I am constantly on the lookout for new ways to incorporate bananas into various baked goods. I always have bananas on hand and it’s nice to have alternatives to banana bread. These Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of those variations. I wanted to create a cookie recipe that had a chewy – and unmistakably cookie-like – texture to them, but still had a good banana flavor. Often, cookies that use bananas and other fruit purees have a dry and cakey texture to them. These are moist and chewy, but you won’t mistake them for banana bread.
There is a whole banana in this recipe. It is mashed up and added to the cookie dough along with the usual ingredients that you would find in chocolate chip cookies: butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, etc. You could easily add in cinnamon and other spices to this dough, but I kept the spicing very basic and only used vanilla extract to play up the natural banana flavor. This basic dough would probably be delicious as-is, with no mix-ins, though I couldn’t resist stirring in a whole bunch of semisweet chocolate chunks. When the cookies are still slightly warm from the oven and you take a bite, getting a mouthful of sweet banana cookie and melted chocolate, you know that the chocolate chips are a good idea.
These cookies get slightly crisp around the edges during baking, but they are a bit softer than your average chocolate chip cookie. They are moist and have a good chewy quality to them. Don’t overbake the cookies or they’ll get a little bit dry. The cookies should be lightly browned on top with a golden brown bottom when they’re done. They keep well (and actually freeze quite well, too) for a couple of days when stored in an airtight container, but stack them with layers of parchment or wax paper because the cookies will tend to stick together slightly when stored.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed banana (1 medium)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract and mashed banana. Stir in flour mixture, then mix in the chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks) until well-distributed in the batter
Shape dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls and place on baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between cookies to allow for spread.
Bake for 11-14 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown.
Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 32 cookies.
Patty H
September 21, 2011Wow, my husband loves everything banana – – if he had his way, I would be baking banana nut muffins everyday! I can’t wait to show him this recipe and try it out.
thelittleloaf
September 22, 2011I always buy extra bananas so I have some left over for baking with! I’d normally make banana loaf but these cookies look absolutely delicious – love that slight crispiness round the edges too, yum!
Michelle
September 22, 2011I have always loved banana bread but never thought about putting bananas in cookies. These look and sound very good and the bananas would make them at least somewhat healthy :-)LOL
I need to try this recipe
apricot
October 7, 2011A nearby bakery makes banana cookies (the dry, cakey kind) with a browned butter frosting; bet it’d be good on these cookies,too, with or without the chocolate.
Jess&Nikki
November 30, 2011SO… let me tell you how FABULOUSO these were. OMG. We added score, white chocolate and peanut butter chips and it was nothing but pure love in my mouth. My mouth is stil watering from the moist, sticky, sensational taste it left. MMMMMMM exuse me while I indulge in some more!! TRY IT!!!!!!!!!!
Dianne
January 31, 2012I just made these,but used light butter and splenda…tastes great!
Cort
February 19, 2012THE best cookies ever! I used about 1 full cup of mashed banana but kept everything else the same. They were cake-like, moist and delicious! I will use this recipe again and again!
Sonya
July 18, 2012I made these last night. They are amazing! My bf is addicted, he couldn’t stop eating them. I baked some a bit under-cooked so they had a bit of a cookie-dough taste and some a bit more well done and they were slightly crispie around the edges (which works very well with the bananas!). Both were good! I did 1 cup of banana as well and they ended up being super fluffy! I also used a gluten-free flour, which was an easy substitute, and didn’t wreak the cookies. I like the basic chocolate chips, but my bf like the ones I added the reeces peanut butter chips & chocolate chip to. So I recommend this. Over-all the cookie itself was super light and fluffy, even the next day! A big Thank You for this wicked recipe!
Mark
October 17, 2012i have to admit that i absolutely love this recipe! i add a bit of clove to it because i think that it really accents the flavor of ripe bananas really well. I also added cinnamon to it just because i like cinnamon! it’s great! love this recipe!
Angela
October 27, 2012Just made a batch of these cookies and they are fabulous….
This recipe is a definite three star***