Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Print Page)

Soft, chewy cookies bursting with ripe banana and hearty oats, perfect for any time of day.

# What You Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Add the mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Mix until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Fold in the rolled oats and chocolate chips or walnuts, if using, until evenly distributed.
07 - Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers look just set.
09 - Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The banana does half the sweetening work, so the cookies taste rich without being cloying.
  • They stay soft for days, which means you can bake a batch on Sunday and still have a decent snack on Wednesday.
  • You probably have every single ingredient sitting in your pantry right now.
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough after adding the flour will make the cookies tough instead of tender, fold gently and stop early.
  • If your bananas are only lightly spotted and not fully ripe, microwave them for 30 seconds with the peel on to soften and sweeten them quickly.
03 -
  • Use a cookie scoop instead of a spoon for uniform mounds that bake evenly and look polished.
  • Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie right before baking to elevate every flavor.

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