Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl combine golden flax meal and water and set aside to thicken. Once the flax mixture is thickened add mashed bananas, peanut butter, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract if using. Use a whisk to combine this really well. To the bowl add rolled oats, sea salt, baking powder, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and pecans. Use a spatula to fold the mixture together until well combined. Take a heaping tablespoon, nearly 2 tablespoons of batter, and form it into a ball.

Step 3

Place these spaced an inch apart on the baking sheet. Slightly flatten the cookies with your hand and shape them into circles or leave them as mounds if you prefer. They will not spread much during baking. Continue baking in batches, one baking sheet at a time on the middle rack for about 14 to 16 minutes per batch or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean from the center. The bake time may vary depending on how moist your cookies are, to begin with, which may depend on how ripe your bananas are.

Step 4

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before removing with a spatula onto wire racks to cool. They should not appear raw at all on the inside. They will have a soft-baked texture once cooled.

Step 5

Store in a container that's not air-tight at room temperature or in the fridge.