Soft Banana Bread Cookies
These soft banana bread cookies turn your spotty bananas into a batch of warm, tender cookies in under half an hour. All the cozy banana bread flavor you want, in a hand-held treat that bakes way faster than a loaf.
The dough comes together in one bowl with ingredients you probably already have, and there’s no mixer required. A simple scoop-and-bake cookie that feels like a little bite of home.
Why These Cookies Win Over Banana Bread
They’re everything good about banana bread—mellow sweetness, a hint of cinnamon, and that soft, almost cakey crumb—in cookie form. The mashed banana keeps them tender for days, so they stay fresh longer than a standard chocolate chip cookie.
You don’t have to wait nearly an hour for a loaf to cool. These bake in about 12 minutes and are ready to eat the moment they’re cool enough to hold.
I make them whenever I have a couple of overripe bananas on the counter and want something warm without turning on the oven for a full quick bread. They hit the same comforting note, just faster.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened: let it sit out for 30 minutes so it creams easily
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar: light or dark both work; dark gives a deeper caramel note
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar: adds a little crispness to the edges
- 1 large egg: cold or room temp, but room temp blends more smoothly
- 1 tsp vanilla extract: the real stuff if you have it
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 2 medium bananas: use bananas with plenty of brown speckles for the sweetest flavor
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped
- 1/2 tsp baking soda: check the date to make sure it’s active
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon: optional, but it rounds out the banana flavor
- 1/4 tsp salt: fine sea salt or table salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional: dark or semi-sweet chips add a little richness
Variations / Substitutions
- Swap the butter: Use 1/3 cup mild olive oil or melted coconut oil for a dairy-free version. The texture will be slightly softer.
- Add nuts: Fold in 1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans with the dry ingredients for crunch.
- Make them whole wheat: Replace up to half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour; they’ll be a bit denser and nuttier.
- Skip the cinnamon: Leave it out for a purer banana flavor, or swap it with a pinch of nutmeg.
- Go egg-free: Use a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes) in place of the egg.
For the full loaf, try our Classic Banana Bread.
How to Make Soft Banana Bread Cookies
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat together the 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
The mixture will look pale and a little grainy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything combines evenly, then move on to the banana.
Step 2: Mash and Fold in the Banana
In a small bowl, mash the 1 cup of ripe banana with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine. Add the mashed banana, the egg, and the 1 tsp vanilla to the butter mixture and stir until just combined.
The batter will look loose and might separate slightly. That’s normal with banana; the flour in the next step will bring it all together into a thick dough.
Step 3: Stir the Dry Ingredients Together
In a separate bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula until no streaks of flour remain. If you’re using chocolate chips, fold them in now.
Stop mixing as soon as the last bit of flour disappears. Overworking the dough here can make the cookies tough instead of soft and tender. The final dough should be thick and scoopable, not runny.
Step 4: Scoop and Bake the Dough
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set and the tops are dry and slightly puffed.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They’ll sink a little as they cool, which is just what you want. Serve them warm, and you’ll get a soft, cakey center with golden edges that crackle lightly.
A Few Notes for Perfect Cookies
- Use very ripe bananas. The more speckled, the sweeter. Underripe bananas don’t mash as smoothly and taste starchier.
- A cookie scoop makes quick work of portioning. A 1 1/2-tablespoon scoop gives evenly sized rounds that bake at the same rate.
- If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for 15 minutes before baking. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much.
- Let them cool on the sheet. The 5-minute rest on the hot pan sets the soft centers without drying them out.
Bake times can shift with the size of your cookie:
| Scoop Size | Bake Time |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp (small) | 8-10 mins |
| 1 1/2 tbsp (medium) | 10-12 mins |
| 2 tbsp (large) | 12-14 mins |
Keeping Them Fresh
- Refrigerate: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, keep them in the fridge for up to a week.
- Reheating: A quick 10-second zap in the microwave makes them taste freshly baked again. No need to reheat if you like them at room temp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes, swap the all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend. The texture will be slightly softer but still tender.
Why did my cookies turn out flat?
Too much banana moisture or overcreamed butter can cause spreading. Drain excess liquid from the mashed banana and chill the dough for 15 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
Can I use frozen bananas?
Definitely. Thaw them completely and pour off any liquid that separates before mashing, so the dough doesn’t get too wet.
What’s the best mix-in?
A handful of chocolate chips is classic, but toasted walnuts or pecans add a nice contrast. You can even do half chips, half nuts.
Soft Banana Bread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Add the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined, even if the batter looks slightly curdled.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no streaks of flour remain. If using chocolate chips, fold them in now.
- Drop rounded tablespoonfuls (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each) of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look dry. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.
Notes
