Banana Bread Cookies
The first recipe I ever posted on Laura’s Bake Lab was for these Banana Split Cookies. I loved the taste and texture the mashed bananas gave the dough so much that I decided to make another style of banana cookie. These banana bread cookies are soft and moist with the classic flavors of banana bread. I added walnuts and dried cranberries for another pop of texture and flavor, but I encourage you to experiment with your favorite mix-ins!
Make the Cookie Dough
These cookies are super simple to make. To start, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside for later. In a large bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using a stand mixer or handheld mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add an egg, mashed banana, and vanilla and mix on medium speed until fully combined. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Now is time for the mix-ins. I chose walnuts and dried cranberries, but feel free to choose whatever mix-ins you prefer. Chocolate chips would be great for a sweeter cookie. Chopped pecans would also compliment the banana flavor. Whatever you choose, you want to have about 1 cup total of mix-ins. Fold these into the dough until they are evenly distributed.
Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Shape the Dough
Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and roll into balls using about 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each. Place the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. These cookies do not spread as much as others, so I like to slightly flatten the dough balls to make sure they maintain a more even thickness as they bake.
Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies at 375°F for 9-11 minutes until they begin to slightly brown around the edges. They will appear slightly underbaked in the middle and will continue to bake on the pan. Do not overbake these cookies, you want them to be soft! Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Banana Bread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup total mix-ins of choice (nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars using a stand mixer or handheld mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, mashed banana, and vanilla and mix on medium speed until fully combined.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the mix-ins until they are evenly distributed. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll into balls using about 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each. Place on the prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten the dough balls.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies just begin to brown around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage Instructions: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
