Banana Bread Cookies

Chewy cookies with crispy edges and all the comforting flavors of banana bread.

Published May 17, 2026

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If you’re a big banana bread fan, then you’ll love these soft-baked banana bread cookies made with brown butter and plenty of chocolate.

A plate of banana bread cookies topped with sea salt with a cooling rack of cookies in the background.

These cookies are the ultimate crowdpleaser and sure to be a hit with the whole family. They feature the best of both worlds with their chewy centers, crispy edges, pockets of rich chocolate, and the cozy flavor of sweet bananas.

A hand holds a banana bread cookie topped with coarse sea salt.

The cookies are freezer-friendly, and the best part is, they come together in one bowl. Serve them with a glass of cold milk for that perfect combination that always hits the spot.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Banana Bread Cookies

Everything you love about banana bread, but in a cookie.
Chewy cookies with crispy edges.
Freezer-friendly.
Easy, one-bowl recipe.

A stack of banana bread cookies sits on a marble surface, with a glass of milk and more cookies in the background.

Banana Bread Cookies Ingredients

Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!

Brown butter: I use salted butter.
Cane sugar and brown sugar: Combine for those crunchy edges and chewy centers.
Egg: Medium or large.
Plain white flour: All-purpose flour.
Banana: You want it to be ripe with plenty of dark spots for the sweetest banana taste.
Vanilla paste: Or vanilla extract.
Chocolate: I use a good dark chocolate bar with 70% cocoa solids and chop it up for that gourmet cookie taste. Chocolate chips are fine, too.
Baking soda: For a little lift.
Sea salt: To balance the sweet.

Banana bread cookie ingredients on a gray surface, including a banana, chocolate, egg, vanilla paste, brown and cane sugar, sea salt, plain flour, baking soda, and brown butter.

How to Make Banana Bread Cookies

Make the brown butter on medium heat. It will melt, boil, and then foam. Stir to ensure it doesn’t burn. You want it amber-colored.
Prepare the batter: Mix the butter and sugars, add the ripe banana, egg, and vanilla. Fold in the flour and baking soda, then add the dark chocolate (reserve 30 grams for baking). Allow to cool for 1 hour in the fridge.
Scoop and bake: Preheat the oven to 170°C (338°F). Assemble the cookies, top with the remaining chocolate, and bake for around 8 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Shape the cookies, top with sea salt, and transfer to a cooling rack.

A close-up of a metal pot containing foamy butter.

A metal bowl filled with cookie dough topped with chunks of chopped dark chocolate, being mixed with a metal spoon.

Tips for Success

Make sure your butter isn’t too cold when browning and don’t walk away from it, as it can burn quickly!
Do not overbake. Aim for crispy edges and barely set centers.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack so they won’t continue to bake on the warm baking sheet.
Shape the cookies with a spoon, glass, or round cookie cutter when they are just out of the oven.
Reserve some of the chocolate to add on top of the cookies.

Possible Variations

Brown butter: Or regular melted butter.
Plain flour: Try glutenfree flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, or 00 tipo.
Sugars: Swap for coconut sugar, granulated sugar, or dark brown sugar.
Chocolate: Milk chocolate or white chocolate, even flavored chocolate is fine to use.
Add-ins: Try cinnamon, nutmeg, chopped walnuts, or pecans.

How to Store Leftovers

Keep leftovers in an airtight container on the kitchen counter (unless it’s very warm in your kitchen so the chocolate will melt, then keep them in the refrigerator). Enjoy within 3-4 days.

FAQs

How do I make sure the banana cookies are chewy?

Take the cookies out of the oven when the center is just set. Transfer them to a grid cooling rack so they don’t keep baking on the hot cookie sheet.

Why does the dough need 1 hour chill time?

Time in the fridge cools the dough, hydrates the flour, and makes it spread less when baking. It also gives the cookies a more intense flavor. You can cool them for up to 24 hours.

My banana isn’t ripe enough. What can I do?

There are ways to speed up the ripening process. You can bake the bananas for 15-30 minutes in the oven at 150°C (300°F) until dark brown and soft. Allow to cool.