Equipment Needed
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Wire cooling rack
- Ice cream or cookie scoop (optional, but helpful)
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, I preheat my oven to 350°F (175°C) and line my baking sheets with parchment paper. There’s nothing worse than cookies sticking, and this makes cleanup a breeze. In my medium bowl, I whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I learned the hard way that just dumping the baking soda in with the wet ingredients can lead to uneven leavening and bitter pockets, so taking this minute to whisk the dry goods is a step I never skip now.
In my large bowl, I beat the softened butter and brown sugar together for a good two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. It should look pale and creamy. Then, I mash my very ripe bananas right into this mixture—a good old fork works perfectly. I add the egg and vanilla and beat it all until it’s just combined. The batter might look a little curdled at this point, but don’t panic! It’s just the banana doing its thing, and it will all come together.
Here’s where patience pays off. I add my flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed until just a few flour streaks remain. I’ve tried this step both ways, and trust me, mixing until it’s perfectly smooth leads to tough cookies. I finish by folding in the chocolate chips with my trusty spatula. The dough will be soft and sticky—that’s exactly right.
Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, I drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto my prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. They don’t spread a ton, but they do puff up. I bake them for 10-12 minutes. The key is to pull them out when the edges are set and lightly golden, but the centers still look soft and slightly underdone. They’ll finish setting up on the hot pan as they cool, giving you that dreamy, soft texture.(See the next page below to continue…)