Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This step ensures your cookies will bake evenly and come out perfectly chewy.
In a mixing bowl, mash your ripe bananas using a fork or potato masher until smooth. You should have about 1 cup of mashed bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter your cookies will be!
Add the creamy peanut butter, pure maple syrup, large egg (or flax egg), and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Stir until everything is well combined and smooth.
In another bowl, whisk together the oat flour, chocolate protein powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, chia seeds (if using), baking soda, and sea salt. This will ensure that your dry ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the cookies.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
Gently fold in the old-fashioned oats and chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop rounded amounts of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Leave some space between each cookie, as they will spread a little while baking.
Bake in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops look slightly dry. They may seem soft, but they will firm up as they cool.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top for that extra touch!
