I love sugar. Who doesn’t? Lately, I have been reading more and more about ill effects of sugar on one’s body and how easily one can get addicted to it without knowing it. I like to believe that I am a very healthy individual. I am a vegetarian. I literally eat my weight in vegetables every day. I don’t drink sodas. I exercise. I sleep 6-8 hrs a day, sometimes 10hrs (really, who is counting?!) But, when it comes to sugar, I have no will power. I love sugar in my tea every morning…every Indian does. It is probably more appropriate to say that we like to put our tea in sugar. I sometimes crave it so bad that I will have a few teaspoons of nutella after dinner. It is seriously bad. So, I have decided to go sugar free for the next one month and see how long I can last. Wait, what about the three tubs of coconut ice-cream I made this week? I guess those will have to wait a while in the freezer.
This cookie..errr granola bar..is my attempt to eat dessert but without any added sugar. Sweetness comes only from banana..if you want more, drizzle away with honey or melted chocolate. You can also slather it up with almond butter, peanut butter or other nut butters for a healthy breakfast or for a post workout snack! Possibilities are endless..
- 1 large or 2 small mashed ripe bananas
- 1 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed*
- 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons coconut flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork or a potato masher. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Use hands to divide the dough into 10 equal cookie portions or use a cookie scooper. Lay them on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 mins or until the cookies get slightly brown on top.
- Cool and transfer to a container for storage.
The Toasted Spice 