These Banana Bread Cookies taste like a combination of moist banana bread and soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies! They're the best of both worlds! If that wasn't enough, these banana and chocolate chip cookies could not be more simple to make! You'll only need one ripe banana and you don't need a mixer; the banana cookies come together with just a whisk and spatula! If that wasn't enough, this banana cookies recipe is gluten free, nut fee, eggless and can easily be made vegan!
In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 ¾ cups multipurpose gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
Put the ½ cup of butter or vegan baking stick in a heat safe bowl. Place a paper towel on top of the bowl so the butter doesn't splatter. Microwave in 11 second increments until completely melted. Set aside to cool.
Peel the 1 super ripe banana onto a small plate. Mash it with the back of a fork. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, the ½ cup cooled melted butter, the mashed banana, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and the ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Whisk until it is all fully combined and blended.
Add in the ¼ cup milk and whisk again until everything is fully emulsified and blended.
Using a whisk, stir in the gluten free flour mixture a third at a time until just combined. When it gets too thick, switch to a spatula.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips until everything is combined.
The dough will be very sticky. Add it to a freezer safe bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and pop the entire bowl of dough in the freezer for 30 min. When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take the dough out of the freezer. Using an ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop (I use a 2 ounce cookie scoop), scoop the dough out into 12 scoops.The cookie dough will be quite sticky and may stick to your hands if they're warm. If this happens, rinse your hands and then pat off any excess water lightly with a paper towel. You want them slightly wet but not dripping wet. This will help prevent the dough from sticking. You can also wash the cookie scoop half way through to get off any stuck on dough.
Pour the additional ½ cup chocolate chips into a small bowl. Press the tops of the dough balls into the chocolate chips. With your hand, gently press down on the chips so they stick to the dough.
Place the dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 13 minutes.I only bake 6 at a time. Pop the rest of the dough balls back in the freezer while the first batch is baking.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them into a circle and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't do this, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.Repeat with the rest of the dough.
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Notes
Vegan: Use a dairy-free gluten free flour, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks, a non-dairy milk and vegan chocolate chips.All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use 1 ¾ cup packed cups of flour (294 grams) and 2 tablespoons of milk. Still chill the dough. Storing: Keep extra cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Warm in microwave a few seconds before serving if you want them warm and gooey. Be careful not to burn your mouth.Freezing: To freeze already baked cookies, place cookies (not stacked) on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer uncovered. Freeze for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are completely frozen. Once frozen, you can store them stacked in a freezer safe airtight container or zip top bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. To defrost, take the container out and leave at room temperature until soft. Warm in microwave a few seconds before serving if you want them warm and gooey. Be careful not to burn your mouth.