough.
- Cinnamon, or sometimes a bit of nutmeg. Spices are your friend.
- Sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy, I’ll chuck in some chocolate chips. Dark chocolate is best with the banana. Or some chopped walnuts. Why not?
Then I just plop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. I don’t fuss too much about making them perfectly round. Rustic is good. They don’t spread a whole lot, so you can put them fairly close together. Bake ’em till they’re golden brown around the edges. The timing depends on your oven, you know how that goes. You just gotta watch ’em. My oven runs a bit hot, so I keep an eye out.
They’re not your super crispy, snappy cookies. They’re more on the softer, chewier side, especially when they’re fresh. And because of the almond meal, they feel quite substantial. Pretty satisfying, actually.
So yeah, that’s my journey with these banana almond meal cookies. Took a few tries, a bit of messing about, but now they’re a regular thing in my kitchen. A good way to use up bananas, and they taste pretty darn good. Nothing fancy, just simple, homemade stuff. And that’s usually the best kind, isn’t it?
