Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Printer-friendly)

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 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

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
03 - Add the mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Beat until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Fold in the rolled oats along with chocolate chips or chopped walnuts if using, distributing 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.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown and the centers appear just set.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These cookies land somewhere between a breakfast oatmeal cookie and an after school treat, which means you can eat them at basically any hour without guilt.
  • The banana flavor is warm and familiar without being overpowering, and the chewy texture keeps you reaching for just one more.
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough once the flour goes in will make the cookies tough and bready instead of tender and chewy.
  • The cookies will look underdone in the center when you pull them out, but that is exactly what you want because they finish cooking on the hot pan.
03 -
  • Use bananas that are so ripe you would normally throw them away, because that is when their natural sweetness and moisture peak.
  • Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking if you want thicker cookies that spread less in the oven.

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