Recipe: Banana Bread Cookies

I love a good loaf of banana bread as much as the next person, but when I had some leftover bananas a few weeks ago, I felt like trying something a little bit different. You can only bake so much banana bread before getting a little bored, you know? That said, these banana bread cookies are still pretty close, but just a little bit more exciting!

They have a cake-like texture that’s similar to that of banana bread, but they’re also crispy on the outside and just overall more cookie-like. And easier to share! My boyfriend and I both shared them with our respective colleagues and everyone was very enthusiastic – and for good reason: these are delicious!

You’ll need… (for about 24 cookies)

• 125 g unsalted butter (softened)
• 160 g light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavouring
• 1 ripe banana (mashed)
• 200 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• a pinch of salt
• 75 g rolled oats
• 75 g dark chocolate chips
• cling film
• parchment paper
• baking tray
• and an oven of course! These cookies need to be baked at 180 °C (don’t forget to preheat your oven!)

So, let’s get baking!

1. Mix butter and sugar Put the softened butter and the light brown sugar in a bowl and mix them together until you’ve got a nice creamy consistency. You can use a wooden spoon, which works perfectly fine for the entire recipe, but you can also use a hand or stand mixer, which does make things easier.

2. Add egg, vanilla and banana Once the butter and sugar are nicely mixed together, add your egg, as well as the vanilla flavouring and the mashed banana. Mix it all together.

3. Add flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt Time to add the dry ingredients. Firstly, sieve the flour into the mixture and also add the baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Mix it all together. I usually just use a wooden spoon for this part.

4. Add rolled oats and chocolate chips Now, add the final two ingredients: the rolled oats and the chocolate chips. Mix them through until you’ve got a nice, even dough. The dough will appear quite soft, but that’s completely fine.

5. Let the dough rest in the fridge Now, this is going to take some time because if you want the best flavour for your cookie, it’s best to let the dough rest for at least 4 hours (you could also make the dough in the evening and then bake the cookies the next morning). Just cover your bowl with cling film and put it in the fridge.

6. Divide dough into balls over baking tray Line your baking tray with parchment paper, and then make little balls out of the dough and place them onto the tray. Mine were about the size of a large walnut. Leave enough room between the clumps of dough, because they will spread out quite a bit.

7. Bake! Put your baking tray into the oven and bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes at 180 °C or until they turn golden brown around the edges. Remember that cookies always toughen up when they’re cooling down, so don’t bake them until they feel hard and solid – they’ll come out very overbaked. Take the tray out of the oven and let the cookies cool on the tray for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack (or a plate). These taste most delicious when they’re still a little bit warm, so I recommend serving them as quickly as possible!

And that’s it! You’ve got your own banana bread cookies – enjoy!