Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies combine the cozy flavor of ripe banana bread with the soft, chewy texture of a homemade chocolate chip cookie. Brown butter adds a rich, nutty note, while cinnamon, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and flaky sea salt make every bite especially flavorful.
They’re an easy way to use a small amount of ripe banana when you don’t have enough for an entire loaf of banana bread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These cookies bring two classic treats together without being overly complicated. Mashed ripe banana provides natural sweetness and moisture, while browned butter creates a deep, almost caramel-like flavor.
The combination of brown and granulated sugars helps produce soft centers with lightly set edges. Chilling the dough controls spreading and gives the ingredients time to develop more flavor.
Chocolate chips add pockets of melted chocolate, cinnamon gives the cookies that familiar banana bread warmth, and flaky sea salt provides a delicious sweet-and-salty finish. They’re soft, chewy, family-friendly, and perfect for using an extra ripe banana.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
- 1 1/2 teaspoons alcohol-free pure vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to melt completely.
- Continue cooking the melted butter, stirring frequently. It will begin to foam before turning golden and developing toasted brown specks on the bottom of the pan.
- Once the butter smells nutty and has reached a golden-brown color, immediately remove it from the heat. Transfer it to a heat-safe bowl and allow it to cool for about 20 minutes, or until close to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
- Add the egg yolk, mashed ripe banana, and alcohol-free vanilla extract. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Fold gently until a soft cookie dough forms and no large streaks of flour remain.
- Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour. For deeper flavor, the dough can be chilled for up to 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and roll gently into balls. Arrange them several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges look set while the centers remain slightly soft.
- Immediately after removing the baking sheet from the oven, carefully tap it once or twice against a heat-safe counter or stovetop. This helps the cookies settle and creates attractive rippled edges.
- Sprinkle the warm cookies lightly with flaky sea salt.
- Leave them on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Tips & Tricks
Use a very ripe banana with plenty of brown spots. Ripe bananas provide stronger banana flavor, natural sweetness, and the moisture needed for these banana bread cookies.
Measure the mashed banana carefully. Adding significantly more than 1/3 cup can introduce too much moisture and give the cookies a cakier texture.
Don’t rush the brown butter. Once golden specks appear, watch it closely because it can go from perfectly toasted to burnt quickly.
Allow the browned butter to cool before mixing it with the other ingredients. Very hot butter can negatively affect the texture of the dough.
Chilling is important for these cookies. Banana contributes extra moisture, and cold dough is less likely to spread excessively in the oven.
For bakery-style cookies, reserve a handful of chocolate chunks and gently press them into the tops of the dough balls before baking.
Don’t overbake. The centers should still appear soft when the cookies leave the oven because they’ll continue setting on the hot baking sheet.
Details
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10–12 minutes per batch
Total Time: About 1 hour 40 minutes
Yield: Approximately 18–20 cookies
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American-inspired
Difficulty: Easy
Dietary Notes: Vegetarian and halal-friendly when using alcohol-free vanilla extract and halal-suitable chocolate
Notes
Semi-sweet chocolate chips provide a balanced sweetness, while dark chocolate chunks create a richer flavor.
Milk chocolate can also be used if you prefer sweeter banana chocolate chip cookies.
For additional texture, fold in approximately 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans with the chocolate.
If you don’t want to brown the butter, regular melted butter can work, but the cookies won’t have the same toasted, nutty depth.
A pinch of nutmeg can be added alongside the cinnamon for even more banana bread-inspired flavor.
These cookies are particularly delicious slightly warm, when the centers are soft and the chocolate is still melted.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 20 cookies:
Calories: 175–200 kcal
Protein: 2–3g
Carbohydrates: 25–28g
Fat: 8–10g
Nutrition values are estimates and depend on the chocolate, butter, portion size, and exact ingredients used.
FAQ
What do Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies taste like?
They combine sweet ripe banana and warm cinnamon with nutty brown butter and melted chocolate. The result has familiar banana bread flavors in a soft, chewy cookie.
Why do I need to chill banana cookie dough?
Banana adds moisture to cookie dough, making it softer than traditional chocolate chip cookie dough. Refrigerating it helps control spreading and makes the dough easier to scoop.
Can I use frozen bananas for banana cookies?
Yes. Thaw the banana completely first. Because frozen bananas can release considerable liquid, drain off excess moisture before mashing and measuring 1/3 cup.
Why are my banana cookies cakey?
Too much banana, too much flour, or overbaking can change the texture. Measure the banana and flour carefully and remove the cookies while their centers still look slightly soft.
Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
Yes. Cover the prepared dough tightly and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Chilling overnight can also deepen the brown butter and cinnamon flavors.
Can I freeze Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Yes. Both the baked cookies and portioned unbaked cookie dough freeze well. Frozen dough balls can be stored for convenient small batches later.
Storage
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days.
Because banana adds moisture, make sure the cookies are completely cool before sealing the container. Otherwise, condensation can make them overly soft.
For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to one week and bring them to room temperature before serving.
Baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2–3 months.
You can also freeze portioned cookie dough balls. Freeze them first on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time as needed.
Similar Recipes
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- – 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoon-size pieces
- – 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
- – 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- – 1 large egg yolk
- – 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
- – 1 1/2 teaspoons alcohol-free pure vanilla extract
- – 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- – 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- – 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- – 1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
- – Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to melt completely.
- Continue cooking the melted butter, stirring frequently. It will begin to foam before turning golden and developing toasted brown specks on the bottom of the pan.
- Once the butter smells nutty and has reached a golden-brown color, immediately remove it from the heat. Transfer it to a heat-safe bowl and allow it to cool for about 20 minutes, or until close to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
- Add the egg yolk, mashed ripe banana, and alcohol-free vanilla extract. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Fold gently until a soft cookie dough forms and no large streaks of flour remain.
- Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour. For deeper flavor, the dough can be chilled for up to 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and roll gently into balls. Arrange them several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges look set while the centers remain slightly soft.
- Immediately after removing the baking sheet from the oven, carefully tap it once or twice against a heat-safe counter or stovetop. This helps the cookies settle and creates attractive rippled edges.
- Sprinkle the warm cookies lightly with flaky sea salt.
- Leave them on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Conclusion
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies deliver the comforting flavor of banana bread in a soft, chocolate-packed cookie. Brown butter adds toasted richness, cinnamon provides warmth, and ripe banana keeps the centers tender and flavorful.
Finished with melted chocolate and a touch of flaky sea salt, these brown butter banana cookies are a simple and delicious alternative whenever you have one extra ripe banana waiting to be used.