Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Printable)
Soft, chewy cookies bursting with ripe banana flavor and hearty oats for a wholesome anytime treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
→ Optional Add-ins
12 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Add the mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Mix on medium speed until fully combined and smooth.
04 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold in the rolled oats along with chocolate chips or chopped walnuts if desired, ensuring even distribution throughout the dough.
07 - Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the edges are golden brown and the centers appear just set.
09 - Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These cookies land somewhere between breakfast and dessert, which means you can eat them at almost any hour without guilt.
- The banana flavor is warm and familiar without overpowering the hearty texture of the oats.
- They freeze beautifully, so you can stash half the batch and forget about it until a desperate Wednesday afternoon.
02 -
- Underbake them slightly, because carryover heat will finish the job and you will be rewarded with a softer, chewier center.
- If your bananas are not quite ripe enough, pop them in a 150 degree oven for 15 minutes and the peels will blacken while the insides turn perfectly sweet.
- Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days, though they rarely last that long in my house.
03 -
- Let the cookie dough rest for 10 minutes before scooping, because the oats absorb moisture and the cookies bake up thicker and chewier.
- If you want a more pronounced banana flavor, use three bananas instead of two and reduce the butter by 15 grams to balance the extra moisture.