These soft and chewy banana cookies are an easy homemade dessert made with ripe bananas, softened butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and simple pantry staples. The dough comes together in about 15 minutes, and the cookies bake for 8–10 minutes per batch at 375°F (190°C), yielding about 24 tender cookies in approximately 30 minutes total.
Every bite has a warm banana flavor, lightly crisp edges, and a moist, cake-soft center that stays pleasantly chewy. Very ripe, heavily speckled bananas provide the best flavor and texture, while optional walnuts or pecans add a satisfying nutty contrast.
Jump to RecipeWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
Banana cookies are a wonderful way to use ripe fruit that has become too soft for slicing over cereal or toast. The mashed banana brings moisture, fragrance, and natural sweetness to the dough, creating a cookie that is softer than a classic chocolate chip cookie but still easy to portion and bake.
The ingredients are familiar and affordable, and there is no need for a mixer if you prefer to stir the dough by hand. Softened butter blends smoothly with sugar, while the egg and banana give the cookies their tender, almost cake-like middle.
These cookies are especially appealing when you want a small homemade treat without a long chilling time. For another banana-inspired bake, you can also try our oatmeal apple banana muffins for a breakfast-friendly option.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Start with 1/2 cup (113 g) of unsalted butter softened to room temperature and 1 cup (200 g) of granulated sugar. Soft butter is important because it creams properly with the sugar, helping create a smooth base for the cookie dough.
You will also need 1 large egg, 1 cup (about 225 g) of mashed ripe banana, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Two medium bananas usually provide the required amount, but weigh or measure the mashed fruit when possible because banana size and moisture can vary.
For the dry ingredients, measure 1 1/2 cups (190 g) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. The optional 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans adds texture, but the cookies remain delicious without nuts.
- Choose bananas with plenty of brown speckles for the fullest banana flavor.
- Measure flour by weight or spoon it into a measuring cup and level the top.
- Chop nuts fairly small so they are distributed throughout each soft cookie.
How to Make It Step-by-Step
Step 1: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), then prepare the baking sheets with parchment paper or a light coating of grease. Parchment makes cleanup easy and helps the cookies release neatly after baking.
Step 2: Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream them until the mixture looks light and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed so no pockets of butter remain.
Step 3: Add the egg, mashed banana, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat or stir until the wet ingredients are evenly blended; a few small banana pieces are fine and can add pleasant texture.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. This distributes the leavening and salt before they are added to the moist batter.
Step 5: Gradually stir the dry mixture into the banana mixture. Stop as soon as no large streaks of flour remain, then gently fold in the walnuts or pecans if you are using them; overmixing can make the cookies heavier.
Step 6: Use a spoon or cookie scoop to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets. Leave about 2 inches between portions because the moist banana dough may spread, even though it often spreads less than conventional cookie dough.
Step 7: Bake for 8–10 minutes per batch. The edges should look set while the centers remain slightly soft, which is the key visual cue for keeping these cookies tender rather than dry.
Step 8: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They will continue to firm as they cool, while the centers retain their soft, chewy texture.
Pro Tips for Soft, Chewy Cookies
The banana is the main flavor, so do not rush the ripening process if you can avoid it. Bananas with heavily speckled or mostly brown skins are sweeter, more aromatic, and naturally softer than yellow bananas with little spotting.
Because banana dough is moist, it may look more like a thick drop batter than a firm refrigerator-cookie dough. That is normal, and a spoon or cookie scoop is the easiest way to create evenly sized portions.
Bake one test cookie before filling the oven. This lets you see how much the dough spreads in your particular kitchen and confirms whether your cookie needs the shorter or longer end of the 8–10 minute baking range.
Keep a close eye on the centers during the final minutes. If the edges are set and the middle looks just slightly soft, remove the tray; waiting for the centers to look completely dry can result in cookies that lose their tender texture.
For even baking, avoid crowding the sheet and use similarly sized scoops of dough. If you bake multiple batches, allow the baking sheet to cool enough between batches so the dough does not begin softening before it reaches the oven.
Storage, Serving, and Pairing
Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. A tight seal helps protect their soft texture and keeps them from absorbing odors from the kitchen.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled cookies for up to 2–3 months. Arrange them in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers, then thaw them at room temperature before serving.
These cookies are lovely with coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk. They also make a cozy finish after a family meal, especially alongside other comfort-food favorites such as this oven-braised pot roast.
If you are planning a relaxed weekend menu, serve the cookies after a savory dish such as our easy chicken potpie. The bright banana flavor provides a simple, homemade dessert after a hearty dinner.
For a pretty presentation, arrange the cookies on a small platter with a few walnut halves or banana slices nearby. Add the garnish just before serving, since fresh banana slices can darken if left out for too long.
Soft and Chewy Banana Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them.
- Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and smooth.
- Beat in the egg, mashed ripe banana, and vanilla extract until the mixture is evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. Fold in the optional chopped walnuts or pecans, taking care not to overmix.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes per batch, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Avoid overbaking.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Final Thoughts
This soft and chewy banana cookies recipe delivers an easy homemade dessert with a short ingredient list and a quick baking time. Ripe bananas provide the signature flavor and moisture, while butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla create a rich, comforting cookie base.
Remember to measure about 1 cup of mashed banana, avoid overmixing the dough, and remove the cookies when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. Those simple details make the difference between a tender cookie and one that is overly firm.
Whether you add walnuts, pecans, or no nuts at all, these banana cookies are a delicious way to use ripe fruit. Bake a test cookie first, keep the cooled batch airtight, and enjoy them within 3 days or freeze them for a treat that lasts up to 2–3 months.