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
Can I use salted butter for banana oat chocolate chunk cookies?
Yes, you can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. In this case, reduce the added salt by half.
Can I use dark brown sugar?
You can use light or dark brown sugar for this recipe. I prefer dark brown sugar here because it adds rich molasses flavor to complement the caramelized banana taste.
How do you get chewy banana cookies?
The key to ensuring these cookies are chewy is to measure the ingredients accurately. Banana carries a lot of moisture, so measure it out after you have mashed it. Also, measure the flour correctly because too much will make these cookies more bread-y.
What is a substitution for egg?
This recipe is eggless because the banana adds moisture and the starches act as binders so that no egg is necessary. The result is very chewy cookies with a rich banana flavor.
STORING AND FREEZING
How do I store banana oat chocolate chip cookies?
These cookies stay soft and chewy for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can I freeze banana oat chocolate chip cookies?
Yes! Just place them in a resealable freezer bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. They make a delicious quick snack or breakfast!
If you love cookies, check out these recipes!
Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies The BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies Brown Butter M&M Cookies Recipe Lemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks Coffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Hazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies THE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style!More cookie recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Baking with bananas
If you enjoy baking with bananas, check out these recipes:
Video
Banana Oat Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Delicious eggless banana chocolate chip cookies with brown butter and rolled oats. These taste like banana bread and chocolate chip cookies had a baby! They have wonderful chewy texture with deeply golden brown caramelized edges and stay chewy for days.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (80ml or 90g) mashed ripe banana (from 1 small banana - make sure you measure accurately)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (65g) rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (160g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (125g) chopped dark chocolate, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 1.35-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.
These were amazing. I followed the instructions exact and cookies came out perfectly!! Only thing I did different was I like to add some sea salt on top once the cookies are cooling. My banana was pretty brown and it still worked great. All the flavors hit and the family loved them. Id make these again in a heartbeat!
Thank you Keely! I'm so glad your family enjoyed the cookies 🙂
Super tasty! I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (because it’s what I had) and they turned out great! They’re the perfect chewy texture and you can’t go wrong with browned butter.
Thank you Megan! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Absolutely loved this recipe. Already made 3 batches of this 1 week! Super simple, easy and delicious! I was wondering if in my next batch I can use clarified butter(ghee) instead of butter as melting the butter and browning it actually turns it into clarified butter 🤔. Will report back with the results. But overall, this recipe is just perfect!
Thank you Heena! Glad you enjoy this recipe. You can use ghee, but it will have a bit less flavor as it is clarified and missing the toasted milk solids.
Hellooo!! The recipe card says light brown sugar, though somewhere in the post you've mentioned that dark brown sugar is preferred because of the higher molasses content. I have both types of sugar on hand, which one to use? Also, I've been looouving ur cookie recipes, they turn out soo sooo good 🙂 Also, I'm guessing because of the bananas, freezing the cookie dough, to bake at a later date, may not be a good idea? Thanks a bunch !!
Hi Kimz! Sorry for the confusion. You can use either, but follow the recipe using the light brown so the spices are still pronounced. I haven't tested it, but I generally don't recommend freezing higher moisture cookie doughs for best results.
These cookies are delicious. They will be on my cookie rotation for sure!! (:
Thank you so much Jan!
I made these today and they are the best cookies I've ever made and had, truly delicious, such an amazing recipe!
Thank you Silvia! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
These are delicious. I added walnuts because I love walnuts with in banana bread.
Thank you Traci! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I am wondering if you can make these gluten free. What changes would I have to do?
Hi Amy! Many readers have reported success with King Arthurs and Bobs Read Mill gluten free flour.
These turned out utterly delicious - the texture was maybe the best I’ve ever achieved in a cookie, perhaps due to the oats? I would say any kind of chocolate would work depending on your preference, I’d like to try again with milk or white! Took a little longer in my old oven than indicated but I followed instructions and took them out when they were golden on the edges but still soft in the middle and that was just right. They tasted even better in the days after baking. Will 100% be making again!
Thank you Zoe! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I made this dairy free for my husband (I just usually cut out some of the fat because for some reason if not it gets too greasy with dairy free “butters”. My banana was a bit smaller than I needed but it is a very forgiving recipe. The perfect way to use up a single banana. I cannot wait to try making it the proper way- I even have the brown butter ready to go (I forgot I was making it dairy free lol)
Thank you Leah! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I only came across this recipe because I had two bananas lying around and needed to use it up. I never crave banana based desserts, but I was one banana shy for my banana bread recipe so I looked for recipes using 1-2 bananas and these photos looked amazing so I figured why not!? Mind you, I make banana bread alllll the time, all my friends and neighbor love it but I couldn’t care less because I just make it way to often. Ooooh my goodness, this recipe got me hooked on bananas again! I’ve made this recipe twice on the first day I made it two days ago and I’m making it again tonight! It is THAT GOOD!! The first night I made two batches, one as is (baked an extra 2-3 min. The second batch I made half with chips and chocolate wafers and the other half I added homemade toffee chunks, and baked it an extra 4-5 minutes). I gave most of it away to neighbors and family but I’m making more tonight so I can have a few more. Highly recommend!!
Thank you so much for the feedback Lis! I'm glad you enjoy this recipe. You have very lucky neighbors and friends!
Just made these cookies last night. these are INCREDIBLE. Best cookies I've made yet!
Thank you so much Stungster!
Can I use quick oats?!
Hi Natasha! If you use quick oats, the cookie dough will absorb more moisture and the cookies will be thicker.
Great recipe! For my second batch, I folded in fresh cut strawberries as I was scooping, paired nicely with the banana and the chocolate.
Thank you Jenn! Sounds delicious!
Made a double batch according to recipe. Added pecans too. They were excellent. This recipe is a keeper.
Thank you so much Kathy! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I adjusted my oven to 325° as it’s convection, and the timing was perfect. They turned out just as I hoped, and the recipe was quick and easy to follow. The flavor was excellent, and they were as chewy and soft as promised! Will be making again!
Thanks for the feedback Denise! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I never write reviews but seeing this has none yet, I had to do it. These came out so so good, using dark chocolate and flaky sea salt is a must!!! I did have to bake them for 13 minutes though.
Isn't 1 cup and 2 tbsp around 140 grams? Is there an error or is it 160?
Hi Wania. The volume (cup & tbsp) measurements provided is for common unsifted flour. I test everything by weight, so for best results weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card using a kitchen scale.
I cannot express how much I love these cookies! Had to get the recipe off my sister in law after she made them for me and have made them 6 times now 🙂
Thank you !!!
You are welcome Shauna! I'm so glad you love the recipe 🙂
Hands down, the best recipe. On my first try, I made the most beautiful cookies and they tasted divine!!! Thank you soo much for this recipe, Christina. It’s much appreciated ❤️❤️
Out of curiosity if I used frozen bananas that have been frozen but unthawed would the egg be necessary then?
Hi Demetrius, you will need to thaw the bananas to mash them as per the recipe. No egg is necessary.