Banana Split Cookies
For many, banana splits bring back memories of childhood birthday parties or trips to the local ice cream shop after dinner. I wanted to come up with a way to have those nostalgic flavors in a handheld form that won’t melt on a hot summer day. These cookies do just that! Made with a ripe banana, plenty of vanilla, and loaded with chocolate chips and cherry pieces, they perfectly capture those classic flavors of a banana split.
A couple notes on ingredients…
Cherries: While jarred maraschino cherries typically top banana splits, feel free to use any sweet cherries in this recipe. If using frozen cherries, allow extra time for thawing for easier chopping.
Bananas: Overripe, brown bananas are best for these cookies since they will provide the most sweetness and a stronger banana flavor.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Making sure your butter and egg are at room temperature before you mix them allows for proper emulsification.
With that out of the way, let’s make some cookies!
Mixing the Dough
Start by whisking together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until creamy. Next, add the vanilla, egg, and mashed banana and mix until fully combined.
Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined - over mixing can result in a dense dough. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped cherries. The cherries may cause some red or pink streaks in dough, but I found this was not prominent once the cookies were baked.
Forming and Baking the Cookies
Roll the dough into balls about 1 ½ tablespoons each. If the dough is too soft or sticky to roll, you can put it in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to firm up. Place the rolled dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. These cookies will spread a bit when baking, so make sure they are not too close together!
Bake the cookies at 375°F for 9-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Enjoy these banana split cookies on their own or with a scoop of ice cream.
Store the cookies covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Banana Split Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 medium ripe banana, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup cherries, chopped (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and handheld mixer), mix the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy.
- Add the vanilla, egg, and mashed banana and mix until fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped cherries until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Roll the dough into balls about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons each. If the dough is too soft or sticky to shape, you can put it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to help firm it up. Place the balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are beginning to brown. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire cooling rack to fully cool.
- Enjoy the cookies on their own or with a big scoop of ice cream of your choice for the full banana split feel!
Notes
- Storage Instructions: These cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 1 month.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: It is important that your butter and eggs be at room temperature when mixed to allow for proper emulsification.
- Cherries: You may use any type of sweet cherry you would like in this recipe (fresh, frozen, jarred). I used jarred maraschino cherries in my cookies for that classic ice cream shop taste. Fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries would also work well, but would add slightly less sweetness. If you are using frozen cherries, thaw before use for easier chopping. I would not recommend using sour cherries in this recipe.
