This irresistible banana cookies recipe yields soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies packed with banana flavor and finished with a creamy salted caramel frosting. It’s a perfect way to use up ripe bananas and can be made in one bowl with simple pantry staples.
If you have even more overripe bananas, consider recipes like banana bread brownies or chewy banana oat cookies next.
Why I Love This Banana Cookies Recipe
These banana cookies are an easy, delicious way to use ripe bananas. They have a tender, cakey texture and a sweet banana flavor reminiscent of banana cake, but in cookie form. The recipe uses straightforward ingredients, and you can have a batch out of the oven in about 30 minutes. Key benefits:
- One-bowl method. The dough comes together in one bowl, and since these are drop cookies there’s no chilling, cutting, or shaping required—ideal for quick baking sessions.
- Salted caramel frosting. The frosting is simple to make with pantry ingredients and sets with a slightly crisp exterior and a soft, sweet center that complements the banana flavor.
- Versatile and giftable. These cookies suit every season and many occasions. They’re great with milk, coffee, or tea and make a thoughtful homemade gift.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses commonly available ingredients and requires just seven items for the cookies plus a few for the frosting. Refer to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Butter – at room temperature.
- Brown sugar – for moisture and caramel notes; granulated sugar can be substituted if needed.
- Egg – at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – use real vanilla for best flavor.
- Bananas – overripe bananas give the best flavor and sweetness.
- Baking soda and salt – ensure baking soda is fresh.
- All-purpose flour – the ideal choice for this dough.
How to Make Banana Cookies
No chilling is required, so these cookies are quick to prepare. Mix the dough, scoop onto a baking sheet, and bake. Printable instructions are available in the recipe card below.
- Make the cookie dough. Cream the butter and brown sugar, then add the egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas. Stir in baking soda and salt, then fold in the flour until just combined.
- Scoop the cookies. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to drop portions of dough onto a lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 9–10 minutes, or until the centers are set. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
Salted Caramel Frosting
The salted caramel frosting pairs beautifully with banana. It’s somewhere between frosting and icing—creamy with a bit of chew as it sets. To prepare:
- Make the caramel. Simmer butter, brown sugar, and cream until it comes to a boil and cooks briefly to thicken.
- Finish the frosting. Let the caramel cool slightly, whisk in powdered sugar, and continue to cool and whisk until spreadable. Once cooled, spread over completely cooled cookies.
If you prefer, skip the frosting or use a different topping such as chocolate buttercream, brown sugar frosting, or cream cheese frosting for a tangy twist.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t overmix. Mix just until the flour is incorporated to avoid developing too much gluten, which can make the cookies dense.
- Cool completely before frosting. Frosting warm cookies will cause it to melt and lose its texture.
- Banana chocolate chip. Stir in semisweet, dark, milk, or white chocolate chips for extra indulgence.
- Peanut butter banana. Drizzle melted peanut butter over the cookies or use a peanut butter frosting for a nutty variation.
- Nuts. Add chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch and flavor.
How to Store Banana Cookies
- Room temperature. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freeze. Freeze baked cookies or shaped dough for up to 3 months. Pre-freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw baked cookies at room temperature or bake dough from frozen.
More Banana Recipes
- Banana Pudding
- Moist Banana Pound Cake
- Banana Scones
- Banana Muffins
Banana Cookies
4 from 4 reviews
- Author: Shelly
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This irresistible banana cookies recipe makes soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies loaded with sweet banana flavor and topped with creamy salted caramel frosting. Make them with one bowl and easy pantry ingredients!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For the Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas and mix for another minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Stir in the baking soda and salt.
- On low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined.
- Using a medium (2-tablespoon) scoop, drop dough onto the prepared sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 9–10 minutes or until centers are set.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, dark brown sugar, and heavy cream. Heat over medium-low, bring to a full boil, and boil 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat, stir in salt, and cool 5 minutes. Whisk in powdered sugar, then let the frosting cool and thicken for about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Spread the frosting on completely cooled cookies.
Nutrition
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 21.2 g
- Sodium: 131 mg
- Fat: 8.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.5 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg