Banana & Chocolate Oat Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Line 1 large baking tray with baking paper. Finely chop the chocolate into small chips and set aside.

2. Peel and mash the bananas in a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract, then add the oats and most of the chocolate. Stir well to mix. The mix should be thick and stiff. If it's a bit wet, set aside for 10-15 mins so the oats can soak up some of the liquid.

3. Scoop 1 tbsp of the mix out of the bowl and drop onto the baking tray. Lightly flatten the top to spread the cookie out. Top with a little of the chopped chocolate you saved earlier. Repeat with the rest of the cookie mix. The cookies won't spread much during bake. But leave a little gap around each one. You should make around 8 cookies.

4. Bake the cookies for 10-12 mins till golden-brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the tray for 5-10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight tub in the fridge and are best eaten within 4-5 days. You can also freeze the cookies for 2-3 months. Defrost for 2-3 hrs before eating.

5. Less Food Waste
These cookies are best made with bananas that have gone a bit black and spotty. So they're the perfect way to use up bananas that have sat forgotten in your fruit bowl.