Toddlers = overripe bananas, amiright?

With an almost three-year-old in the house, bananas are a staple in our kitchen. Owen loves them, but he can never finish an entire bunch before they threaten to go bad. What to do?

Bake, obviously.

Since this is my first post on my new blog (check out my About page if you are curious why I rebranded), I thought it would be fitting to celebrate with a giant skillet cookie cake. I’m sure you agree.

In the past, when I’ve found myself with a pile of brown bananas, I’ve made loaf cakes. But this time I wanted to shake things up. Joy the Baker has an amazing Banana Walnut and Chocolate Cookie Cake that I looked to for inspiration.

But I wanted to healthify. I’m always trying to sneak whole grains into my family’s diet, so I eliminated the flour in this recipe completely. Instead, I used gluten-free oats ground to powder in the food processor. I also slashed a quarter of the butter and sugar.

Of course, there is always room for sprinkles, swirled into the batter and dusted over the top.

This cookie cake is best served warm, scooped into bowls and topped with vanilla ice cream or fro-yo. Or, you know, you can eat it straight from the skillet.

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Gluten-Free Banana Sprinkles Skillet Cookie

To make this dairy-free, substitute coconut oil for the butter. If you don't have an 8-inch cast iron skillet, you can bake this in a pie dish. Serve it with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Servings 6

Author Turnip the Oven

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free oats
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 ripe banana mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles divided

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Pulse the oats in a food processor until they are finely ground, almost like flour.
3. Melt the butter in an 8-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. When it is completely melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar, egg, banana, and vanilla. Using a fork, stir in the ground oats, baking soda, and salt until well incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of sprinkles. Scatter the remaining tablespoon of sprinkles over the top.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cookie is dry on top and the center is just barely set, about 25 to 30 minutes.