Easy Gluten-free Oat Banana Cookies
Fuel Your Mornings with a Nutritious and Delicious treat
This gluten-free Oat Banana Cookie recipe is for all those folks who like me struggle with breakfast. ❤️
These past few months have been one flare-up after the other for me! And when I wake up feeling nauseous with acidity ramping up in my throat. There’s not much that I feel confident enough to eat. However, I still want to feed myself a nutritious and delicious breakfast. So I always make sure I have the ingredients to make these Easy Gluten-free Oat Banana Cookies!
I know sometimes it doesn’t feel so, but you can still enjoy a tasty breakfast without triggering those uncomfortable symptoms. These easy and quick-to-make banana cookies are packed with flavour and gentle on your stomach. You won’t be able to resist them!
The Importance of Breakfast for Acid Reflux Sufferers
Often hailed as the most important meal of the day, having breakfast is even more essential if you’re battling acid reflux. Contrary to popular belief, skipping breakfast can actually exacerbate your symptoms! But why exactly does Breakfast matter?
- Controls Acid Levels: An empty stomach can lead to increased acid production. Eating a gentle breakfast neutralizes this acid and prevents it from backing up into the oesophagus.
- Regulates Appetite: A balanced breakfast keeps hunger at bay, preventing overeating later in the day, which can trigger reflux.
- Provides Essential Nutrients: Starting your day with a nutrient-rich meal supports overall health and helps manage reflux symptoms.
Choosing the Right Breakfast
While it’s essential to eat breakfast, the type of food you consume is equally crucial. Opt for:
- Low-fat options: Reduce the burden on your digestive system.
- Fiber-rich foods: Promote healthy digestion and satiety.
- Lean protein: Helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Avoid trigger foods: Stay away from spicy, fatty, or acidic foods.
Portion control is key. Listen to your body and adjust your breakfast accordingly. Combine breakfast with other acid reflux management strategies, such as elevating your head during sleep and avoiding tight-fitting clothing. By making breakfast a priority and choosing the right foods, you can significantly improve your acid reflux symptoms and start your day on a positive note.
Source: www.healthcentral.com
Easy Gluten-free Oat Banana Cookies: the gentle alternative
When I designed this recipe I took inspiration from the many oat-based recipes that you can find on the internet. Of course, like everything I make, I wanted something that was accessible to as many people as possible, nutritious, with no acid reflux triggers and very tasty. With some trials, these are the ingredients I ended up with and why:
Banana and Oatmeal: a nutritional powerhouses
Bananas and Oats, especially Rolled oats, are my personal saviour when I flare up with acid reflux symptoms. They’re both not only delicious but also provide a whole host of essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
- Low acidity: Unlike many other fruits, Bananas are very low in acid, oats are too which makes them less likely to irritate the stomach and oesophagus. They both provide a creamy texture which can be soothing for an irritated throat.
- Good source of fibre: Both of them are excellent sources of fibre: it aids digestion, promotes regularity, and helps keep acid reflux at bay!
- Packed with vitamins and minerals: Bananas are a great source of vitamin B6 and potassium. Oats provide iron, magnesium and zinc, and they have a decent dose of proteins too! Which helps you keep full and content for longer.
- Energy boost: They both have natural sugars which provide quick energy, making them a great breakfast and pre-workout snack!
Sources: Clevelandclinic.org, everydayhealth.com, heart.org
Plant-based protein boost with Peanut butter powder and pumpkin seeds
I’m not going to lie, I’ve added these two to the recipe because I just love the taste. 😁 I snack on pumpkin seeds regularly and I drizzle peanut butter on all sorts of sweet and savoury things very often. But they do happen to be a great addition in terms of health benefits too!
Peanut butter powder: First of all, I use Peanut butter powder instead of actual peanut butter for a couple of reasons. The powder is a concentrated form of peanut butter with the fat removed. This makes it a lower-calorie alternative while still providing the protein and flavour of traditional peanut butter. A reduced-fat product helps control acid reflux as we minimise the trigger power of saturated fat. I started using this last year and I never looked back. It’s no replacement for a nice creamy peanut butter like my Homemade Crunchy Peanut Butter, however, it is such a big help when I feel a flare-up coming but still want that sweet and savoury peanut flavour in my dishes. Especially when so many other protein sources and seasoning/flavouring, such as herbs and aromatics, are a no-go during those times.
Pumpkin Seeds: These are a cupboard essential in Bean’s house. It’s the secret nutrient-dense weapon of all vegan meals when you need that extra protein and Omega 3 boosts. You can use them in all sweet and savoury dishes and they will provide you with that extra essential nutrition, including antioxidants, while you’re down with yet another acid reflux bout. Remember that seeds in general contain a lot of fat so consume them in moderation to avoid worsening your acid pains!
Sources: bbc.co.uk, nutritionaladvance.com
Easy Gluten-free Oat Banana Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
- 1 Spoon or fork
- 1 Oven tray with baking paper
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 150 gr Rolled oats If you want to be extra safe, make sure to buy oats that are made in a gluten-free facility!
- 2 Mature Bananas
- 25 gr Pumpkin seeds
- 2 tsp Maple Syrup Optional – Honey works well too 🙂
- 2 tbsp Peanut powder
- 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon Optional
Instructions
- Mash the two bananas into a bowl. Make sure they're fully creamy without too many lumps. Add the sweetener of your choice, powders, the oats and the pumpkin seeds. Mix well until you can pick the mixture up with a spoon or your hand.
- Pre-heat your oven to 180℃/356℉ no fan. Line an oven tray with baking paper, with a tablespoon measure out your cookies and plop them onto the baking paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies brown and caramelise a little. Your cookies are ready to taste!Eat immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Cheeky Tips
Check out more GERD-friendly breakfast recipes on the Cheeky Green Bean catalogue.
Dip the Easy Gluten-free Oat Banana Cookies into Greek Yoghurt for a boost of flavour!
Try them out with Vegan Summer Smoothie for a refreshing breakfast.
