They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but I often think that sheer, inescapable guilt is the mother of the very best recipes. I am talking, of course, about the five, forlorn overripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl. They have passed the point of being acceptable for slicing into yogurt. They are practically black, oozing a sticky sweetness that screams, “Use me, or waste me!”
It was Tuesday afternoon in Bend, and the rain was falling hard against the skylight above our kitchen, the kind of rhythmic drumming that makes you want to turn off the lights and curl up. Ethan had just come in from shooting a snowy landscape near the mountains, his gear bag damp, and the kids, Olivia and James, had been promised a treat that morning. I had a choice: make a big loaf of banana bread, which is always welcome (you can find my easy banana bread recipe with ripe bananas here), or try something new, something faster, something that offered instant gratification, a warm hug for their chilly hands. That’s how these incredibly comforting Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies were born.
I realized I wanted the deep, satisfying flavor of banana bread, but in the supremely chewy, irresistible package of a cookie. Specifically, I wanted a soft baked banana bread cookie, one that held onto its moisture and didn’t dry out, even after a few days. We’re aiming for that beautiful, cake-like texture, slightly puffy, dense enough to hold a few handfuls of dark chocolate chips, and fragrant with vanilla and cinnamon. If you’ve ever loved the look of the popular banana chocolate chip cookies you see on sites like Broma Bakery, you are going to adore this approach. It truly captures the essence of that beloved loaf, shrinking it down into perfect, little hand-sized portions. These are one bowl banana cookies, easy to whip up, and best of all, they are no chill banana bread cookies. From black banana to warm treat, it’s less than 30 minutes. That, my friends, is the speed of love.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
- Ingredients for Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
- How to Make Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
- Pro Tips & Variations of Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
- Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies Serving Suggestions
- Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies Storage & Reheating
- FAQ about Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
- Final Thoughts
Why You’ll Love This Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
It’s a question I get often, “Why a cookie instead of the loaf, Cindy?” And the answer always comes down to time, texture, and immediate enjoyment. These soft baked banana bread cookies offer everything you crave, without the commitment of the oven for an hour.
- Superior Softness: The use of mashed, overripe bananas is key. They add moisture and structure, resulting in a perfectly soft, almost cake-like banana cookie that won’t dry out.
- Ultimate Convenience: This is an easy banana bread cookies with ripe bananas recipe that requires minimal equipment. Everything mixes up quickly in one bowl, meaning less cleanup (a win for busy parents!).
- Capture the Flavor: These are not just plain banana cookies, they carry the depth of flavor from brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, exactly like your favorite loaf, especially if you fold in milk chocolate chips.
- Perfect for Snacking: They freeze beautifully, bake quickly, and are the perfect size for lunchboxes (or for Ethan’s afternoon coffee) and make a great alternative to standard chewy banana cookies.
- Dietary Friendly Adaptions: Easily converted to vegan banana cookies or gluten-free versions, making them truly versatile for every member of the family.
Ingredients for Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
The magic mostly happens with simple pantry stables, but the quality of your vanilla extract, and crucially, the ripeness of your bananas, makes all the difference. Remember, the darker the skin, the sweeter and more pliable the banana interior will be, leading to ultra-moist banana chocolate chip cookies.
- Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for gluten free banana bread cookies)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Salt (I prefer sea salt for a cleaner flavor)
- Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, softened (or coconut oil/vegan butter for dairy-free cookies)
- ¾ cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
- 1 large Egg (or 1 flax egg for vegan baking)
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Very Ripe Bananas, mashed (about 2-3 extra-large bananas)
- Mix-Ins:
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips (optional, but highly recommended for banana bread chocolate chip cookies recipe)
- ½ cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional, for texture)
How to Make Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
This process is wonderfully forgiving and fast. Since we are creating no chill banana bread cookies, we need the batter to be thick enough to hold its shape but still tender.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. This is essential for these soft baked cookies, as the parchment prevents sticking and ensures even baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a separate, large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Incorporate Banana: Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well. Then, fold in the cup of mashed overripe bananas. The mixture will look slightly lumpy, which is totally normal and adds to the rustic charm of these soft banana bread cookies.
- Mix to Form Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten too much, leading to tougher cookies instead of that beautiful cake-like banana cookie texture.
- Fold in the Goodies: Gently fold in the chocolate chips and/or walnuts. I like to leave a few surfaces to press onto the top of the scooped dough later for visual appeal, especially when Ethan is taking photos.
- Scoop and Bake: Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (or use a medium cookie scoop for consistency, which ensures uniform baking) onto the prepared baking sheets. These soft banana bread cookies do not spread much, especially compared to shortbread, so you can place them relatively close together.
- Bake Until Golden: Bake for 10–12 minutes. You want the edges to be set and lightly golden, but the centers should still look very soft, almost underdone. This is the secret to retaining that superior moisture in your soft baked banana chocolate chip cookies.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Allowing them to set on the warm sheet ensures the bottom finishes cooking without the whole cookie drying out.
Pro Tips & Variations of Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
- The Secret Banana Trick: For the most intense banana flavor, if your bananas aren’t quite black yet, you can speed up the ripening by placing them on a baking sheet and baking them in a 300°F oven for 15–20 minutes until the skins are completely black and shiny. Let them cool, then scoop out the sweet, softened pulp. This intensifies the flavor, making the best chewy banana cookies.
- Gluten-Free Swap: Use a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. I have found great success with blends that include xanthan gum. The overall moistness from the banana means these gluten free banana bread cookies hold their shape beautifully.
- Vegan Conversion: Replace the butter with equal parts high-quality vegan butter sticks or refined coconut oil. Substitute the egg with one flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water, rested for 5 minutes). This creates very rich vegan banana cookies. For more ideas, I highly recommend checking out this recipe from Broma Bakery for its fantastic texture tips.
- Spice It Up: For a winter-friendly version, add ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves to your dry ingredients.
- Add a Glaze: Drizzle the cooled cookies with a simple powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar mixed with a tiny bit of milk and vanilla) for extra sweetness, making these feel truly decadent, like little slices of frosted banana bread.
Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies Serving Suggestions
These soft baked banana bread cookies are hearty enough to be a standalone snack, but they truly shine when paired with the right company. Olivia likes hers straight up, preferably still warm so the chocolate is molten. James, ever the traditionalist, insists on a glass of milk.
- Coffee Companion: These pair perfectly with a strong cup of brewed coffee, especially in the afternoon. They are fantastic dipped, holding up without crumbling due to their dense, chewy banana cookies texture.
- Dessert Upgrade: Serve them slightly warmed alongside a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce for a quick, impressive dessert, transforming them into a banana treat equivalent of a molten dessert.
- Breakfast Bite: Due to their bread-like qualities, they’re perfectly acceptable as a quick grab-and-go breakfast treat, especially if you add a handful of oats to the batter, boosting the fiber.
Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies Storage & Reheating
Because of the high moisture content from the ripe bananas, these cookies stay deliciously soft for days.
- Room Temperature: Store cooled Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To maintain softness, I sometimes add half a slice of bread to the container.
- Freezing Dough: Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag. Bake from frozen, adding an extra 2–3 minutes to the baking time.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Once completely cooled, wrap the soft banana bread cookies individually (or side-by-side in a container separated by wax paper) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or use the microwave’s defrost setting for 10 seconds for a quick warm-up that revives that freshly baked texture.
FAQ about Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
Can I use unripe bananas for banana bread cookies?
No, you absolutely need very ripe bananas, preferably with fully spotted or black skins. Unripe bananas contain starch rather than sugar, and they will not provide the necessary moisture or sweetness to achieve the soft baked, cake-like banana cookie texture we are aiming for. The riper they are, the better the final texture and flavor of your banana bread chocolate chip cookies recipe.
Why did my banana cookies spread too much?
Spreading can be caused by a few factors, primarily using butter that was too warm or adding too much liquid (specifically, using too watery bananas, which sometimes happens if they’re over-mashed). Ensure your butter is only softened, not melted, and stick closely to the 1 cup measurement for mashed banana when making these easy banana bread cookies.
Can I add oats to make these more like oatmeal banana cookies?
Yes, oats work beautifully. Replace about half a cup of the flour with ½ cup of rolled oats to give these banana cookies a slightly chewier and more rustic texture. This variation works especially well if you’re looking for a slightly healthier, grab-and-go breakfast option.
What is the secret to achieving a soft baked texture?
The secret to keeping these soft baked banana bread cookies wonderfully moist is a combination of the brown sugar (which holds more moisture than white sugar) and carefully managing the bake time. Pull them from the oven when they still look slightly underbaked in the center. They will continue to set up on the hot baking sheet, achieving that perfect, dense, soft baked quality.
Final Thoughts
The best recipes are those that solve a problem, in this case, the dilemma of the rapidly aging banana, while also adding a little unanticipated warmth to the day. As Ethan shot the finished batch, the smell of cinnamon and melted chocolate chips permeating the house, he said, “These feel less like a cookie, and more like a moment, Cindy.” And he’s right. Every time I bake these Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies, it’s a small, tangible way to turn something about to be lost into something deeply enjoyed. It’s truly a perfect treat for the whole family.
Pin this for later, and remember, there’s no such thing as a mistake in the kitchen, just unplanned variations.
Soft Baked Banana Bread Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a separate, large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Incorporate Banana: Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well. Then, fold in the cup of mashed overripe bananas. The mixture will look slightly lumpy, which is totally normal and adds to the rustic charm of these soft banana bread cookies.
- Mix to Form Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten too much, leading to tougher cookies instead of that beautiful cake-like banana cookie texture.
- Fold in the Goodies: Gently fold in the chocolate chips and/or walnuts. I like to leave a few surfaces to press onto the top of the scooped dough later for visual appeal.
- Scoop and Bake: Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (or use a medium cookie scoop for consistency, which ensures uniform baking) onto the prepared baking sheets. These soft banana bread cookies do not spread much, especially compared to shortbread, so you can place them relatively close together.
- Bake Until Golden: Bake for 10–12 minutes. You want the edges to be set and lightly golden, but the centers should still look very soft, almost underdone. This is the secret to retaining that superior moisture in your soft baked banana chocolate chip cookies.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Allowing them to set on the warm sheet ensures the bottom finishes cooking without the whole cookie drying out.
