Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
32 min
|
easy
|
vegetarian
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
Think the best parts of banana bread smashed into a chocolate chip cookie, with ripe-banana flavor, warm cinnamon and nutmeg, and a splash of maple that makes the chocolate sing.
Perfect for rescuing those spotty bananas and clutch for brunch, bake sales, or a late night coffee, these cookies deliver soft, tender centers and melty chips with cozy banana bread comfort in every bite.
Ingredients (18 servings)
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Ingredients
- 2 medium, ripe bananas (mashed, about 1 cup) bananas 2 ct medium, ripe
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened) unsalted butter 4 oz
- ½ cup brown sugar brown sugar 3.43 oz
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup pure maple syrup 4 Tbsp
- 1 large egg (room temp) large egg 1 ct
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract pure vanilla extract 1 tsp
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour all-purpose flour 0.41 lb
- 1 tsp baking soda baking soda 0.17 oz
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon ground cinnamon 0.05 oz
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ground nutmeg 0.04 oz
- ¼ tsp salt salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips semi-sweet chocolate chips 8 oz
How to Make Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Preheat and prep pans
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment for easy release and even browning.
Position a rack in the center of the oven to avoid scorched bottoms or pale tops.
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Mash and measure the bananas
Mash the bananas very well until mostly smooth, then measure 1 cup; if you have more than 1 cup, reserve the extra for oatmeal or smoothies so the cookies do not spread too much.
If the mash looks very watery, blot lightly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
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Cream butter, sugar, and maple
In a bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes; this traps air for lift.
Beat in the maple syrup until fully emulsified, scraping the bowl so nothing hides on the bottom.
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Add egg, vanilla, and banana
Beat in the room temp egg and vanilla until smooth; if it looks slightly curdled, it will come together once the dry ingredients go in.
Mix in the mashed banana just until combined to avoid overworking the batter.
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Whisk dry ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to evenly disperse the leavener and spices.
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Combine and fold in chocolate
Add the dry mix to the wet in two additions and fold gently until no dry streaks remain; stop the second you get there.
Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful to dot on top of the scooped dough for picture-perfect cookies.
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Rest the dough
Let the dough rest 10 minutes to hydrate and thicken; banana-heavy dough needs a minute to pull itself together.
If it still looks loose like muffin batter, chill 20 to 30 minutes so the cookies hold their shape.
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Scoop and bake
Scoop 2 tablespoon portions or use a number 30 scoop, spacing at least 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
Top each mound with a few reserved chips and bake 11 to 13 minutes until edges are light golden and centers look set but soft.
Rotate the pan once if your oven has hot spots for even color.
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Cool and finish
Cool on the sheet 10 minutes to let the cookies set, then move to a rack to finish cooling.
Optional but fabulous: a tiny pinch of flaky salt on each warm cookie to sharpen the chocolate and balance the sweetness.
Substitutions
- Unsalted butter -> Browned butter (same amount, cooled)
- Browned butter adds deep, nutty toffee notes that play beautifully with banana and chocolate, and it gives slightly crisper edges; chill the dough 20 minutes to control spread since browned butter is liquid once melted and cooled.
- All-purpose flour -> 1 cup AP + 1/2 cup oat flour
- Swapping in oat flour for part of the AP flour brings a cozy banana bread vibe and a tender, slightly chewier crumb without making the cookies dense; the dough may thicken a bit more as oats hydrate, which helps shape.
- Egg -> Flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, rested 10 min)
- A flax egg keeps the cookies soft and cakey with a gentle nuttiness, and it helps bind the moist banana dough; expect a touch less rise and a tender bite, so a short chill is extra helpful.
Tips
- Measure banana by the cup, not the fruit
- Two bananas vary wildly; aim for exactly 1 cup mashed banana, about 225 to 240 grams, so your cookies land between tender and structured.
- Cream properly for lift
- Beat butter and sugar until visibly paler and fluffy so tiny air pockets help lift a naturally moist dough that can skew dense if rushed.
- Control spread with a short rest
- A 10 minute rest lets flour hydrate and banana moisture settle; if the dough still looks loose, chill briefly to keep cookies from puddling.
- Scoop smart and keep sizes even
- A number 30 scoop makes uniform portions that bake at the same rate, so you do not end up with a mix of dry edges and underdone centers.
- Bake to color, not just time
- Pull cookies when edges are lightly golden and centers look set but soft, because carryover heat finishes the middle without drying them out.
- Store right for texture
- Keep in a loosely covered glass container at room temp for 2 days for soft cookies; for crisp edges, leave the lid ajar, and refresh day-old cookies with 2 minutes in a 300 F oven.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 170 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 3 | g |
| Total Fat | 7 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 26 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- Why did my cookies bake up too cakey and tall?
- You likely used more than 1 cup mashed banana or packed in extra flour; measure both accurately and do not overmix once flour goes in, which develops gluten and puffs them like mini cakes.
- Why did my cookies spread too much?
- Excess banana moisture or butter too warm will make the dough loose; blot watery banana, chill the dough 20 to 30 minutes, and make sure butter is softened, not melty, before creaming.
- Can I freeze the dough or baked cookies?
- Yes; scoop dough, freeze on a sheet until firm, then bag for up to 2 months and bake from frozen adding 1 to 2 minutes; baked cookies freeze well for 2 months, thaw at room temp, then warm briefly to revive.
- My dough looks curdled after adding egg and banana; is it ruined?
- No; high-moisture additions can look split, but once the dry ingredients are folded in the batter will smooth out, so keep going and do not overbeat.
- Can I make them gluten free?
- Use a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum and rest the dough 20 minutes so it hydrates; expect slightly more tenderness and less browning, so bake to color and consider a minute more in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
A warm cookie loves company, so serve these with strong coffee or a cold glass of milk, and hit them with a whisper of flaky salt to make the chocolate pop.
Feeling playful, swirl a spoonful of peanut butter into the dough or press a banana chip on top of each scoop before baking for a little crunch-meets-creamy action.
More pairings:
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