Description
These soft and cake-like Banana Cookies are a delightful treat combining the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Perfect for dessert or a snack, they feature optional chocolate chips or walnuts for added texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Optional Add-ins
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for your cookies.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and optional nutmeg, evenly distributing the spices and leavening agents.
- Mix Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing which can toughen the cookies.
- Add Optional Ingredients: Fold in chocolate chips or chopped walnuts if desired to add extra flavor and texture to the batter.
- Shape Cookies: Drop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart to allow spreading during baking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden brown, indicating they are cooked through.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring they set properly.
Notes
- These cookies have a soft and cakey texture, different from traditional crisp cookies.
- For a healthier variation, substitute half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or add rolled oats to the batter.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
- For longer storage, freeze the cookies; thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
