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.
Table Of Contents
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies Details
- Here is what you will need
- How to make banana oatmeal cookies
- How ripe should bananas be for baking?
- How to ripen bananas
- What type of oatmeal can I use?
- Delicious add-in options
- Tips for the best taste and texture
- Can I freeze the dough?
- How long will they keep?
- Recipe Video
- Full Recipe Instructions
Banana Oatmeal Cookies Details
- Taste– These banana oatmeal cookies have a rich sweet flavor from the ripe bananas and brown sugar. The melted semisweet chocolate chips add a yummy chocolate finish that is simply divine.
- Texture– These cookies have an incredibly soft and chewy texture from the butter and oatmeal. And swirls of melted chocolate are also a nice creamy addition just like my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
- Ease– Everything in this cookie recipe comes together in one bowl so it doesn’t require any baking skills at all!
- Time- Not only are these cookies super easy to make, but they also come together really fast. Oh and they only bake for 8-9 minutes!
Here is what you will need
- Butter- Unsalted butter,
- Sugar– granulated sugar and golden brown sugar,
- Bananas– need to be very ripe. look for lots of dark spots on the bananas.
- Vanilla extract– for flavor
- Eggs– to bind the cookies during baking
- Dry ingredients- All-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda,
- Oats– old-fashioned oats work best, but quick-cooking will work too!
- Chocolate chips– I use semisweet, but you can use dark or milk chocolate.
How to make banana oatmeal cookies
This is a quick run-down of the recipe with step-by-step photos. For the full detailed recipe, scroll down to the printable recipe card.
- 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.
- Add in the dry ingredients. Hold a fine-mesh sieve right over the cookie dough and add in combine the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Sift it in and mix. Mix at low speed so the flour doesn’t fly everywhere.
- Add the oats and chocolate chips. At this point, you want to mix the oatmeal and chocolate with a spatula.
- 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 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-9 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
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.
How to ripen bananas
So if you don’t have ripe bananas at home, you can ripen them in the oven! Place the unpeeled bananas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-20 minutes.
What type of oatmeal can I use?
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, dark or milk chocolate chips, raisins, cranberries, and many more.
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. No need to thaw. Just bake 1-2 minutes more 🙂
How long will they keep?
These chewy banana oatmeal cookies will last for about a week in the fridge if you place them in an airtight container.
Recipe Video
Full Recipe Instructions
Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 3/4 cup golden brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup bananas (about 2 bananas)
- 2 eggs
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix 1 cup softened butter, 3/4 cups brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar using an electric hand mixer.
- Now mash up 2 bananas using a potato masher or a fork and add it to the butter mixture along with 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat that on medium speed until well combined.
- Hold a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl of the banana and butter and add in 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Then sift the dry ingredients in, and mix together at low speed.
- Now add 3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats along with 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips. At this point mix everything together with a spatula.
- 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 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-9 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Kate says
Hi.
I usually substitute coconut oil for the butter. It really enhances the cookie on a whole other level.
Cinnamon is a great addition for chocolate chip cookies in general yet I rarely see it in recipes! :).
This one sounds delectable being soft and chewy and all!
Thank you for the recipe.
P.S. Shouldn’t the eggs be room temperature or is it not necessary because of the bananas?
Dina says
Hi Kate, you are correct, it’s best to use room-temperature eggs. Enjoy!
Sue S. says
Hi Dina! I made these yummiest for the first time today (it certainly won’t be the last… I have eaten 4 of them already, and I couldn’t wait until they had cooled!). I love them, and I am sure that everyone else will also! I look forward to trying more of your great recipes! Thank you!
Dina says
Hi Sue, I am so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed these banana oatmeal cookies! Thank you for the kind feedback, I really appreciate it!
Maritza says
Hi Dina,
I finally made these today and love them!!!! Will be making again. . Do they need to be refrigerated?? How long will they stay fresh?
Dina says
Hi Martiza, I am so glad you loved these cookies! They do not need to be refrigerated. They will keep best at room temperature in an airtight container for about 3 days.
CJ says
When the dough is frozen, do they need to be thawed first before baking? Thanks
Dina says
Hi CJ, if you want more spread-out cookies, I would recommend thawing them out for a little before baking.
Berta says
These were okay, but I’m wondering if I did something wrong; turned out kinda of soft and sticky. Added more flour and baked 10”, but they never did get a crisp texture. Do they have to be stored in the refrigerator? Probably won’t make again, which is too bad- the flavor was great
Dina says
Hi Berta, I think the reason your cookies didn’t get crispy is because this is a “chewy” banana oatmeal cookie. They are very soft and moist after baking and become chewy after they cool. These are not meant to be crispy.
Sandra says
Loved this recipe, I followed the recipe and cookies came out perfect. I cooked them for 10 minutes. Delicious this recipe is a keeper.
Dina says
Hi Sandra 🙂 Very happy to your banana oatmeal cookies came out perfectly! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! I hope you find more recipes to enjoy on my website! 🙂
Cynthia E. says
Can butterscotch morsels be used instead of chocolate morsels?
Dina says
Hi Cynthia, I have not tried this recipe with butterscotch chips so I am not too sure. But it sounds like a lovely addition. It just might be a little sweeter than the semisweet chocolate chips.
Aurora says
Loved this recipe, I omitted 1/2 cup of sugar and added blueberries at the end mixed it by hand and baked cookies, delicious 😋 thank you for sharing. Aurora
Dina says
Aurora, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed these cookies! Thank you for the kind feedback 🙂
CHIRTES EMANUELA says
can I add protein powder to this recipe?
Dina says
Hi, that sounds like a great addition, but I have not tested this recipe with protein powder so I am not too sure how it would change the consistency after baking.
Jordy says
Is 8-9 minutes the correct time to bake? At 350°? Cookies are generally 12-15 at the least and these took more than 15 minutes on convection!
Otherwise they are great! I only did 1/2c of brown sugar, but I wish I did more as they aren’t quite sweet enough. I might add more chocolate chips next time too!
Dina says
Hi Jordy 🙂 Yes, my cookies were done at 8-9 minutes. However, it also depends on the size of your cookie dough size and the size of your bananas. It is an estimate and can be adjusted. I have had someone say they wanted them less baked because there were a little dry from overbaking. Their cookies were smaller and that was why that happened.
I am very happy to hear you enjoyed these cookies! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! 🙂
Cheryl says
Can you use gluten free flour in this recipe?
Dina says
Hi Cheryl, I have not tried this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I am not too sure how it would turn out. I would have to test it out myself before giving any suggestions.
Dawn says
Dough seemed far to wet when I dropped cookies with a scoop. I’m thinking butter ratio seem far to much with this recipe, compared to other recipes. They spread out way to much. Not a novice baker, will not make again, waste of time & ingredients. Really disappointed to say the very least.
Dina says
Hi Dawn, it sounds like the size of your bananas could have contributed to the runny consistency. If you ever run into this issue in the future, it is as simple as adding a little extra flour 🙂
Heather says
This was too wet for me too – and I even measured out the banana amount so it isn’t the size of the bananas I was using. I also cut some of the butter and added a little extra flour. Still too wet. Took twice as long to bake, but managed to make it work.
Sarah says
Will this recipe work with instant oats?
Dina says
Hi Sarah 🙂 Yes, you can use instant oats instead.