I think I’m hooked on the idea of healthy cookies. I loved last week’s vegan carrot-oatmeal cookies, so this past weekend, I tried out [another healthy cookie recipe](http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/nikkis-healthy-cookies-recipe.html) from Heidi Swanson. This one is *a lot* heavier on the oatmeal, so it seems more like a granola masterpiece to me than a cookie. I’ve taken the liberty of replacing a few of the original ingredients with some of my own choices, and I’ve given them a bit more descriptive name–banana-oatmeal granola bites.

The basic dry ingredients for the granola haystacks are 2 cups oatmeal, 2/3 cup flax meal or almond meal, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2-3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

If you haven’t heard of flaxseed meal or almond meal, don’t worry about it–they’re a both standard health-junkie replacements for flour (or for part of the flour) that can be used in a variety of recipes.

So, why flaxseed meal or almond meal?

[Flaxseed meal](http://www.bobsredmill.com/product.php?productid=3640&cat=0&page=1) is rich in fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s are all over the pages of fitness magazines, and they’re the hip “[superfood](http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/superfoods-everyone-needs)” among diet gurus, but make no mistake, their health benefits are no myth, and quite a few research studies have confirmed this. I found a good amount of useful information about Omega-3’s on the [American Heart Association’s website](http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632). [Almond meal](http://www.bobsredmill.com/product.php?productid=3451&cat=109&page=1) or almond flour consists of ground almonds and is high in protein, fiber, vitamin E and magnesium. As you can see, there are more than enough health benefits to warrant trying out these simple substitutions.

There are only a few wet ingredients for this recipe–3 mashed bananas (the browner the better), 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, a few tablespoons honey, and 1/4 cup coconut milk, warmed just until melted. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together in a large bowl–the dough will be soft and a bit loose but will bake together just fine.

Portion out heaping tablespoons of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes, or until they are golden on top.