Banana Oat Chocolate Chunk Cookies

If banana bread met my Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, this is what it would look like! These Banana Oat Chocolate Chunk Cookies have so much flavor from brown butter and ripe banana with an irresistibly chewy texture and deeply caramelized edges. The combination of oats with brown butter, banana and chocolate is elevated by a hint of spice. You get classic banana bread flavors in a lovely chocolate chip cookie, and the banana acts as a binder in place of egg so this recipe actually contains no eggs! If you love banana recipes, check out my very popular Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, Brown Butter Banana Coffee Cake and my Double Chocolate Banana Bread.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Simple ingredients - you only need basic pantry ingredients to make these banana cookies so you can easily make them any time you have that spotty banana hanging around.
• No eggs - this is an eggless cookie recipe which is quite convenient for when you run out or if you have an egg allergy. Banana can function as a substitute for eggs in some recipes, and this is accidentally one of them! I didn't develop this recipe to be an eggless recipe perse, but in order to get enough banana into the cookie dough while still achieving the color and texture of golden, caramelized chocolate chip cookies, you need to eliminate other sources of moisture. Removing the egg doesn't compromise the texture so much in this case since the natural starches in banana have binding properties.
• Banana chocolate chip cookies - this recipe is like a cross between chewy chocolate chip cookies and banana bread. I like to use dark 70% bittersweet chocolate chips, but you can also use semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips.
• Soft and chewy banana cookies - the moisture from the banana keeps these cookies moist and the lack of egg means they are dense and chewy.
• Caramelized edges - these cookies bake up with the most gorgeous golden brown edges that are crisp and super chewy

INGREDIENTS FOR BANANA OAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Here are some notes on some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• All purpose flour - simple AP flour is best for chewy cookies. Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to dry crumbly cookies. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off.
• Brown sugar - I use all brown sugar for this recipe which adds a hint of molasses flavor that marries so well with banana and adds moisture. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the flavor of these cookies.
• Spice - a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg adds warmth to give these cookies a cozy feel. It is optional, and you can leave it out if you prefer.

• Butter - this recipe calls for brown butter which adds so much complex, rich nutty undertones to complement the banana. It also removes some of the moisture from the recipe to accommodate the moisture added by mashed banana.
• Banana - you just need one banana for this recipe. Make sure it is nicely spotted and very ripe, but do not use a frozen banana which will leach out all its water.
• Oats - use old-fashioned rolled oats for nice texture. If you use quick oats, the cookie dough will absorb more moisture and the cookies will be thicker.
• Dark chocolate - any type of chocolate chips works in this recipe, but I prefer dark chocolate between 50 and 70% cocoa solids for the best taste and level of sweetness. I like to chop up chocolate from a block to get nice spread for these cookies, and these bittersweet chocolate callets are my favorite and very convenient.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This recipe is EASY! You start with the mashed bananas in a bowl and then add all of the remaining ingredients. Do not mix vigorously once the dry ingredients are added. I

• STEP 1). First brown the butter. Follow the instructions in this post here to learn how to brown butter. It's easy! Brown specks and a dense golden foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it out into a clean bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes. This whole process takes around 8-10 minutes. Immediately pour it into a large mixing bowl, then let it cool for 20-30 minutes until it reaches a temperature just warmer than room temperature.
• STEP 2). Mash the banana. Mash the banana and measure out the correct amount.
• STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Combine the cool (but still liquid) melted brown butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl and mix to blend. If the butter is cooled sufficiently, then the mixture will look a bit fluffy after mixing. Over mixing at this stage will make it stiffen up, so mix gently. Add mashed banana and vanilla extract and mix to combine until it looks syrupy and it may look a bit separated at this point.
• STEP 4). Add dry ingredients. Stir in the oats, salt and spices. Add flour and fold it in until mostly combined but a few streaks remain. Add chocolate chunks and fold them in so they are evenly incorporated.
• STEP 5). Fold in chocolate. Add chocolate chunks and fold them in evenly.
• STEP 6). Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
• STEP 7). Bake. Use a 1 ½-oz cookie scoop to portion dough and release it onto prepared baking sheets spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Press a few extra chocolate chips onto each dough ball if desired. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden and the middles are just a bit soft. Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use very ripe bananas. Bananas are ready for baking when they are well spotted.
• Avoid using frozen bananas. This recipe will not work with frozen banana because once frozen it releases a lot of moisture on thawing which can change the texture of these cookies. Freezing bananas breaks down their cell structure so that the water leaks out of the starch granules and the structure-building properties are lost.
• Use dark chocolate chips with at least 55% cocoa solids. Dark chocolate will offset the sweetness and also melt nicely through the cookie dough.
• Don't over mix the cookies dough. Only mix the dough until no streaks of flour remain.
• Under bake them. Remember that these banana chocolate chip cookies will continue to bake as they cool, so they should be a little soft in the middle when you take them out of the oven.

RECIPE FAQ

STORING AND FREEZING

If you love cookies, check out these recipes!

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