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Instead of making banana bread with those overripe bananas, make chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies! They are incredibly soft, thick, and chewy, with just the right hint of cinnamon. Whether you add the chocolate chips or keep them plain, they are the ultimate way to use up those brown bananas in a way the whole family will love.
I am obsessed with banana desserts – I don’t want to eat bananas but I want them in all the recipes! I’ve made banana cookies on this site and in my book, but recently I started playing with recipes for Oatmeal Banana Cookies and I’m so glad I did. While I have a breakfast cookie with these flavors, these are all dessert!
The most important thing to know about this recipe is the use of quick cooking oats. Because this recipe has a high ratio of oats to flour, quick oats are essential. They are smaller and more broken down than old-fashioned oats, meaning they soak up the moisture from the mashed bananas much faster. This results in a cookie that is sturdy and chewy rather than one that feels like you’re eating a bowl of loose oatmeal. It’s the secret to getting that bakery-style thickness without the cookie spreading into a pancake!
Banana Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients
- These have typical oatmeal cookie ingredients like unsalted butter (softened), brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, salt, and baking soda.
- Make sure your bananas are overripe with lots of brown spots. The more brown your bananas get the sweeter they are, making them perfect for baking.
- Bananas vary in size, so 2 medium bananas can mean different things. For the most consistent results in this recipe, mash your bananas in a liquid measuring cup first to ensure you have approximately 1 cup (about 225-250g). Too much banana will make the cookies cakey and wet, while too little will result in a dry, crumbly cookie.
- While you can use old-fashioned oats, the texture will be significantly different. Quick cooking oats are rolled thinner and chopped into smaller pieces, which allows them to bind with the banana and egg more effectively. If you only have old-fashioned oats on hand, pulse them in a blender 2-3 times until they are coarsely chopped before adding them to the dough to maintain the cookie’s structure.
- I love these plain but you can also make Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by adding your favorite chocolate chips. Or use chopped nuts or frost the plain cookies with buttercream, chocolate frosting or peanut butter icing.
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
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Dorothy’s Expert Tips for Cookies
- Make sure to mash your ripe bananas before adding them to the mixer so there aren’t huge chunks of bananas.
- Make sure butter and eggs are room temperature for best results.
- You know Oatmeal Banana Cookies are done when they lose their glossy sheen and are light golden around the edges.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (softened)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- 2 medium overripe bananas,, mashed (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups quick cooking oats
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Whisk flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add mashed banana, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined (mixture will be slightly lumpy).
- Add flour mixture and mix just until combined, then mix in oats. If using chocolate chips, stir into the dough now.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon size cookie dough balls and place 2-inches apart on cookie sheets.
- Bake until light golden and set and no longer glossy on top, about 10-15 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How to make Banana Oatmeal Cookies step-by-step
1. Bananas should be mashed by hand so they’re smooth with a few lumps.
2. The butter and sugar should be fluffy when creamed, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Once the dry ingredients and banana are mixed in the batter will be smooth with just a few lumps.
4. The batter with oats will be slightly lumpy.
5. Cookies don’t spread a ton so you can put only 2-inches apart on cookie sheets.
FAQs
This usually happens if your bananas were too large or liquidy. Make sure to measure out 1 cup of mashed banana rather than just guessing.
Chilling isn’t required for this recipe because the quick oats do a great job of absorbing moisture, but 30 minutes in the fridge can result in an even thicker cookie.
Absolutely! Chopped walnuts or pecans are a classic pairing with banana and add a great crunch.
