Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies
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What’s not to love about banana bread cookies?!
I’m a sucker for a good, thick slice of banana bread but sometimes the whole production of making a loaf sounds like a lot of work and time.
That’s where banana bread cookies come into play. Hello perfect hand held deliciousness that’s enjoyed for either breakfast or dessert, no judgement here!
These thick, soft, chocolate studded cookies are full of banana flavor and are light and fluffy!
The cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top make these extra special too.
It’s the best of both worlds…a cookie and banana bread! I seriously cannot wait for you to try them!
- No chill time
- Soft centers
- Full of banana flavor
- Can easily be made gluten free
- Perfect any time of day, I know from experience 😉
- Uses basic cookie ingredients
- Easy to make
- Thick, fluffy and deeply delicious!
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need 2 over ripe bananas for this recipe. This recipe is based off of my Kroll’s Kookie base and I’ve made a few adjustments.
- Over Ripe bananas: You’ll want your bananas ripe enough for the best results, look for the brown spotty bananas. (No green on the peel). Freckled bananas = banana bread cookie time!
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: I love adding in these warming spices to make these cookies ultra cozy!
- Butter: Just like all of my other cookie recipes, I use cold, unsalted butter.
- Chocolate chips: feel free to use chocolate chunks, mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet, dark chocolate, etc.
- Cream Cheese: You’ll need softened cream cheese to make the frosting.
- Chopped walnuts: I love adding walnuts on top for a finishing look and it adds a nice crunch.
- Other ingredients needed: flour, cake flour, salt, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, powdered sugar, brown sugar, eggs.
Step by Step Directions
You’ll need a stand mixer or hand mixer to make these, but it couldn’t be easier! Let’s do it:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together
- Then add in the mashed bananas, egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and blend until mixed.
- Gradually add in the flour mixture until ingredients are incorporated.
- Add in chocolate chips.
- The dough will be a bit sticky due to the bananas. Using floured hands and a cookie scoop, measure out 10-12 cookies. Or make smaller if preferred.
- Place on baking sheet & bake cookies for ~13-14minutes.
Tips and Variations
- Use over ripe bananas: make sure they are covered in brown spots! Over ripe bananas are deliciously sweet and will give these cookies the best banana flavor.
- How to mash bananas: Sure, you can use a fork. But using a hand mixer or even a blender creates the perfect mashed banana consistency!
- Cool cookies completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting.
- Add walnuts into the cookie dough batter if you prefer. I would start with 1/2 cup and add more to your liking.
- The dough will be pretty sticky. Use enough flour on your hands and a cookie scoop to helping with forming into cookie dough balls.
FAQ
Yes! I would cool them and freeze without the cream cheese. Unfrosted cookies will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can I make them gluten free?
Yes! Replace both flours with Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 gluten free flour, it’s my favorite!
The reason this cookie dough is sticky is because of the bananas. I’ve found a light dusting of flour on my hands when scooping and rolling the dough solves the issue. However, chilling the dough can also help sticky dough become more manageable to work with.
I recommend using a silicone baking mat (I love Silpat mats) or a sheet of parchment paper does the trick!
Usually it’s not enough flour in the recipe or if a recipe calls for softened butter that a cookie turns out like a pancake. My recipes are tested to be thick, giant cookies so you shouldn’t run into this issue. You can always chill your cookie dough prior to baking, but since my recipes use cold butter you shouldn’t have to. Also, do not use any nonstick baking spray on your cookie sheet, that can also be a culprit.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted, cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 over ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon for garnish, optional
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (flours, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, salt cinnamon, nutmeg) in a large bowl and set aside.
- Add in mashed bananas, followed by the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until combined.
- Add in dry ingredients, gradually until ingredients are incorporated.
- Add in chocolate chips until combined.
- Using floured hands and a cookie scoop, measure out ~10-12 cookies. The dough will be a bit sticky due to the bananas. The flour will help!
- Place on prepared baking sheet & bake cookies for ~13-14 minutes.
- Let cookies cool, then make the cream cheese frosting. Mix together the softened cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until smooth. Add more powdered sugar as desired.
- Frost cooled cookies, garnished with nuts and ground cinnamon if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Sticky dough: The reason this cookie dough is sticky is because of the bananas. I’ve found a light dusting of flour on my hands when scooping and rolling the dough solves the issue. However, chilling the dough (30-60 min) can also help sticky dough become more manageable to work with.
- Storage: Cookies will last in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. For freezing, I recommend cooling them and freezing without the cream cheese. Unfrosted cookies will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I’m looking forward to making these and am curious if anyone knows how many grams/ oz per cookie? Thanks
thank you soo much! I haven’t weighed them per cookie, so sorry!
These cookies are the best cookie I’ve ever had. Oh my!! 🤩🤩 I made them week after week when I first discovered them. Amazing! (I didn’t have cake flour on hand, so I used a cup of regular flour with 2 tablespoons scooped out and replaced with cornstarch.)
Hi Krysten! Omg what a compliment, thank you so much. So glad you enjoyed them and that the homemade cake flour worked for you 🙂 xo, Tawnie
I just made these and they are delicious! I forgot to add the chocolate chips. Darn.
I added the chips on top of the frosting.
Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed them!! Thank you 🙂
I love making these cookies. I add chopped walnuts to the batter for a little crunch!
The walnuts in them sound delish! Thank you! 🙂
These sound amazing! Would I still be able to make these cookies without using a stand mixer? I only have the kitchen aid hand held mixer or a whisk 🙁
Thank you so much! A hand mixer will work 🙂 You really need the power behind either mixer to cream everything together!
Hi Tawnie,
What is the texture of the icing on top when done? I’m trying to figure how I can package this cookie. TIA 🙂
Hi Delanna! It’s just like a regular cream cheese icing or frosting. It stays pretty “wet” I would think unless you refrigerated them but then I would fear they would dry out. I don’t package cookies so I am sorry I can’t advise on that ahhhh! Best of luck!
Can you make with one egg?
Hi Teresa! I haven’t tested the recipe that way, so sorry! If you try with one egg and works, let me know how they taste! 🙂 xx, Tawnie
Literally banana bread in cookie form! I couldn’t believe the texture and how well the cream cheese frosting paired with it when I took my first bite! Loved these!
thank you so much Emily!! The cream cheese frosting is a must right?!
Oh wow! Such a wonderful use for leftover bananas. I especially love the addition of the cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts on top.
I love the texture of these thick cookies. So good!