You Can Make These Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Just 5 Ingredients

When a cookie craving hits, you need something that'll satisfy your taste buds ASAP. If you're looking for a quick and dirty cookie recipe, celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak recently shared his delicious take on the treat. Spoiler: It's not just easy (and tasty)—it's actually pretty healthy, too.

In an Instagram post, Pasternak, who has an MSc in exercise and nutrition, demonstrated how to make healthy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies using just five ingredients: one "very ripe" banana, dry oats, egg whites, peanut butter, and chocolate chips.

Simply combine all five ingredients in a large mixing bowl, roll into balls, bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, and you're golden.

The cookies may be low in sugar, but they're still super satisfying and filling, says Pasternak. They pack in "tons of protein from the egg whites, lots of fiber from the oats, and lots of healthy fat from the peanut butter," he explains.

FYI: For peanut butter, Pasternak's top picks include Laura Scudder's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (Buy It, $23 for a 2-pack, amazon.com) and 365 Everyday Value Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, available at Whole Foods.

Whether you want to store your cookies in the freezer to lengthen their shelf life or enjoy them ASAP (Pasternak says his batches never last long enough in his house to make it past the kitchen counter), these healthy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are an easy, delicious way to indulge sans sugar crash. (Up next: oatmeal protein cookies you can make in 20 minutes flat.)

Harley Pasternak's Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes: 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry oats
• 1 very ripe banana
• 1 cups egg whites
• 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• Optional: a scoop of chocolate chips to your liking

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Measure and combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl to create a well-blended batch of dough.
3. Roll dough into small balls and evenly distribute them on the baking sheet. You can do this the way Pasternak does by using spoons or by using your hands.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack.