Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies bring together the cozy flavor of homemade banana bread and the soft, chewy texture of a freshly baked cookie. Made with ripe banana, warm cinnamon, brown sugar, and plenty of chocolate chips, these cookies are an easy way to turn one overripe banana into a delicious homemade treat.
They’re simple enough for everyday baking and satisfying enough for dessert, lunchboxes, or an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These soft banana cookies have everything you want in a quick homemade dessert. The mashed banana adds natural moisture and classic banana bread flavor, while brown sugar keeps the centers tender and the edges lightly chewy.
Chocolate chips add rich pockets of sweetness, and cinnamon gives every bite a warm, comforting finish. Better yet, the dough requires no complicated equipment, making these easy banana cookies a family-friendly baking project.
Ingredients
- 1 small overripe banana, mashed (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add the melted butter or vegetable oil, brown sugar, and mashed banana to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix until the mixture looks smooth and evenly blended.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir gently just until no visible streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop approximately 1-ounce portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. The dough will be softer and wetter than traditional chocolate chip cookie dough.
- Bake the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies for 10–11 minutes, until the edges are set and the cookies have puffed slightly. The centers should still look soft and a little underbaked.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let them cool further before serving.
Tips & Tricks
Use a very ripe or overripe banana for the strongest flavor and easiest mixing. Bananas covered with plenty of brown spots are ideal.
Measure the mashed banana rather than relying entirely on the size of the fruit. You need about 1/4 cup; too much banana can make the cookies overly wet and cakey.
For chewy, tender cookies, avoid adding extra flour simply because the dough looks wet. This is naturally a softer dough.
Don’t skip the 15-minute rest. Giving the flour time to hydrate helps improve the consistency of the dough.
For especially soft banana chocolate chip cookies, remove them from the oven while the centers still appear slightly underdone. They will continue setting as they cool.
Either vegetable oil or melted butter works. Butter provides a richer flavor, while neutral vegetable oil keeps the cookies especially moist.
Milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips can all work well. Choose chocolate that fits your preferred level of sweetness and, when needed, check the label to ensure the ingredients meet your halal requirements.
Details
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rest Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10–11 minutes
- Total Time: About 40 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 16–18 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American-inspired
- Difficulty: Easy
- Dietary Notes: Vegetarian and halal-friendly when made with appropriately certified or suitable ingredients
Notes
For a deeper banana bread flavor, use a banana that is very soft and heavily spotted.
You can replace some of the chocolate chips with chopped walnuts or pecans for additional crunch. A combination of chocolate chips and nuts also works beautifully.
Serve these cinnamon chocolate chip cookies slightly warm for softer chocolate centers, or let them cool completely for a more structured texture.
They pair particularly well with milk, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 18 cookies:
- Calories: 175–195 kcal
- Protein: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 25–28 g
- Fat: 8–10 g
Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on the ingredients, chocolate chips, and portion size used.
FAQ
What are Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies?
They are soft cookies made with mashed ripe banana, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. They combine familiar banana bread flavors with the convenience and shape of chocolate chip cookies.
Why are my banana cookies so soft?
Banana naturally adds a significant amount of moisture. These cookies are intended to have tender, soft centers rather than the crisp texture of traditional chocolate chip cookies. Measuring the banana to exactly 1/4 cup helps prevent excess moisture.
Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes. Thaw the banana completely and drain away excessive liquid before mashing and measuring 1/4 cup for the recipe.
Can I use butter instead of vegetable oil?
Yes. Melted butter is an excellent substitute and gives the cookies a rich, buttery flavor. Allow very hot melted butter to cool slightly before combining it with the other ingredients.
Why should I let the cookie dough rest?
The short resting period allows the flour to absorb moisture from the banana and other wet ingredients. This helps make the unusually soft dough easier to work with before baking.
Can I make banana bread cookies without chocolate chips?
Yes. Simply omit the chocolate chips or replace them with chopped nuts, raisins, or another suitable baking mix-in. Keep the overall quantity of additional ingredients reasonable so the cookies bake evenly.
Storage
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days or refrigerate them for up to 5 days. Refrigeration is preferable if your kitchen is particularly warm.
For longer storage, place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature. For a warm, freshly baked texture, gently reheat an individual cookie in the microwave for several seconds.
Similar Recipes
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 small overripe banana mashed (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add the melted butter or vegetable oil, brown sugar, and mashed banana to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix until the mixture looks smooth and evenly blended.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir gently just until no visible streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop approximately 1-ounce portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. The dough will be softer and wetter than traditional chocolate chip cookie dough.
- Bake the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies for 10–11 minutes, until the edges are set and the cookies have puffed slightly. The centers should still look soft and a little underbaked.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let them cool further before serving.
Notes
Conclusion
These Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies are a simple solution when you have a ripe banana waiting to be used. They’re soft, warmly spiced, packed with chocolate, and require straightforward pantry ingredients.
Whether you think of them as banana bread cookies or extra-soft chocolate chip cookies, the combination of banana, cinnamon, brown sugar, and melted chocolate makes them an easy recipe worth keeping.