The Flour Swap That Will Give Your Cookies A Nutritional Boost

If you enjoy taking freshly baked cookies out of your oven, you've undoubtedly noticed the seemingly expanding flour section at your local grocery store. With food allergies and sensitivities becoming more commonplace (via foodallergyawareness.org), and the emergence of newer, popular diets that shun those trusty old bags of the usual white and wheat-based stuff, there's been an uptick in demand for flour substitutes that offer suitable cooking alternatives without sacrificing texture and taste. Some of these swaps work well; others have been less successful.

Flour can be made from a lot of surprising ingredients these days, which is a great thing when it comes to avoiding food waste. But are we forfeiting flavor in the process of saving the planet and providing cookies for all ways of eating? What if we told you there is a flour you can add to your next batch of cookies that will boost nutrition — without affecting the chewiness and taste of your baker's dozen?

It literally is bananas. Mind Body Green reports that scientists discovered that green banana peels can be blanched, dried, and ground into flour. This resulting flour happens to be packed with all sorts of healthy goodies like magnesium, fiber, antioxidants, and — not surprisingly — potassium. 

Okay, but what does banana flour taste like? Not like what you'd expect. Since unripened peels are used to make the flour, a strong taste of bananas can't be detected. There is a slight sweetness present, however, and you may end up using less sweetener in your recipes. Researchers found that cookies made with banana flour are preferred by taste testers, and the recipes have less fat and more antioxidants than their more conventionally-made counterparts (via Science Daily).

While perhaps not a perfect replacement for more traditional types of flour, banana flour can be a sweetly pleasant and nutritious option that even Cookie Monster himself might approve of.