Banana Bread Cookies—all the warm, spiced comfort of banana bread in a soft, almost cake-like cookie. They’re the perfect solution for those spotty bananas on your counter when you want something faster than a full loaf.
Banana Bread Cookies
Makes about 18–20 cookies
Ingredients
The Cookies
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1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
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1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
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1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
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1 large egg yolk (save the white—see note)
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1/2 cup (120g) mashed very ripe banana (about 1 large banana)
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1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
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1/2 tsp baking soda
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1/2 tsp baking powder
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1/2 tsp salt
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1 tsp ground cinnamon
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1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
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Pinch of ground cloves (optional)
The Brown Butter Glaze (optional, but transformative)
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2 tbsp unsalted butter
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1/2 cup (60g) icing/powdered sugar
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1–2 tbsp milk or cream
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Pinch of salt
Mix-Ins (choose your favourite)
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1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
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1/2 cup (90g) dark chocolate chips
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Or do half-and-half of both
Instructions
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Preheat: Set your oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer (or a sturdy wooden spoon) for 2–3 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale.
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Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined. Mix in the mashed banana. The mixture may look slightly curdled—that’s normal, the banana’s moisture does that.
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Whisk dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
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Combine: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula. Do not overmix—stop as soon as the flour disappears. Fold in your walnuts, chocolate chips, or both.
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Chill the dough: This step matters. The dough is very soft. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight). Chilled dough scoops cleanly and spreads less in the oven.
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Bake: Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 5cm (2 inches) between them. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just set. They’ll be soft and puffy.
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Cool: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes—they continue to set up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
The Brown Butter Glaze
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tbsp butter. Swirl the pan and cook until the butter foams, then turns golden and smells nutty—about 2 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
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Whisk in the icing sugar, a pinch of salt, and enough milk to reach a thick, pourable consistency.
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Drizzle over the cooled cookies with a spoon, or dip the tops directly into the glaze. The glaze sets with a slight sheen in about 20 minutes.
Tips & Notes
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The egg white trick: You only use the yolk in the dough. Using a whole egg can make the cookies too cakey and puffy. Save the white for an omelette, or brush a very thin layer of egg white on the scooped dough balls before baking for a slightly shinier top.
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Banana intensity: The riper the banana (lots of black spots), the stronger the banana bread flavour. If your banana is large and gives you more than 1/2 cup, reduce it or the dough will be too wet.
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Texture: These are soft, pillowy, muffin-top-adjacent cookies. They stay moist for days in an airtight container. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them extra soft.
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No glaze? Dust them with cinnamon sugar or icing sugar, or just enjoy them plain with a cup of coffee.
Storage
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Room temperature: Up to 3 days in a sealed container.
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Refrigerator: Up to 5 days. Microwave for 10 seconds to revive that fresh-from-the-oven softness.
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Freezer: Unglazed cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Freeze them in a single layer, then stack with parchment between. Glaze after thawing.
Would you like a chocolate-swirl version or a recipe for turning these into ice cream sandwiches?