It all started last Sunday when three bananas on my counter crossed that delicious line from yellow to deeply speckled. I was craving banana bread, but honestly, didn’t want to wait an hour for a loaf to bake. In a moment of “what if,” I decided to turn that classic, comforting flavor into a cookie. The moment the brown sugar, mashed banana, and cinnamon hit the warm butter in my mixing bowl, my kitchen filled with the most incredible, nostalgic aroma—like a hug from my grandma’s kitchen. What emerged from the oven were soft, cakey, perfectly spiced morsels that captured the soul of banana bread in a handheld, shareable form. I knew instantly this recipe was a keeper, and I’m so excited to share the magic with you
Ingredients
- 2 large, very ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped walnuts/pecans)
Let’s talk about the stars here. First, the bananas: don’t use raw bananas—wait until they’re speckled with brown spots. The blacker the peel, the sweeter and more flavorful your cookies will be. That brown sugar is non-negotiable for its molasses-y depth; it pairs perfectly with banana. I’ve tried this with just cinnamon, but adding that pinch of nutmeg makes a huge difference—it adds a warm, subtle complexity that truly echoes banana bread. As for mix-ins, I’m team chocolate chip, but the classic walnut is fantastic too.(See the next page below to continue…)