This irresistible banana cookies recipe yields soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies bursting with banana flavor and finished with a creamy salted caramel frosting. It’s a delicious way to use up overripe bananas and can be mixed in one bowl using simple pantry ingredients.
Why I Love This Banana Cookies Recipe
These banana cookies are my go-to when bananas start to get too ripe. They have a tender, cakey texture and a sweet banana taste that’s reminiscent of banana cake but in cookie form. The recipe is quick—ready in about 30 minutes—and uses ingredients you likely already have on hand. Key reasons to make them:
- One-bowl convenience. Everything is mixed in a single bowl, and since these are drop cookies there’s no chilling or shaping required—perfect for last-minute baking.
- Salted caramel frosting. The easy-to-make caramel frosting lands between an icing and a buttercream: it sets with a thin crust while staying soft inside, pairing beautifully with banana.
- Versatile and crowd-pleasing. These cookies work for everyday snacking, dessert plates, or gift boxes for holidays like Mother’s Day or Easter. They’re great with milk, coffee, or tea.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses just a handful of everyday ingredients. Use overripe bananas for the best banana flavor. Refer to the recipe card for exact measurements and scaling options.
- Butter – room temperature.
- Brown sugar – adds moisture and a caramel note; granulated sugar can be used if needed.
- Egg – room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – use real vanilla for best flavor.
- Bananas – very ripe, mashed.
- Baking soda & salt – ensure baking soda is fresh.
- All-purpose flour – for structure and the right texture.
How to Make Banana Cookies
No chilling is required, so these cookies come together quickly. Mix the dough, drop it onto a lined baking sheet, bake, cool, and frost if desired.
- Make the dough. Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas, then stir in baking soda and salt. Fold in the flour until just combined.
- Scoop the cookies. Use a spoon or a 2-tablespoon scoop to drop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 9–10 minutes, until centers are set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Salted Caramel Frosting
The salted caramel frosting is my favorite finishing touch. The combination of banana and caramel evokes Bananas Foster and gives the cookies a rich, indulgent finish. Quick method:
- Make caramel. In a saucepan melt butter with dark brown sugar and cream, bring to a boil and simmer briefly until slightly thickened. Let cool a few minutes.
- Finish the frosting. Whisk in powdered sugar and salt, then allow the mixture to cool and thicken until spreadable. Spread on fully cooled cookies.
If you prefer, leave the cookies unfrosted or try alternative frostings like chocolate buttercream, brown sugar frosting, or cream cheese frosting for a different flavor profile.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t overmix. Fold the flour in just until combined to keep the cookies tender, not tough.
- Cool before frosting. Be sure cookies are at room temperature before spreading frosting so it doesn’t melt.
- Chocolate chips. Stir in semisweet, dark, milk, or white chocolate chips for banana chocolate chip cookies.
- Peanut butter twist. Drizzle melted peanut butter over the frosted cookies or use peanut butter frosting for a classic banana–peanut butter pairing.
- Add nuts. Chopped pecans or walnuts add crunch and complement the banana flavor.
- Try different frostings. Brown sugar frosting, chocolate buttercream, or cream cheese frosting all pair nicely.
How to Store Banana Cookies
- Room temperature. Store airtight for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days refrigerated.
- Freeze. Freeze baked cookies or dough balls 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
- 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 banana cookies recipe creates tender, banana-forward cookies topped with a silky salted caramel frosting. They’re made in one bowl and come together quickly with common pantry staples.
Ingredients
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 (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixer or large bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas and mix until combined. Stir in baking soda and salt.
- On low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined—do not overmix.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop or spoon, drop dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9–10 minutes, until centers are set.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a saucepan, combine butter, dark brown sugar, and heavy cream. Bring to a full boil over medium-low heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat, stir in salt, and let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in powdered sugar, then let the frosting cool for about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally until spreadable.
- Spread frosting on cooled cookies and allow it to set before serving.
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