If you enjoy banana bread, these Homemade Banana Cookies are a must-try. Soft, chewy, and studded with chocolate chips, they’re a quick, crowd-pleasing treat that turns overripe bananas into something delicious.
Soft, Light Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Cookies are perennial favorites—soft or crunchy, classic or inventive. These banana cookies combine the familiar comfort of banana bread with the portable convenience of a cookie. The texture is tender and slightly cakey, balanced by pockets of melty chocolate.
The recipe is simple, uses wholesome ingredients, and helps solve the overripe banana dilemma many of us face. Kids and adults alike love them for their sweet banana flavor and soft crumb.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
A few straightforward ingredients are all you need to make these cookies. Gather the following:
- Flour: All-purpose flour works well. A 1:1 gluten-free blend with xanthan gum can be substituted to keep cookies soft.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These leaveners give the cookies a light, cakey texture.
- Salt to balance sweetness.
- Butter: Softened to room temperature for easy creaming.
- Sugar: A combination of granulated and light brown sugar adds sweetness and warmth. You can swap for raw sugar or use maple syrup in place of brown sugar if preferred.
- Bananas: Ripe, spotted bananas are best—no green on the peel.
- Egg: One large egg to bind the dough.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract for depth of flavor.
- Chocolate chips: Mini semi-sweet chips work beautifully, but regular chips are fine too.
Let’s Make Banana Cookies!
Follow these steps for soft, flavorful banana cookies that bake up quickly.
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a larger bowl, cream the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy. An electric mixer or stand mixer makes this easy.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla until just combined.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Scoop and bake: Drop tablespoon-sized scoops of dough about two inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake 11–14 minutes or until the edges are golden.
- Cool: Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Tips and Tricks for a Perfect Bake
These small tips help ensure consistent results:
- Ripen bananas quickly: If your bananas aren’t ripe, place them in a 250°F oven for about 15 minutes to soften and darken the skins.
- Check doneness: Test the thickest cookie with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cookies are done.
- Avoid overmixing: Mix only until ingredients are combined to keep the texture tender and avoid a tough, bready result.
Tasty Variation Ideas
Customize these cookies with simple changes to suit your taste:
- Mix-ins: Try white chocolate, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or dried berries instead of or alongside the chocolate chips.
- Bananas: Overripe bananas are ideal for extra sweetness and moisture—just make sure they’re not spoiled.
- Flour options: Whole wheat, cake flour, or bread flour can be used to adjust texture: cake flour for a cakier cookie, bread flour for more structure.
How to Store Cookies
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Can I Freeze Banana Cookies?
- Yes. Freeze cookies on a tray until solid, then transfer to an airtight bag or container. They’ll keep well in the freezer for up to three months.
Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 small ripe bananas, mashed (about ½ cup mashed)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Lightly grease two baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla; beat until just combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough onto prepared sheets, about 1 tablespoon per cookie, spacing them two inches apart.
- Bake 11–14 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used.
More Cookie Recipes
- Homemade Butter Cookies
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies