Banana Bread Cookies are light and fluffy, with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Each cookie is topped with a sweet pecan cream cheese butter frosting. These soft cookies are simply delicious!
And if you've got ripe bananas to use up, don't miss out on my softest banana bread with strawberries, dairy free banana bread, muffins, and my cinnamon banana bread. They're all must-try treats!
Jump To
Why You'll Love This
- These cookies only improve with time. They boast a delightful moistness and a tender, cake-like texture reminiscent of banana bread or banana cake, all encapsulated in a convenient cookie form.
- Soft banana cookies with a perfect texture and topped with buttery cream cheese frosting make the best banana cookies.
🛒Ingredients
- Overripe bananas - use ripe, medium-sized bananas (about 1 cup mashed) for maximum sweetness. Use bananas that are full of brown spots (no green on the peel). And if you don't have it, here are some tips on how to quickly ripen a banana.
- White and Brown sugar - keeps the cookies chewy, soft, and just sweet enough; if using super ripe bananas, you can adjust the sugar and use only ½ -¾ cups in total.
- Vanilla extract - a dash of pure vanilla extract adds a gourmet touch to your cookies.
- Egg - helps to bind the batter.
- All-purpose flour - use it for the perfect crumb in your banana bread cookies. Regular flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour or GF Bob's Redmill 1:1 Baking Flour.
- Baking soda - gives your cookies the classic crinkly top chocolate chip cookie appearance.
- Ground cinnamon - a pinch of ground cinnamon adds a cozy flavor to these cookies.
- Frosting - cream cheese and pecans are excellent when combined with banana bread flavor. But if in a rush, you can also opt for a simple powdered sugar glaze. You can use the same amount that I used in my strawberry cookies (replace the juice with milk). Be sure to measure the baking ingredients correctly.
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down to where you'll find the recipe card.
🥣Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the cookie batter. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Add the egg, mashed bananas, and vanilla to the mixture, and mix on low speed until the batter is smooth.
Incorporate the dry ingredients: baking soda, salt, and flour, mixing until everything is well combined. I like to use spatula here to prevent overmixing and too cakey cookies.
Portion the cookies. Use a cookie scoop (a 2-inch ice cream scoop works well) to form cookie dough portions on a parchment-lined or greased sheet pan, ensuring there is at least a 2-inch gap between each cookie.
The batter will be sticky due to bananas. If you find it hard to work with a cookie scoop, then I recommend lightly dusting your hands with flour while scooping and rolling the dough by hand will solve the problem.
Alternatively, chilling the dough briefly can also make sticky dough easier to handle.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn a golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the pan, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting. To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter until the mixture becomes fluffy.
Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla, continuing to beat until the frosting is smooth.
Using a small spoon, spread the frosting over the cooled cookies, and if desired, sprinkle them with chopped pecan nuts and additional banana slices.
⏲️ Recommended Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Silicone baking mat or brown parchment paper
- Wire rack
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Airtight Food containers
- Mixing Bowls
- Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
Recipe Troubleshoot
Why is my cookie dough so sticky?
The stickiness of this cookie dough is due to the bananas. I've discovered that lightly dusting my hands with flour while scooping and rolling the dough resolves this problem. Alternatively, chilling the dough can also make sticky dough easier to handle.
What’s causing my cookies to turn out thin and flat?
Typically, cookies turn out too flat if there's not enough flour in the recipe, or if it calls for overly softened butter.My recipe is true and tested to ensure they yield thick cookies, so you shouldn't encounter this problem. Chilling the cookie dough before baking is an option. Additionally, avoid using nonstick baking spray on your cookie sheet, as that can also lead to flat cookies.
📋Tips
- For a more rounded appearance, gently press the cookie edges with a spoon immediately after removing them from the oven.
- You can use frozen bananas, thaw them first, and mash them before using. I always have a bunch of bananas in my freezer, perfect for any recipe.
- Make cookie sandwiches. Add cream cheese frosting between two cookies and press them together.
- Make sure the butter is not overly soft when creaming with sugar. This will help the cookies to become fluffy and thick.
- How to mash banana: While a fork works, a hand mixer or a blender can achieve the ideal mashed banana consistency. If using a fork, mash it on an even surface (plate rather than the bowl), if mixer, then bowl.
- Go for that overripe banana. The browner, the better! Seriously, super ripe bananas bring out a more intense banana flavor and keep the cookies sweet.
- Don't go overboard with the stirring. Just mix until there are no visible streaks of flour. Overmixing can make them dry and bread-like.
- Embrace the underbake. When you pull these bad boys out of the oven, they should still be a tad gooey in the middle. They'll firm up perfectly as they cool.
- If you like, include add-ins like pecans and chocolate chips in the cookie dough batter. Begin with ½ cup and adjust to your taste.
- Maple cream cheese frosting. Add a dizzle of maple syrup to your frosting, for extra flavor or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
✅ EXPERT TIP: For accurate flour measurement, avoid scooping it with the cup directly. Instead, stir it with a spoon to create air pockets, then gently spoon it into the cup and level it off with a knife.
Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. To store leftover frosted banana cookies, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days for the best quality. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to 1 week.
- 🥶Freezing. I recommend cooling them and then freezing without the frosting. For proper freezing start by placing the banana cookies on a tray until they become firm (you can also flash freeze them for 20 minutes or so). Then, transfer them to a freezer bag. Unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just remember to thaw them before enjoying them.
- To Make Ahead. For preparing these banana cookies in advance, you have a couple of options. You can bake the cookies and freeze them. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the cookie dough or batter for up to 24 hours before baking them the following day.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
For all tasty treats, scroll through our Desserts archives.
🤷Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Replace flour with Schar (Universal or Mix C) or Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 gluten-free flour, both are my favorites!
I like to keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, they will last for up to 3-4 days.
Subscribe to join the Cookrita newsletter and receive free recipes straight to your inbox! Let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest!
These Cookies are …
- Easy to make
- Moist for days
- Easily made gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Without oil
- Soft
- filled with delicious banana flavor
- No chill time
- Uses basic cookie ingredients
- Chewy edges
- One-bowl recipe
❤️Did you make this recipe? Please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below. Thank you!❤️
📖Recipe
Soft Banana Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For Banana Cookies
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened but not too soft
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 large bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure kind
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 ounce cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon pecan nuts chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Make the cookie batter. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, mashed bananas, and vanilla to the mixture, and mix on low speed until the batter is smooth.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients: baking soda, salt, and flour, mixing until everything is well combined. I like to use spatula here to prevent overmixing and too cakey cookies.
- Portion the cookies. Use a cookie scoop (a 2-inch ice cream scoop works well) to form cookie dough portions on a parchment-lined or greased sheet pan, ensuring there is at least a 2-inch gap between each cookie.
- The batter will be sticky due to bananas. If you find it hard to work with a cookie scoop, then I recommend lightly dusting your hands with flour while scooping and rolling the dough by hand will solve the problem. Alternatively, chilling the dough briefly can also make sticky dough easier to handle.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn a golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the pan, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting. To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter until the mixture becomes fluffy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla, continuing to beat until the frosting is smooth.
- Using a small spoon, spread the frosting over the cooled cookies, and if desired, sprinkle them with chopped pecan nuts and additional banana slices.
Notes
- Why is my cookie dough so sticky? The stickiness of this cookie dough is due to the bananas. I've discovered that lightly dusting my hands with flour while scooping and rolling the dough resolves this problem. Alternatively, chilling the dough can also make sticky dough easier to handle.
- What’s causing my cookies to turn out thin and flat? Typically, cookies turn out too flat if there's not enough flour in the recipe, or if it calls for overly softened butter.My recipe is true and tested to ensure they yield thick cookies, so you shouldn't encounter this problem. Chilling the cookie dough before baking is an option. Additionally, avoid using nonstick baking spray on your cookie sheet, as that can also lead to flat cookies.
- To store leftover frosted banana cookies, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days for the best quality. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to 1 week.
- Freezing. I recommend cooling them and then freezing without the frosting. For proper freezing start by placing the banana cookies on a tray until they become firm (you can also flash freeze them for 20 minutes or so). Then, transfer them to a freezer bag. Unfrosted cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just remember to thaw them before enjoying them.
Nutrition
This recipe has been adapted from Dance Around The Kitchen.
Loved these. you need a mixer and a spatula for items. you also need to flour your hands to make cookie balls. will make them again.
thank you!