Try Something New Tuesday: No-Bake Cookies Edition

I've decided to do a little series on my blog I like to call "Try Something New Tuesday." It has a certain ring to it, don't you think? Every Tuesday I hope to post about a new recipe I've tried. First up is no-bake cookies!

My husband loves those no-bake cookies that you make on the stove. You know, the ones with a cup of peanut butter, a whole stick of butter and 2 cups of sugar??? So, when I saw this recipe on Pinterest last week, I knew I had to try it. A healthier version of his favorite cookie?!? Yes, please!

Here's what you'll need.

Essentially we're cutting the sugar and peanut butter in half and substituting a banana for the butter. To get things started, mash the banana well. This totally took me back to my baby food making days.

Next, you're going to combine all your ingredients except the oats and vanilla into a saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Honestly, it took a looonngg time for me to get this to boil. And it seemed to smoke a lot more than its less healthy counterpart...especially when I stirred it. Which reminds me, you'll want to stir this often while it's on the stove so it doesn't scorch.

Let the mixture boil for 1 minute. Then remove it from the heat and add the oats and vanilla.

The original recipe said to drop these by the teaspoonful onto wax paper. Teaspoon?? Really?!?! If I'm going to eat a cookie, I want one bigger than a nickel. So, I dropped them by the tablespoonful instead.

Since I used a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon, I got 28 cookies from the recipe. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

Based on the 28 cookies I made, I calculated them as having 95 calories, almost 3g of protein, and 1.5g of fiber each. Not bad. But the real question is, did the family like them....

The kids all loved them! Jeff...well he is always leery anytime I try to make anything "healthier." I shouldn't have even told him they were any different. I liked them, too. I could definitely taste a banana flavor, but I thought that made them even better. The kids didn't notice the banana at all until I told them it was there.

These cookies did not harden up like I had hoped. They stayed pretty gooey. That was the most disappointing part to me. I tried storing them in the refrigerator, but that didn't seem to make any difference in their consistency. Maybe I should have boiled them longer? Even though they're gooey, I have been able to pack them in the kids' lunch boxes this week. They do keep their form, so that's something.

I do think I would make this recipe again. I loved that I had all the ingredients on hand, and it was a fun treat for the kids.

Healthier No-Bake Cookies

• 1 ripe banana, mashed well
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups oats (I used old-fashioned)

~Place all the ingredients except the vanilla and oats in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Let the mixture boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for 1 minute. Add the vanilla and oats, stirring well to combine. Drop by tablespoonful onto waxed paper and cool to room temperature.