Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a secret to confess.  Sometimes I buy bananas and 'forgot' to eat them so that I have a convenient excuse to bake with the ones that turn scary brown. There's something so comforting about a good loaf of banana bread.  The sweetness of the bananas combined with the pleasant spice from the cinnamon is hard to beat.  Until, you put all of that into a cookie. 

These cookies are incredibly moist and have great flavor from the banana.  If you are anything like me, you'll find yourself buying bananas much more often after trying this recipe. The good news, if someone foils your plans by actually eating most of the bunch, this recipe calls for only one banana. 


Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted only slightly from "The Good Cookie" by Tish Boyle


1 3/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 large ripe (but still firm) banana, diced


1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Mix thoroughly. 
2) Combine butter and sugars in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
3) Add half of the oat mixture and mix with electric mixer on low speed until the dry ingredients have been incorporated.  Add the remaining oat mixture and mix thoroughly.  Gently stir in chocolate chips and diced banana. (Don't worry if the banana pieces get a little mushy.) 
4) Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.  With a wet hand, slightly flatten the tops of each cookie. ( Just a note, you will have to bake these in multiple batches. They didn't brown evenly with more than one cookie tray in the oven)
4) Bake for about 16-18 minutes or until light golden brown. 


Note:  This recipe said to bake the cookies for 11 minutes, but I found that mine needed more like 18 minutes to fully cook. I recommend keeping an eye on the cookies after 10 minutes in the oven and taking them out when they start to turn golden brown.