Sesame Banana Cookie Bites (raw, vegan and gluten-free)

When the afternoon lull hits, what you snack on can have a huge impact on your energy level, waistline and mood. Granola bars, muffins and cookies send blood sugar levels through the roof (which can cause your emotions to ride out the afternoon like they're on a roller coaster). So why not reach for something that's as delicious, but also nutritious?

These banana bar bites came about after an afternoon of being chained to my desk. I had a hankering for something sweet. In other words, I was craving comfort food, but didn't want to sabotage my healthy eating goals with a butter tart. The nice thing about this snack is you'll never feel like you're depriving yourself when nibbling on it -- they certainly taste decadent and rich.

Ingredients:

2 small, ripe bananas, mashed

10 soft medjool dates, pits removed (Note: If you use regular honey dates, increase the quantity to 20)

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 cup raw almonds (or 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup almonds)

1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

Combine all the ingredients into your food processor. Blend until fully combined. To get the best blend, keep the processor on until the mixture starts to form clumps. You can always add more dates if you want a softer cookie or more nuts if you want a more meaty dense cookie.

Spoon a tablespoon of cookie dough into your hands, form a ball and then flatten into a cookie shape. Refrigerate for a few hours or freeze indefinitely. Makes 14 to 18 cookies.