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Don’t toss those ripe bananas, make these perfectly chewy banana cookies! Full of sweet banana flavor and a perfectly chewy texture, these cookies aren’t like your usual banana cookie. They are even better!
After posting about our chewy pumpkin cookies I couldn’t get the idea out of my head that banana puree is much like pumpkin and therefore would probably create a chewy banana cookie.
I have such distinct memories of Mom pulling warm banana chocolate chip cookies off of the baking sheet leaving these little circles of moist cookie crumb on the pan. And now I love the idea of having both Mom’s soft version and my chewy one.
Give Me All the Banana Recipes!
I love bananas in baked goods. We literally have dozens of banana recipes on the blog. If you want to try more recipes for your ripe bananas, try our peanut butter banana bread, Nutella banana muffins or banana cake.
Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Chewy texture
- Cinnamon sugar on the outside
- So easy to make
- Use up those ripe bananas
- Delicious banana flavor
These banana cookies are unlike any banana cookie you’ve ever tried before. They are soft and chewy and not like the typical cakey banana cookie. Both are fantastic, but I’m totally obsessed with these ones!
Ingredients for Chewy Banana Cookies
You aren’t going to find another recipe out there quite like this one, but the ingredients aren’t anything out of the ordinary for a cookie recipe. Here is the ingredients list:
Cookies
- Butter: I always bake with unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in my recipes, but if you only have salted, just eliminate the additional salt in this recipe.
- Flour: just good ol’ all purpose
- Baking Soda: leavening agent, helps the cookies spread and stay chewy
- Baking Powder: leavening agent, adds a little rise
- Salt: enhances the flavors
- Light Brown Sugar: adds sweetness and keeps the cookies soft
- Vanilla: a touch of flavor
- Egg Yolk: adds structure and richness
- Honey: adds natural sweetness
- Banana: adds flavor, moisture and natural sweetness
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
This isn’t your typical cinnamon sugar, this is the fancy version.
- Dark Brown Sugar: I love the color and extra molasses flavor this adds
- Sugar: a little more sweetness and texture
- Cinnamon: flavor and warmth
How to Make Banana Cookies
There are a few things that you want to look out for when making these cookies to keep them chewy. So read carefully and pay attention to the tips given. Here are the steps:
For the Cookies
- Brown the butter and let it cool slightly.
- TIP: Starting with melted butter is key to this recipe. You don’t necessarily have to brown it (but you should because the flavor is phenomenal), but it does need to be melted and cooled. It should not be solidified, and it should not be hot.
- Whisk dry ingredients.
- Pour browned butter into the bowl and beat thoroughly with the sugar
- Add the rest of the ingredients except banana.
- Stir in the banana by hand.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- TIP: You don’t want to over-mix the dough or the cookies will come out fluffy and cakey.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough while you make the cinnamon sugar topping
- Roll the dough into balls and coat them in cinnamon sugar topping.
- Bake and let cool before digging in.
FAQ about Banana Cookies
No, you could just use melted butter, but the brown butter really brings on a rich and buttery flavor that cannot be duplicated without it.
Softened butter doesn’t work in the same way as melted. By beating the sugars with a softened butter you’ll end up with a fluffier cookie. Which isn’t bad, so you can try it both ways and do whichever suits your fancy.
I never say no to chocolate chips! They make a great addition to these cookies and banana and chocolate are a delicious combination. I’d recommend 1-1½ cups of semi sweet chocolate chips.
You want to use ripe bananas for this recipe which are yellow with several brown freckles all over them.
Ripe bananas are sweeter and have a stronger banana flavor. They also have the moisture you want for this recipe.
Check out the video in our peanut butter banana bread post. It shows perfectly ripe bananas if you want to see an example.
Storing Banana Cookies
You can store banana cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. They will keep for 3-5 days at room temperature.
They also freeze great. Place them in a freezer safe container or a ziploc bag. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
More Fun Versions of Classic Cookies
- Chewy Pumpkin Cookies
- Thick Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
- Double Chocolate Cookies
Chewy Banana Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 Cup Butter, unsalted
- 2 ¼ Cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 3 Tablespoons Honey
- 1/2 Cup Mashed Banana, use freckled bananas
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
For the Cookies
- In a skillet over medium high heat, add the butter and cook until foaming and beginning to turn amber in color with brown flecks on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl so it will not continue to cook. The smell should be very fragrant. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes then place in the fridge for 10 more minutes.1 Cup Butter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, set aside.2 ¼ Cups Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder, 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer, use a spatula to scrape the butter into the bowl and beat together the butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add the vanilla, egg yolk and honey and mix again.1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla, 1 Large Egg Yolk, 3 Tablespoons Honey
- Finally, stir in the banana.1/2 Cup Mashed Banana
- Slowly pour all dry ingredients into the mixer and beat again until combined.
- Place in the fridge while you prepare the oven and cinnamon sugar.
- Heat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with a silpat.
- Roll the dough into balls and then roll into the sugar mixture.
- Bake for 12 minutes and remove from the oven to rest for a moment before eating.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- In a small bowl, combine the brown and white sugars and cinnamon, using your fingers to break up bits of brown sugar.1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Sugar, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made this just now. My dough is sticky. I don’t think I can actually roll balls. Can I just scoop? Also didnt have the honey
Yes, you can just scoop it and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Enjoy, Patty!
Chewy Banana Cookies were easy to make with clear instructions and yurned out exactly aspromised in the recipe. Now our favourite cookie; for any occasion!
It is one of my very favorite cookies!! So glad you love them too Roxanne!
These are so good, I’ve made them twice and they have come out perfectly both times. My other favorite cookie recipe starts with brown butter so I knew I had to try these! (I used two brown bananas and chilled the dough for about an hour). Thanks for the recipe!
Love to hear this April!! Thank you!
Under the recommended products banner you link to a #10 size cookie scoop. Is that really the size you recommend to use to make these cookies? Also, would it affect the texture of these cookies if I used parchment instead of a silpat? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
Hi Amy! I haven’t noticed a huge different between using parchment or silpats for these cookies. Either will work fine! You can use any size cookie scoop that you want. The bigger the cookie scoop, the longer the baking time. In order to get the 24 cookies, you’ll want to use probably a #30 cookie scoop or about 2 Tablespoons of dough.
Thank you so much for responding to my questions so quickly. I really appreciate it and enjoy your site. Can’t wait to try these. I’ll make sure I come back and post a review.
Thank you for the support Amy! Can’t wait to hear how you like them!
Do you use white or brown sugar to mix the butter into? I only see brown sugar amounts and thought that was to be mixed with all dry ingredients
How much sugar are you suppose to mix the butter into? I only see brown sugar amounts
How much sugar are you suppose to mix the butter into?
Hi Ashley! It’s the 1 cup of brown sugar listed in the recipe. Sorry for the confusion! There is no white granulated sugar in the cookie dough.
The dough is really soft! Should the butter be completely re-cooled to a solid? Should there be more flour added or less butter?? Help!
Hi Emily! No, the butter isn’t cooled enough to be back in a solid form, just room temperature. The flour and butter measurements are correct. Did you use just the egg yolk? And just 1/2 cup of banana?
Emily, it could also be that the butter was a little too warm. Just chill the dough in the fridge. With the proper flour and banana it should be firm enough to scoop but not crazy thick dough.