In our house, no bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are the traditional treat left for Santa. Now that I have become more calorie conscious (and realized that even Santa needs to make health a priority), I’ve been looking for a lower calorie sweet treat to offer as an alternative. I have found just that – a cookie that tastes great but has about half as many calories! I made a batch of the traditional Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies to share with my family, then I made myself a batch of Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies. I might share these, too. Maybe 😉

Both cookies are based on oatmeal, but where one starts with 2 cups of sugar, the other starts with ripe bananas. Honey is added for extra sweetness. I’ve found that using half honey and half Splenda brown sugar blend really makes these cookies taste like Banana Nut Bread, which I absolutely love.

I can easily devour a half dozen or so Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies before I even realize what I’ve done. The Banana Nut Oatmeal, however, are nice and chewy. I really feel like I’m eating something, and the time spent chewing allows my brain – and tummy – to realize that one or two cookies are enough.

The real kicker is in comparing the stats:

The cookies are approximately the same size, but the Banana Nut Oatmeal have about half as many calories, half as much fat, and 1/3 fewer carbs each. So unless you’re craving chocolate – not just something sweet – the Banana Nut Oatmeal are always the better choice!

Be sure to look at my recipes for both Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies – including my secret to getting the chocolate melted just right!

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