Banana Chocolate Chip Flax Cookies

I had a bunch of bananas that were going brown, so I froze some to make banana ice cream and used some to make these cookies. I have been trying to incorporate more flax seed into our diets and these cookies are a great way to do it. We are going to have them for breakfast tomorrow morning. My kids will be thrilled they get cookies for breakfast and I will be thrilled they are eating something good for them! I just took out the first batch and they were taste approved by my 3-year-old :).

There is some evidence that flaxseed may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. Organic Essential Flaxseed is a perfect choice as a dietary fiber supplement to encourage proper digestion and regularity with all the added benefit of lignans. Flax lignans might lower your cancer risk by preventing pre-cancerous cellular changes, as well as slow down the progression and movement of cancer cells. The American Cancer Society reports that lignans may help to reduce the growth of hormone-related cancers including prostate, breast and ovarian cancer, though more human research is needed. – Information provided by LIVESTRONG.com.

Although flaxseed contains many healthy components, its primary health benefits are:

Omega-3 essential fatty acids: “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
Lignans: have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
Fiber: Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

To use flaxseed in baking, you can substitute ground flaxseed for part of the flour in recipes for quick breads, muffins, rolls, bread, bagels, pancakes, and waffles. You can typically replace 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the flour with ground flaxseed if the recipe calls for 2 or more cups of flour. For this recipe I only used flaxseed and no flour.

I also used hemp seeds in this recipe. Hemp seeds are a complete protein and very rich in Vitamin E. They provide a rich array of minerals including zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Hemp seeds have a nutty flavor similar to sunflower seeds or pine nuts.

When choosing bananas for this recipe, your bananas should be extremely brown, almost to the point when you would throw them away or freeze them. If they are not overly ripe, your cookies will not be as sweet and probably not taste as good. If you are using non-ripe bananas, you should add about a 1/3 cup of maple syrup to the batter.