Irresistible Soft & Chewy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Ultimate Recipe for Ripe Bananas
Prepare to fall in love with these incredible banana chocolate chip cookies! They are wonderfully thick, delightfully soft in the center, and perfectly chewy around the edges. This is an incredibly easy cookie recipe, requiring just one large, ripe banana and a handful of basic ingredients you likely already have in your pantry and fridge. It’s the perfect solution for those spotted bananas sitting on your counter, transforming them into a decadent treat that tastes like a warm hug.
Imagine the comforting flavor of a classic banana bread loaf mingling with the irresistible texture of a batch of soft chocolate chip cookies. These banana chocolate chip cookies are precisely that harmonious blend! They offer the best of both worlds, delivering a rich banana flavor with every bite, perfectly complemented by pockets of gooey, melted chocolate.
This beloved recipe is a special adaptation of my highly popular banana cookies. To elevate them further and achieve that desired thick, soft, and extra chewy texture, we’ve incorporated a touch of baking powder and cornstarch, along with, of course, a generous amount of chocolate. The result is a truly superior cookie that will have everyone asking for more!
Each bite of these delightful banana chocolate chip cookies promises a soft, tender interior and wonderfully chewy edges. They are generously studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, creating a perfect balance with the pure, sweet banana flavor. Beyond their deliciousness, these cookies offer an excellent and delicious way to utilize any leftover overripe bananas that are nearing their prime at the end of the week, preventing food waste in the most delightful way possible.
Watch The Video To See How These Delicious Cookies Are Made
Key Ingredient Notes for Your Best Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Understanding the role of each ingredient is crucial for baking perfect cookies. Here’s a closer look at a few key components:
Bananas: The Heart of the Flavor
For this recipe, you’ll need approximately one large banana. While it might seem straightforward, the amount of mashed banana can vary slightly depending on the size and ripeness of your fruit. Therefore, it’s essential to use an actual measuring cup to ensure you get precisely ½ cup (125 grams) of mashed banana. For the absolute best flavor and natural sweetness, always opt for bananas that are very ripe, adorned with plenty of brown specks on their skin. These spots indicate that the starches have converted to sugars, offering a more intense banana taste and softer texture perfect for mashing. You can easily mash them using a fork, a potato masher, or for a smoother consistency, an electric mixer.
Egg Yolk: For Ultimate Softness and Chewiness
Unlike many cookie recipes that call for a whole egg, this particular recipe specifies only the egg yolk. This is a deliberate choice! Since bananas themselves contribute a significant amount of moisture to the dough, a whole egg would make the cookies too wet and possibly cakey. By using just the egg yolk, we introduce richness and fat without excess moisture, which is key to achieving that desirable soft and chewy texture, much like your favorite classic chocolate chip cookies. Don’t let the egg white go to waste! Save it for a healthy breakfast the next morning, or use it to make some delicious candied pecans.
Cornstarch (or Cornflour): The Secret to a Tender Crumb
Cornstarch, also known as cornflour in some regions, plays a vital role in these banana chocolate chip cookies. It helps to keep the cookies incredibly soft and contributes to their thick, plush texture. Cornstarch inhibits gluten development in the flour, resulting in a more tender crumb and preventing the cookies from becoming tough. If you don’t have cornstarch on hand, you can certainly omit it from the recipe, and your cookies will still be delicious, though perhaps slightly less tender.
The Importance of Banana Ripeness for Your Best Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
As highlighted earlier, the ripeness of your bananas is not just a suggestion – it’s crucial for the success and flavor of these banana chocolate chip cookies. You absolutely want your bananas to be overripe, characterized by abundant brown specks or even patches on their skin. This stage of ripeness is where bananas develop their maximum sweetness and most intense flavor, which is then beautifully infused into your cookies.
Take a look at the image above: the bananas on the left are perfectly ripe for eating – firm, slightly sweet, and with minimal brown spots. While delicious for snacking, they aren’t quite ready for baking. For these cookies, you need the bananas on the right – those with significant brown and black spots. These are wonderfully soft, incredibly sweet, and impart the deep, authentic banana flavor we’re aiming for in this recipe.
Quick Ripening Tip: If your bananas aren’t quite overripe enough but you’re eager to bake, you can speed up the ripening process. Simply place them in a brown paper bag for 1 to 2 days. The ethylene gas released by the bananas will be trapped in the bag, accelerating their transformation to baking perfection.
Expert Tips for Crafting the Perfect Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Achieving bakery-quality banana chocolate chip cookies at home is easier than you think with these professional tips. Follow these guidelines closely for cookies that are consistently soft, chewy, and bursting with flavor every time.
- Ensure All Ingredients Are at Room Temperature: This step is more important than you might realize! For optimal emulsification and a smooth, consistent dough, your egg yolk and butter absolutely need to be at room temperature. Room temperature butter, specifically, should be cool to the touch but soft enough that your finger leaves a slight indent when pressed into it. This allows the butter to cream properly with the sugars, incorporating air and creating a lighter, more evenly mixed dough. If you’re short on time, you can quickly bring butter to room temperature by slicing it into smaller pieces. For the egg yolk, place the whole egg in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before separating the yolk.
- Measure Your Ingredients with Precision: Baking is a science, and accurate measurements are key to consistent results. If you own a food scale, I cannot recommend it enough for the most precise measurements, especially for flour and mashed banana. If you’re using measuring cups, pay close attention to technique. For flour, always spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it off with the back of a knife to avoid packing it too densely, which can lead to dry cookies. For brown sugar, make sure to pack it firmly into the measuring cup to get the correct amount. And as mentioned, measure your mashed banana in a measuring cup, not just by eyeballing one banana.
- Do Not Overmix the Dough: This is a common pitfall in cookie baking. When combining the butter and sugars, beat them for just 1 to 2 minutes until they are well combined and lightened in color, resembling the picture above on the left. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until they are *just* incorporated into the wet ingredients. Overmixing flour develops too much gluten, which can result in tough, dense cookies rather than the soft, chewy texture we’re aiming for. Stop mixing as soon as no streaks of flour are visible.
- Always Chill the Cookie Dough: Patience is a virtue when it comes to perfect cookies. Chilling the dough for at least 1.5 hours is a non-negotiable step for these banana chocolate chip cookies. This allows the butter in the dough to firm back up, preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and ensuring they maintain their thick, beautiful shape. More importantly, chilling also gives the flavors, especially the banana and vanilla, time to meld and deepen, resulting in a more complex and delicious cookie.
Frequently Asked Questions About Baking Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Can I Double This Recipe?
Absolutely! This recipe for banana chocolate chip cookies scales beautifully, so feel free to double it if you’re baking for a crowd or simply want to stock up on these delicious treats. When doubling, just be extra mindful not to overmix the dry ingredients into the wet. Also, because you’ll have a larger volume of dough, you will likely need to double the chilling time to ensure it firms up sufficiently and the flavors fully develop. A larger batch might require up to 3 hours or more of chilling.
Can I Refrigerate the Cookie Dough Overnight?
Yes, refrigerating the cookie dough overnight is an excellent idea and can actually enhance the flavors even further! Simply cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 24-48 hours. When you’re ready to bake, if the dough is too cold and firm to easily scoop, just let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to soften slightly before scooping and baking as directed.
Enjoy every delightful, soft, and chewy bite of these homemade banana chocolate chip cookies!
If you try this easy and delicious banana chocolate chip cookie recipe, please don’t forget to leave a comment and a star rating below to let me know how they turned out for you. Your feedback is truly appreciated! Happy Baking!
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
25 minutes
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2 hours
8 minutes
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Ingredients
40
cookies
-
¾
cup
unsalted butter
softened (170 grams; 1.5 sticks) -
¾
cup
packed light brown sugar
(150 grams) -
½
cup
granulated sugar
(100 grams) -
½
cup
mashed ripe banana
(125 grams) -
1
large
egg yolk
at room temperature -
1 ½
teaspoons
pure vanilla extract -
2 ½
cups
all-purpose flour
spooned & leveled (315 grams) -
1
tablespoon
cornstarch or cornflour
(8 grams) -
½
teaspoon
baking soda -
½
teaspoon
baking powder -
¼
teaspoon
salt -
1
(12-ounce) package
semi-sweet chocolate chips
(340 grams)
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Instructions
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the softened butter, packed light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes or until they are light, fluffy, and well combined.¾ cup unsalted butter,
¾ cup packed light brown sugar,
½ cup granulated sugar -
Add the mashed ripe banana, the single large egg yolk, and the pure vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are fully combined into a smooth mixture, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is incorporated.½ cup mashed ripe banana,
1 large egg yolk,
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract -
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch (or cornflour), baking soda, baking powder, and salt until they are thoroughly combined and evenly distributed.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour,
1 tablespoon cornstarch or cornflour,
½ teaspoon baking soda,
½ teaspoon baking powder,
¼ teaspoon salt -
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low-speed until the flour mixture is just combined and no streaks of dry flour remain. Be careful not to overmix. Finally, gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until they are fully incorporated throughout the dough.1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
-
Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, then refrigerate for a minimum of 1 ½ hours. This crucial step helps prevent spreading and enhances flavor.
-
Once the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line three large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to ensure the cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.
-
Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out the chilled cookie dough and drop it onto the prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave ample space (about 2 inches) between each ball of cookie dough to allow for proper spreading during baking.
-
Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the tops appear set and slightly puffed. Be careful not to overbake, as they will continue to set as they cool.
-
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows them to firm up before transferring. After this initial cooling, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring a perfectly set texture.
Notes
Freezing Instructions: Both baked cookies and raw cookie dough freeze exceptionally well, making them perfect for meal prepping or future cravings. Baked cookies will freeze well for 2 to 3 months; simply thaw them to room temperature before serving. For the unbaked dough, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator and then bake as directed in the instructions.
Chocolate Chips & Variations: While semi-sweet chocolate chips are classic, feel free to get creative! You can replace them with other delicious baking chips, such as milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, or even peanut butter chips. For added texture and a nutty flavor, consider swapping some or all of the chocolate chips with chopped pecans or walnuts.
Want to add cinnamon? While I personally prefer the pure banana and chocolate flavor profile of these cookies, a subtle spiced touch can be lovely. If you enjoy a hint of warmth, you can easily add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a delicious twist.
American
Dessert
Danielle Rye
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