These Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies are the perfect sweet treat. Bananas, brown sugar, and oats – you’re going to love this soft, yummy dessert.
Cookie crazy? You have to try these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (VIDEO) and walnut chocolate chip cookies.
Banana oatmeal cookies
Banana oatmeal cookies are a perfect mix of sweet flavor and chewy texture. Made with sweet, ripe bananas and oats that give these cookies lots of chewiness, this dessert is sure to please any cookie lover. They also make a great base for nuts, chocolate, and other tasty add-ins. For an easy and delicious oatmeal cookie recipe, you can’t go wrong with this one. I’m also a fan of these Monster Cookies and Nutella Cookies, if you’re in a baking mood.
Ingredients for these oatmeal cookies
Wet ingredients- Unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, bananas, and eggs.
Dry ingredients- All-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and old-fashioned oats.
How ripe should bananas be for baking?
Bananas should be very ripe for these oatmeal cookies. When you see brown spots developing on the banana peels, you will know that they are at their sweetest. Ripe bananas are also soft enough to mash easily and mix well with the other ingredients in the cookies.
What type of oatmeal can I use for oatmeal cookies?
You can use old-fashioned or quick oats, but the old-fashioned kind is best. It provides more chew and texture to your banana oatmeal cookies and also holds its shape better during baking.
Delicious add-in options
These chewy oatmeal cookies go great with so many different add-ins. You can try variations that include walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, cranberries, and many more.
How to make banana oatmeal cookies
- Combine the dry ingredients (except the oats). In a large bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Combine the wet ingredients (except the eggs & bananas). In another bowl, add the unsalted butter, sugars, and vanilla together and beat with an electric hand mixer. Then set aside.
- Mash the bananas. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a potato masher and then add them to the butter mixture. Add the eggs as well and beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed.
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and the oats to the wet ingredients, mixing at medium speed until well incorporated.
- Scoop cookies. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop out the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can roll them into balls or top them with any add-ins that you like at this point.
- Bake. Bake the cookies at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Tips for the best taste and texture
- Ripe bananas- By using ripe bananas, you give your oatmeal cookies a soft, chewiness, as well as plenty of sweetness. Make sure your bananas are ripe for the best flavor and texture.
- Softened butter- If your butter is too hard, it will not mix as well into your cookie batter, changing the texture. Let the butter sit out at room temperature to soften. Don’t microwave it though, because that will just liquefy it.
- Spices- Using complementary spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, which go really well with the bananas and oats, gives these cookies their amazing flavor.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes, this cookie dough can be frozen. If you want to make this banana oatmeal cookie dough ahead of time, go ahead and follow the recipe up to when you form the cookie balls. Instead of topping them with add-ins or baking, place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet and put it in the freezer for an hour. Once they are frozen, you can then put the cookie dough balls into a ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just take them out and bake them when you’re ready.
How long will they keep once the cookies are baked?
These chewy banana oatmeal cookies will last for about a week in the fridge if you place them in an airtight container.
Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup bananas (about 2 bananas)
- 2 eggs
Dry ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
Instructions
Combine dry ingredients
- Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and flour in a large bowl. And set it aside.
Combine all the wet ingredients
- In a separate bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract using an electric hand mixer.
- Now mash up the bananas using a potato masher or a fork and add it to the butter mixture along with 2 eggs. Beat that on medium speed until well combined.
Add flour mixture to the cookie dough
- Add in the flour mixture and oatmeal to the butter and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop out mounds of the banana oatmeal cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop.
- At this point, you can round them balls in your hands or top with chocolate chips (optional). Now bake at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Ripe bananas- By using ripe bananas, you give your oatmeal cookies a soft, chewiness, as well as plenty of sweetness. Make sure your bananas are ripe for the best flavor and texture.
- Softened butter- If your butter is too hard, it will not mix as well into your cookie batter, changing the texture. Let the butter sit out at room temperature to soften. Don't microwave it though, because that will just liquefy it.
- Spices- Using complementary spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, which go really well with the bananas and oats, gives these cookies their amazing flavor.
Nutrition
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April says
My daughter and I made these, and they were really good. However, they were not thin and chewy. They were more cake-like and fluffy. I’ve reviewed the recipe and we used the ingredients called for. Any suggestions?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi April 🙂 Very happy that you and your daughter loved these banana oatmeal cookies! If your bananas were too small that would result in a drier cakey cookie. If they are larger then it would result in a more moist and chewy cookie. I hope that helps 🙂
Elizabeth says
Yummy.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Elizabeth. I hope you love these chewy banana oatmeal cookies!
Kim says
This was a super great recipe!! Definitely worth a try!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Kim. I really appreciate you taking the time to write your feedback! These banana oatmeal cookies are definitely delicious 🙂
Cassandra says
These came out awesome. I did not have baking soda so I used 3tsp of baking powder instead and they came out perfect! I also added peanut butter chips! Definitely will make again.
simplyhomecooked says
I am so glad that your cookies turned out great Cassandra! Thank you for taking the time to write your kind recipe review. It means so much to me! 🙂
Tess says
I made this cookies and the flavor was good but the texture was off for me. When I bit into one, the oats seemed unbaked and I was chewing on and picking oats out of my teeth long after the flavor had left my mouth. Did I do something wrong? Or is this how they’re supposed to be?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Tess, thats very interesting. I have never had this issue before. Were your oats kept in an airtight bag or container? If they were sitting out, uncovered, that might have caused them to become hard. Which might explain the unbaked texture. I hope that helps answer your question.
Elaine Meeks says
My thoughts are if you don’t care for the texture of the oats, try using the quick oats! They are finer and cook faster! I love oatmeal any way you fix it! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Elaine! I hope you love these banana oatmeal cookies 🙂 Let me know how they turn out!
Sheila says
The cookies were delicious. Another way to use mushy bananas.
simplyhomecooked says
So happy to hear that you loved these banana oatmeal cookies Sheila! Always a win when you can use mushy bananas 🙂 Thank you for your feedback 🙂
Michelle says
I just bought the cookie scooper you recommended!! And these are in the oven as I type! So excited to try
simplyhomecooked says
Yay! I hope you absolutely love these banana oatmeal cookies! 🙂 Let me know how they turn out Michelle 🙂
ZNae says
I don’t have baking soda can I use baking powder instead ?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi, unfortunately, baking soda and baking powder are not the same ingredients so they cannot be swapped.
Cassandra says
Yes you can. I just made them with baking powder because I as well did not have soda. All I did was add 3tsp of baking powder and they turned out amazing!!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the feedback, Cassandra!