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These moist and chewy banana oatmeal cookies are hands down the best banana flavored cookie I’ve ever had. Not only are they moist and chewy for days, they are unmistakably banana-y!
Banana is one of those flavors that can get lost when you bake with it. It can be a really subtle flavor. It always bums me out when that happens, because we love the taste of banana.
These cookies meet the category of being FULL of banana flavor. Just the smell of this cookie dough mixture with the banana in it is intoxicating. And they are so moist and tender, the nearly melt in your mouth. They are perfect for using up overripe bananas and super easy to make. You don’t even need a mixer!
This is one of those old fashioned recipes that everyone loves. It’s originally from my grandmother’s cookbook. Her book is full of newspaper clippings with recipes and the names of those who submitted and shared them with the paper. I just love it. Such a different time in the world. Now we find everything online!
These cookies make the list of banana things to go crazy for. Without a doubt, it’s a tie between them and my Banana Bread Recipe! Or, maybe they are tied with my Banana Cupcakes or Banana Chocolate Chip Layer Cake. Then there’s my Homemade Banana Pudding — I just can’t decide. Banana desserts are just so tempting.
- Texture. These cookies are super soft and tender and they stay that way for several days.
- Nutritious. With both banana and oats in these cookies, they are packed with nutrients. I love them on busy mornings when I need breakfast on the go!
- Easy to make. Making these tasty banana cookies is just as easy as eating them. They’d be great to make with kids! You can mix everything in one bowl. That means less clean up, and that’s always a good thing.
- Grandma’s recipe. Another reason this recipe is extra special is because I got if from my grandmother (my dad’s mom). She passed away in 2008. A few years after she passed, when I started baking a lot, my uncle gave me her cookbook. This recipe was tucked inside it, and it brings back so many special memories. I made a few changes to her original recipe to make the cookies thicker and softer, but they are essentially the same as grandma used to make.
What You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure your flour. Too much flour and you’ll end up with dry cookies, too little and they’ll get runny.
- Baking soda: A little baking soda gives the cookies a light, fluffy texture.
- Ground cinnamon & cloves: These warm spices nicely compliment the banana.
- Salt: Helps to enhance the flavors and spices in the cookie dough batter.
- Cornstarch: This is one of the secret ingredients for this recipe. Cornstarch gives the cookies a chewy texture, helps them not over spread and gives them a lovely soft texture.
- Unsalted butter: I highly recommend using unsalted butter because it allows you to control the saltiness of the cookies. However, salted butter will also work, but you’ll want to leave out the rest of the salt in the recipe.
- Sugar: Using both granulated sugar and brown sugar gives the cookies a deep, richer flavor. The brown sugar also provides extra moisture.
- Egg: You’ll need 1 egg to bind all your ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: You can’t go wrong adding a little vanilla to banana cookies.
- Bananas: Make sure to use overripe bananas for the best flavor. They should have plenty of brown spots, but not be completely brown and nearly falling apart. If they don’t hold together anymore, they are probably too ripe and your cookies may not turn out well.
- Oats: This recipe originally called for old-fashioned rolled oats but after some kitchen testing, I decided I like quick 1-minute oats better. The texture of the cookies is a little softer when you use quick oats, but either will work.
Here’s a quick look at how to make this banana cookie recipe. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Prepare the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt and cornstarch to a medium sized bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Combine the butter and sugars. Add the melted butter and sugars to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Whisk the egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture until well combined.
- Add the mashed bananas: Add the mashed bananas to the creamed mixture and whisk together until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients into the batter and mix until just combined.
- Add the oats. Pour in the oats and fold together until well combined.
- Form the dough balls. Create cookie dough balls that are 1 ½ tablespoons in size.
- Refrigerate (optional). If desired, chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. The longer they are refrigerated, the stronger the banana flavor will be.
- Prepare to bake. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and arrange the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet. (No need to bring the cookies to room temperature. You can bake them immediately after pulling them from the fridge.)
- Bake. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Cool. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack lined with parchment paper.
Tips for Success
These simple suggestions will help guide you through the process of making these cookies. Check them out to make the best banana cookies.
- Measure carefully. Proper measuring of the flour and sugar plays a big roll in determining how much your cookies will spread during the baking process. So, measure carefully. If you want to achieve the perfect light, chewy texture, check out my tutorial on How to Measure Flour Correctly. It’s best to use a food scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method. Whatever you do, don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup.
- Use quick oats. The biggest change I made when I updated this recipe was switching from old-fashioned oats to quick 1-minute oats. You can totally use either, but I really like the way 1-minute oats absorb more moisture. The cookies not only spread a little less, but they also develop a softer texture, which I love. If you decide to use old-fashioned oats just remember that they won’t absorb as much moisture (and may spread more), and the cookies will turn out a little firmer with a bit more texture.
- Make this recipe with overripe bananas. Make sure to use overripe bananas for the best flavor and texture. They should be soft on the outside and easy to mash when you peel them. They should also smell appetizing. Overripe bananas will have plenty of brown spots, but not be completely brown or nearly falling apart. If they don’t hold together anymore, they are probably too ripe and your cookies won’t bake properly.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough balls. You don’t have to refrigerate them (they will still taste amazing), but I highly recommend refrigerating them at least 2-3 hours; overnight is even better. Refrigeration helps the dry ingredients soak up more moisture, which helps them spread less. It also allows the flavors to permeate the cookie dough better. Cookies refrigerated overnight will have the strongest banana flavor.
- Use parchment paper. These cookies can be a little sticky from all the moisture and sweetness in the bananas. You’ll want to line your cooling racks with parchment paper. If they stick to the parchment paper after cooling (and they probably will), just give them a little twist before lifting them. They will come right off.
Store the cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. If you are going to stack them in a container, put parchment between the layers so the cookies don’t stick to each other. These cookies are best if eaten within 4-5 days.
More Banana Recipes
If you’re like me, desserts with bananas are always a good idea. Here are some of my other favorite recipes featuring bananas.
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Banana Bread
- Banana Cream Cheesecake
- Banoffee Cupcakes
- Bananas Foster
- Banana Pancakes
- Overnight Banana French Toast Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 35-40 Cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Moist and Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies are hands down the best banana flavored cookie I’ve ever had. Not only are they moist and chewy for days, they are unmistakably banana-y!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) all-purpose flour (measured accurately)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (225g) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) mashed over ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)
- 3 cups (240g) quick 1-minute oats
Instructions
- Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt and cornstarch to a medium sized bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Add the melted butter and sugars to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk together until well combined. Add the mashed bananas and whisk together until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold together just until well combined. Add the oats and fold together until well combined.
- Create cookie dough balls that are 1 ½ tablespoons in size. You can refrigerate the cookie dough before baking, if you’d like, but you don’t have to. I think the flavors get even better if you refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight.
- When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper. (No need to bring the cookies to room temperature. You can bake them immediately after pulling them from the fridge.)
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until golden around the edges and lightly golden on top.
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack lined with parchment paper to cool completely. The cookies can stick to the parchment paper a little bit. I find that it helps them to release if you give them a little twist on the paper before lifting them up.
- Store cookies in an air-tight container with parchment paper between the stacks of cookies so they don’t stick to each other. Cookies are best if eaten within 4-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 119
- Sugar: 8.3 g
- Sodium: 71.7 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.9 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 15.3 mg
Heyy .. I was reading this beautiful story and lovely recipe and being a great fan of banana and oat meal i cudnt wait so i went a made these and guess what? I love thrm.. Moist soft chewy.. And the smell.. Yumm!! Thts all i can say.. Thnk a ton for this recipe and i love ur grandma .. ????
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you!
awesome recipe Lindsay 🙂
my second attempt at baking, turned fantastic by Gods grace.
thanks
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Hi…the cookies look so damn delicious…I’m planning to make them on my day off…I’m just wondering if I need to use the ready to cook one minute oats or the regular oats…thanks in advance
The quick cook 1 minute oats
I’m confused. The recipe says old fashioned oats but in answer to a question about what kind of oats, you answered 1-minute instant oats. Which is correct?
I would follow the recipe and use old fashioned oats. I don’t know the comment you’re referring to, but it’s easy to confuse all these recipes and questions when I answering things so my guess is that I confused this recipe for another. Old fashioned oats is what you’ll want.
This post right above mine is the one I am referencing and replying to now. No worries, Lindsey, and thanks for clearing it up.
Gotcha. Unfortunately I don’t see the same thing you see when replying to comments. It lumps all comments from all recipes together, so it can be confusing. Glad that cleared it up!
These are too sweet for me! Warning to anyone who doesn’t like a super sweet oatmeal cookie!
Beautiful recipe, though! I’ll have to try again with less sugar … and I forgot the salt :p
Will this recipe work as muffins, too?
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say.
I will definetly try baking this! Ms. Lindsay, is your salted butter melted or softened?
It’s softened. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that. Thanks!
Thank you so much for the recipe. I was looking online for something to do with the over ripe bananas I had since my husband is not a fan of banana bread. These are delicious. My 9 month old liked them too! The recipe as is made 48. I put chocolate chips in the last 12 🙂 Thanks again!!
What a wonderful story and fabulous recipe! Thank you so much for sharing! I made these tonight and they are sooo good. I added in a few chocolate chips to the mix as well to get in my chocolate fix. These will make a great snack to go with the kids to school.
I tried this recipe and they taste wonderful! The only thing is that they didn’t stay in cookie form. As soon as I tried to take them off the cookie sheet, they all crumbled. So now I just have a huge pile of delicious, but frustrating cookie crumbs. This was just the first batch though. Can I add anything to the next batches to keep them together?
Thanks!
Hmmm, that’s strange. Did you let them cool a bit before taking them off of the cookie sheet? Sometimes cookies will crumble if they’re still to warm to hold together. Maybe try letting them cool for a few minutes.
First let me say these are delicious!!!
Secondly, mine were VERY delicate. If they didn’t fall apart they were very close. I tried letting them cool, keeping them on the baking sheet a little and even using fresh parchment each time. Either way they will still get eaten! Just not sure what I did wrong with the crumble. :/
I just made these cookies and when my husband tasted the first one, he asked “Is there any salt in this recipe?” I didn’t taste them (am gluten free) but I must admit I wondered about this when making them. I found it unusual there was no salt in this recipe. Is my husband the only one that can taste the ommission of salt?
I’m sorry about that Cathy. I usually use salted butter in my recipes, unless otherwise stated. I can see how that’d be confusing though. I’ll update the recipe so that it’s clear.
I love these cookies! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I followed the recipe just right, But I added walnuts as well. They turned out fabulous! Nice and soft, not chewy or hard, and wonderful banana flavor. I am taking them to a meeting with me tomorrow. I will be making more after the meeting so I can have some at home!
To add to my comment.. I very much enjoyed your blog with your story. How wonderful to have such a gift from your grandmother. And how sweet the “Recipe for Preserving Children” That’s a keeper for sure.
Thanks Michelle! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this piece of your grandmothers history and love, i understand how it feels to bake a comforting memory/meal of a loved one passed on….i know she is up in the heavens smiling away…probably bragging about how thats her recipe your trying and her pan…or yelling instructions…like grandmothers do! Bless you for sharing, now when i bake these, ill think of your grandmother too and thank her…i would have never thought to combine these ingredients…
Thank you Selma! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Just combined your banana and strawberry blueberry white chocolate chip recipes together. Oh my! Brought back memories from my childhood! Amazing! Try it!
What a fun idea! I’m glad you enjoyed them Jodi! 🙂
We had a whole bunch of over ripe bananas and just bought some good Irish oats. It was so cold, rainy and dreary yesterday so it was a perfect time to bake to make the house cozy, warm and fill the air with fresh baked goodness. Your recipe was a godsend and perfect! I love the story behind the recipe that yielded very moist cookies with wonderful banana flavor. ♡
Awesome, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks Michelle 🙂
I am drowning in over-ripe bananas at this moment, and your cookie recipe sounds like the answer to my prayers. Made with ingredients I already have in the house. God bless you, and your grandmother, for this recipe. Thank you so much.
I hope you enjoy them!
Just to be clear are you referring to 1/4 tsp of ground cloves? (not whole, right?) sandra
Yes, ground cloves.