Last updated on June 10th, 2026
Stop! Those overripe bananas on your counter should not be headed for the trash. The ones that are black and spotty and look a little embarrassing in the fruit bowl? Don’t throw them out just yet!
If you’ve had banana bread, you’re a few steps away from making “banana bread” cookies. The darker a banana gets, the sweeter and more intense it becomes. All that starch has converted to sugar, and when you pop it into cookie dough, you get something that tastes like banana bread but bakes in half the time. We don’t need a loaf pan, and these can be frozen in batches for whenever you want one.
Here’s a recipe for a genuinely good cookie that solves your overripe banana problem in about 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
- Why Make Banana Bread Cookies?
- How Ready is Your Banana?
- Ingredients and Weights
- How to Make Banana Bread Cookies
- How to Mix it Up!
- Storing & Freezing Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Problems? Let's Solve Them
- Banana Bread Cookies Go From Overripe to Irresistible
- FAQs
Why Make Banana Bread Cookies?
During the 2020 pandemic, banana bread searches jumped 54% globally, a reminder that when people are stuck at home, overripe bananas and baking go hand in hand. The cookie version has been rising alongside it ever since.
You get the same flavors of beloved banana bread but in a smaller, more practical package. The cookies bake faster, store more easily, and you can grab one without the need to cut a slice!
How Ready is Your Banana?
The single biggest variable in this recipe is how ripe your bananas are.
Most people feel a little guilty using bananas that look like they’ve given up on life. Don’t, it’s okay!
A black banana is sweeter, softer, and way more flavorful than anything yellow. A yellow banana in cookies tastes faint and bland by comparison. You need that black banana!
What Each Stage Gives You
| Peel Color | Flavor in Baking | Sugar Level |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Starchy, barely banana | Very low |
| Yellow, no spots | Mild | Low |
| Yellow with brown spots | Noticeably banana | Medium |
| Mostly brown | Strong banana, good sweetness | High |
| Black all over | Intense, almost caramel-banana | Highest |
Use the last two. The blacker, the better.
What good ripe bananas feel and smell like: They should be squishy when you press them, smell obviously sweet, and have no sour or fermented odor. As long as there’s no mold and they don’t smell off, they’re fine to use.
Freezer trick: If your bananas go ripe before you’re ready to bake, throw them in the freezer unpeeled. They’ll keep for months. When you want to use them, thaw at room temperature, then cut off the top and squeeze the banana straight into your bowl. Don’t skip the liquid that comes out with it because that’s concentrated banana flavor you want in the dough.
Ingredients and Weights
Makes about 24 cookies
| Ingredient | Volume | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Overripe bananas, mashed | 1 cup / about 2 large | 225 g |
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups | 240 g |
| Brown sugar, packed | 3/4 cup | 150 g |
| Unsalted butter, room temperature | 1/2 cup (1 stick) | 113 g |
| Egg, large | 1 | ~50 g |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp | 5 ml |
| Ground cinnamon | 1/2 tsp | 1.5 g |
| Baking soda | 1/2 tsp | 3 g |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp | 1.5 g |
A note on the egg: some versions of this recipe floating around online leave it out, but we should include egg. Without the egg the cookies spread too thin and lose their structure. One egg gives you something that actually holds together with a proper chewy center.
Related: Sourdough Discard Banana Bread Recipe
How to Make Banana Bread Cookies
Total time: about 30 minutes | Oven: 350°F / 175°C
Step 1 — Get your oven and pans ready
Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. If you’re baking both sheets at once, position one rack in the upper third and one in the lower third of the oven so the heat circulates properly.
Step 2 — Cream the butter and sugar
Beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture looks pale and a little fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes with a hand mixer, or 4 to 5 minutes if you’re doing it by hand. This isn’t just about mixing; you’re building small air pockets into the fat that give the cookies a lighter texture.
Step 3 — Add the wet ingredients
Beat in the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla. It’ll look a bit lumpy and that’s exactly right. Those banana chunks bake into little bursts of flavor. Mix just until everything comes together.
Step 4 — Combine the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Doing this separately means the leavening and spice get evenly distributed before they hit the wet ingredients.
Step 5 — Bring it all together
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until you can’t see any more flour streaks. Then stop. Overmixing at this stage works the gluten and you’ll end up with tough, dense cookies instead of tender ones.
Step 6 — Scoop and space
Scoop the dough onto your prepared sheets using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, roughly walnut-sized portions. Leave about 2 inches between each one since they spread as they bake.
Step 7 — Bake
10 to 12 minutes. When they’re done, the edges will look set and lightly golden, but the centers should still look underbaked and soft. Pull them then. They keep cooking on the hot pan.
Step 8 — Rest before moving
Leave the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack. They’re fragile right out of the oven and will break if you rush this part.
The result is a cookie with crisp edges, a soft middle, and genuine banana flavor in every bite.
How to Mix it Up!
The base recipe is solid on its own, but I’d say it’s also a good starting point for add-ins.
Tip: Fold anything extra in at the end, after you’ve combined the wet and dry. Try one addition at a time before combining them.
Mix-Ins
| Add-In | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-sweet chocolate chips | 3/4 cup (130 g) | The most popular version; use a mix of regular and mini chips for better coverage |
| Dark chocolate chips | 3/4 cup (130 g) | Good choice if your bananas are very sweet |
| Walnuts, chopped | 1/2 cup (60 g) | Toast them dry in a pan for 2 to 3 minutes first, it makes a big difference |
| Pecans, chopped | 1/2 cup (55 g) | Milder and butterier than walnuts |
| Dried cranberries | 1/2 cup (60 g) | Adds tartness and a bit of chew |
| Coconut flakes | 1/2 cup (40 g) | Toast briefly for a nuttier flavor |
| Butterscotch chips | 3/4 cup (130 g) | Rich, caramel-forward |
| Cocoa powder | 1 tbsp (7 g) | Add to the dry ingredients for a chocolate version |
Spice Additions
Whisk any of these into the dry ingredients with the cinnamon:
- Nutmeg: 1/4 teaspoon
- Ground cardamom: 1/8 teaspoon
- Fresh grated ginger: 1/2 teaspoon
Making It Dairy-Free
Swap the butter for solid coconut oil or vegan butter, weight for weight. For the egg, make a flax egg: stir 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground flaxseed into 2 tablespoons of cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes until it thickens to a gel.
Storing & Freezing Tips
Keeping Them at Room Temperature
These stay soft for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
Put a paper towel on the bottom, stack in the cookies, then lay another paper towel on top before closing the lid. The towels manage moisture without drying the cookies out.
If you want to stretch it to a week, tuck half a slice of bread in the container. It acts as a moisture source and keeps them from getting dry.
Freezing (3 to 6 Months)
Freeze them properly and you’ll have cookies on demand for months.
- Spread cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet
- Freeze until solid, about 1 to 2 hours
- Pack into a freezer bag with parchment paper between layers
- Write the date on the bag
To eat: leave on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes, or microwave for 10 seconds. If you want that just-baked feel, 2 to 3 minutes in a 200°F (93°C) oven does it.
Quick Storage Reference
| Storage Method | Container | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Airtight container + paper towels | 3 to 4 days |
| Room temperature | Airtight container + bread slice | Up to 1 week |
| Freezer | Freezer bag with parchment | 3 to 6 months |
Related: Sourdough Banana Muffins
Serving Suggestions
With morning coffee: They work just as well at breakfast as they do as a snack. Not too sweet, not too heavy.
Crumbled over yogurt: Break one up over Greek yogurt with some fresh fruit on top. Sounds strange, tastes great.
Warm with ice cream: Give them 10 seconds in the microwave and serve with a scoop of vanilla. The edges go a little crisp again and the center softens further.
Cookie sandwich: Spread peanut butter or cream cheese frosting between two cookies. That’s it. That’s the recipe.
For a crowd: Set out a platter with small bowls of melted chocolate, caramel sauce, or peanut butter for dipping. Takes five minutes to set up and gives people something to do.
Problems? Let’s Solve Them
My cookies spread too flat. Usually means the butter was too soft or melted, or the bananas were very wet. Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes before baking, and make sure your butter was soft but not greasy when you started creaming.
They came out cakey instead of chewy. Too much banana or over-measured flour. Weigh your ingredients if you can, and pull the cookies from the oven when the centers still look underdone. They firm up as they cool.
The banana flavor is really faint. Your bananas weren’t ripe enough. For the next batch, wait until the peels are mostly brown or black before using them.
My cookies stuck to the pan even with parchment. Parchment shouldn’t stick, but if your baking sheets are old and warped, hot spots can cause the bottoms to over-bake and grip the paper. Let them cool on the pan for the full 5 minutes before moving them — they release much more cleanly once they’ve firmed up slightly.
Why do my cookies look done but taste doughy in the middle They probably needed another minute or two, or your oven runs cool. Ovens vary more than people expect. If this keeps happening, get an oven thermometer. They’re cheap and take the guesswork out of baking. The cookies are done when the edges are set and golden and the center no longer looks wet, even if it still looks soft.
Banana Bread Cookies Go From Overripe to Irresistible
The best part about this recipe is that it only gets better the worse your bananas look.
Most baking rewards you for buying fresh, carefully measured ingredients. This one rewards you for forgetting about the fruit bowl for two weeks.
Keep a bag of overripe bananas in your freezer and you’re always about 30 minutes away from a batch. Make them plain the first time to get a feel for the dough, then start playing: chocolate chips, toasted walnuts, a pinch of cardamom. The base can take your experimentation.
And if the cookies somehow last long enough to go a little stale, crumble them over yogurt or warm one up for 10 seconds. Still good. 7
With the right recipe, nothing goes to waste!
FAQs
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes, up to 48 hours in the fridge. Cold dough spreads less, so you’ll actually get slightly thicker cookies, which isn’t a bad thing.
Can I use a stand mixer?
Yes. Use the paddle attachment on medium for the butter and sugar, then drop to low once you add the dry ingredients.
Can I reduce the sugar?
A little, yes. Because very ripe bananas are already quite sweet, you can drop the brown sugar to around 100 g (1/2 cup) without the cookies tasting flat. Going much lower than that and you’ll notice the texture starts to suffer. Sugar does more than sweeten, it helps with spread and keeps the cookies moist.
Can I double the batch?
Yes, it scales up without any issues. Mix everything in a larger bowl and bake in batches. The dough holds well in the fridge between batches, so you don’t need to bake it all at once.
Do I need to use unsalted butter?
Unsalted gives you more control, but salted butter works fine here. Just leave out the 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the recipe if your butter is already salted.
Can I use frozen bananas directly from the freezer?
Thaw them first. Frozen bananas release a lot of liquid as they defrost — squeeze that liquid into the bowl along with the flesh, as it carries a lot of flavor. Using them still frozen will throw off the mixing and bake unevenly.
Banana Bread Cookies
Banana bread cookies combine the familiar flavors of traditional banana bread – overripe bananas, cinnamon, and vanilla – with the easiness of grabbing individual cookies.
The darker your bananas, the more flavor you get, and that’s really the whole trick. Crisp edges, a soft chewy center. Ready in 30 minutes and far better than anything you’d make with a yellow banana.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: approx 24 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 large overripe bananas, mashed (1 cup / 225 g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 g)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (150 g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and brown sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
- Add mashed banana, egg, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized portions onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden. Centers will still look soft.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- On bananas: The riper the better. Look for peels that are mostly brown or black. A yellow banana will give you a faint, underwhelming flavor. If you only have yellow bananas on hand, you can speed up ripening by placing unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins turn black. Cool completely before using.
- On butter temperature: Room temperature means soft enough to leave a finger indent but not shiny or melting. If your butter is too warm, the cookies will spread too flat. If you forgot to take it out in advance, cut it into small cubes and leave it on the counter for 15 minutes.
- On mixing: Once the flour goes in, stir only until the streaks disappear. Overmixing develops gluten and toughens the cookies.
- On baking time: Pull them when the centers still look underdone. They carry-cook on the hot pan and will be perfectly set by the time they’ve cooled for 5 minutes.
- Storage: Room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To refresh from frozen, microwave for 10 seconds or warm in a 200°F oven for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 to 12 minutes
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
Incomplete ingredient list.
No egg mentioned.
Also it would be good to have weights in grams equivalent rather than just cups
Updated the blog and recipe!