Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Printable)
Soft, chewy cookies bursting with ripe banana and hearty oats—perfect for breakfast or snacking.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed
02 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) 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
# Method:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is 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 all ingredients are well combined and smooth.
04 - In a separate 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. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
06 - Gently fold in the rolled oats and chocolate chips or chopped walnuts if using, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers appear just set. Do not overbake for the best chewy texture.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- They use up bananas that would otherwise end up in the trash, and the flavor payoff is enormous.
- The oats give them a satisfying chew that makes you feel like you are eating something substantial, not just a sugar bomb.
02 -
- Overmixing the dough after adding the flour will make the cookies tough instead of chewy, so stop stirring as soon as everything comes together.
- The cookies will look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them out, and that is exactly right because they continue cooking on the hot baking sheet.
03 -
- If your bananas are not quite ripe enough, pop them in a 180 degree C oven for about 15 minutes until the skins blacken and the insides turn syrupy sweet.
- Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking prevents excessive spreading and gives you thicker, chewier cookies.