Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Printable)

Soft, chewy cookies bursting with ripe banana and hearty oats. Perfect for breakfast or snacking.

# Ingredient List:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
02 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
09 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

→ Optional Add-ins

12 - 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped walnuts

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Add the mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Continue mixing until everything is well combined and smooth.
04 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
06 - Gently fold in the rolled oats and, if desired, the chocolate chips or chopped walnuts until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
07 - Drop rounded tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers appear just set. Do not overbake for the chewiest texture.
09 - Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving or storing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They use up those sad black bananas you keep avoiding in the fruit bowl.
  • The oats give them a chewy heartiness that makes one cookie feel genuinely satisfying.
  • You can have warm cookies from oven to mouth in under thirty minutes.
  • They freeze beautifully so you can stash a batch for busy mornings.
02 -
  • Underbaking slightly is the secret to chewy cookies so pull them out when the centers still look a touch soft.
  • Overmixing the dough after adding flour creates gluten and turns chewy into tough so mix until just combined.
  • Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days if they last that long.
03 -
  • Chill the dough for thirty minutes before baking if you want thicker cookies that spread less.
  • A tiny pinch of nutmeg in the dry mix adds a warmth that people will notice but never quite identify.

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