Got one ripe banana and a chocolate craving? These double chocolate banana cookies are your answer. Soft, chewy (or cakey if that’s your thing), and built on a rich chocolate base, they come together in one bowl with no mixer and no chilling. The hardest part is waiting the five minutes before you eat them.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Adrienne shared, “We are loving these chocolate banana cookies, nice and tender and they have great chocolate flavor! I especially like the bit of salt on top because it really brings out the flavor even more!” ~ volunteer recipe tester
The BEST Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
After decades of baking with bananas, I can tell you that the hardest part is not making the recipe, it’s keeping up with the brown bananas. My freezer is basically a banana graveyard at any given moment, and I am always dreaming up new ways to use them. My high altitude banana bread and banana chocolate chunk muffins are two recipes I come back to constantly, but these cookies came out of wanting something different: a muffin-top style cookie with serious chocolate flavor, not just chips scattered through a vanilla dough. Plus no chill time and using pantry staples!
My first few batches were overbaked, in my opinion. I was trying for a thick, almost fudgy, chewy cookie. This type of cookie can go from tender and moist to dry faster than you’d think. The sweet spot in my oven was right at 8-10 minutes, but every oven runs a little differently, so start checking at 8-9 and pull them when the edges look set and tops are puffy, but still a smidge glossy. They will finish setting up as they cool on the pan.
I bake at 5,280 feet in Colorado, and I preferred the texture of the cookies baked at 375 for about 8 minutes, vs. 350 at about 8, a little chewy and fudgy. I also work with a team of recipe testers baking at elevations across the country, so the measurements, temperatures, and times have been tested at sea level and everywhere in between. What you see in the recipe card is what works.
You Will Love These Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The perfect use for one lonely ripe banana. No need to wait until you have enough bananas for a whole loaf of bread. This recipe uses just one ripe banana!
- Soft, rich, and perfectly chewy. While you can bake these a little longer for a more cakey cookie, I prefer mine a little less baked making them fudgy and chewy.
- Easy enough for any day. No chilling, and the dough comes together quickly. Perfect for weekday cravings!
- Endlessly customizable. Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, walnuts, coconut, espresso powder, there are so many ways to make these your own. See the variations section because things get very fun very fast!
Banana Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: Like any good cookie recipe, we start with softened butter, which is mixed with the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated White Sugar: The combo adds plenty of sweetness, moisture, and a depth of flavor thanks to the brown sugar.
- Ripe Banana: The riper the better! Like nice and brown, and soft. The sugars develop the browner the banana gets. If your banana is frozen, thaw it first and drain any excess liquid.
- Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt: Keeps the cookies extra soft and tender. I tested with both and liked both. One of my recipe testers used Greek yogurt and loved them.
- Egg Yolk: You just need the yolk here! This adds some structure while also providing richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Use your favorite brand, mind is Kirkland or Rodelle, or my homemade vanilla.
- All-Purpose Flour: I always use organic, unbleached all-purpose flour!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Use a good-quality cocoa if possible!
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: The combination of both baking powder and baking soda help the cookies rise and also spread just enough.
- Kosher Salt: Essential to add flavor and balance all the flavors.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Because more chocolate is always the correct choice!
- Flaky Sea Salt: Highly recommended to sprinkle on top! It complements the chocolate so well, for little sweet-salty bursts!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Banana Cookies
Step 1: Cream Butter & Sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
High Altitude Tip: Try first at 375°F for 7-9 minutes, then if you don’t like it, bump the heat down to 350°F for 9-10 minutes. My texture preference sweet spot was 375°F for about 8 ½ – 9 minutes. Still soft, a little chewy, great flavor!
Step 2: Add Wet Ingredients
Mix in mashed banana (mash with a fork) and sour cream until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
Step 3: Mix in Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
Gently fold in chocolate chips into the batter until evenly distributed.
Step 4: Scoop & Bake
Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets using a cookie scoop or tablespoon. Bake for 9–12 minutes, until the tops are set and the cookies look puffed. My sweet spot was about 9 minutes, my testers who liked them a bit more cakey, preferred 10-12 minutes.
Press a few extra chocolate chips into the warm cookies and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. The cookies will set up, they will start gooey soft, but set as they cool.
Expert Tips for Banana Bread Cookies
- Pull them at 10 minutes (or even 9). Cookies have a narrow window between tender and dry, this is the single most important tip for this recipe. Since every oven heats a little differently, test a small batch first, taking them out a little early and even checking them at 8-9 minute mark.
- Banana ripeness matters more than most people think. Heavily speckled or fully brown is the goal, not just yellow with a few spots. You can bake the bananas as I do in my banana bread cinnamon rolls.
- Press extra chocolate chips into the warm cookies right out of the oven. Purely a looks tip but it makes a big difference for that bakery-style finish.
- Don’t skip the flaky sea salt. It really adds to the flavor of the cookie, enhancing the chocolate.
Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies Variations
- Peanut Butter Twist: Swap chocolate chips for peanut butter chips, or use half chocolate + half peanut butter; optionally add 2–3 tablespoons peanut butter to the dough.
- Chocolate + Nuts: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts (classic banana bread vibe) or pecans (slightly sweeter and buttery) adding great crunch, try raisins too!
- Butterscotch Banana: Replace chocolate chips with butterscotch chips for a warm, caramel-like flavor, one of my favorites!
- Kathleen’s Favorite: Espresso Chocolate: Add 1–2 teaspoons espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor (doesn’t taste like coffee, just richer!)
- Salted Caramel: Use caramel chips or chopped soft caramels + finish with flaky sea salt.
- Chocolate Coconut: Stir in ½ cup toasted coconut (especially lovely with dairy-free swaps).
- Double Chocolate: Use a mix of semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate chips/chunks.
- Banana Nut (No Chips): Skip chips and add toasted nuts for a less sweet, more traditional flavor.
- Almond Joy Style: Add coconut, sliced almonds, and chocolate chips.
- Orange Chocolate: Mix in ½–1 teaspoon fresh orange zest for a bright twist. You could also swap in dried cranberries for chocolate chips.
- Lighter Option: Reduce sugar slightly, use dark chocolate chips, or add 1–2 tablespoons ground flax.
- Whole Grain Swap: Replace up to half the flour with white whole wheat flour and add 2-3 teaspoons of water or milk when adding the sour cream, as whole grain flours soak up more liquid.
- Warm Spices: Try adding in some nutmeg or a little cinnamon to the flour mixture.
Gluten Free Banana Cookies
Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, but for the best taste and texture I recommend using 1¼ cups 1:1 GF flour, ¼ cup almond flour, and ¼ cup oat flour. If your blend doesn’t include xanthan gum, add ½ teaspoon. Let the dough rest 10-15 minutes before baking to give the flour time to hydrate properly.
Dairy-Free Banana Cookies
These come together just as well with a couple of simple swaps. Replace the butter with a stick-style plant-based butter (Miyoko’s and Country Crock Plant Butter are both great options) and swap the sour cream for a thick, plain dairy-free yogurt or full-fat coconut cream for a little extra richness. One tip: go with a neutral-flavored dairy-free yogurt, such as vanilla so the chocolate flavor stays front and center.
Gluten Free AND Dairy Free? Just combine both sets of swaps above and you’re good to go.
High Altitude Banana Cookies
From 3500 – 6500 feet; the only adjustment needed is baking temperature. Increase heat to 375°F for 8 ½ – 9 minutes. If you’re baking above 6,500 feet, add 1-2 tablespoons of extra flour, reducing the baking soda to a scant ½ teaspoon, a teaspoon of water or milk and bumping the oven temperature to 375°F. Check them a few minutes early since they can set faster at higher altitudes.
How to Store Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
These banana cookies stay wonderfully soft and moist thanks to the banana, but they’re definitely best enjoyed within the first couple of days.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerate for a few extra days if needed, though freezing gives the best texture.
- Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2–3 months. Let thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Common Questions
The riper the better! You want a banana that is heavily speckled or fully brown. The natural sugars have had time to develop, which means more sweetness and a stronger banana flavor in every bite. A yellow banana will work in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be nearly as pronounced.
Yes! Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, you can bake straight from frozen, just add 2-3 minutes to the bake time. No need to thaw first!
Most banana cookies are made with a standard vanilla cookie base and chocolate chips stirred in. These start with a cocoa powder base, so every bite is deeply chocolatey, not just where the chips happen to land. Think rich, fudgy brownie meets soft banana bread, in cookie form.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar light packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ripe banana mashed (about ½ cup)
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, room temperature, full-fat is best
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour I use organic, unbleached
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted if lumpy
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional but highly recommended!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-4 minutes.½ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Mix in mashed banana and sour cream until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and mix just until no flour streaks remain.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop or tablespoon.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, on the lower end for chewy cookies, until tops are set. If more cakey cookies are desired, bake closer to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and press in a few additional chocolate chips into warm cookies, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Let rest 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely for cookies to set.Flaky sea salt
Notes
Nutrition
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