Are you looking for the absolute perfect way to use up those ripe, brown-spotted bananas sitting on your counter? A cookie that combines the soft, moist, and comforting flavor of a classic banana bread with the rich, chocolatey goodness of a perfect chocolate chip cookie? This incredible, from-scratch Chocolate Chip Banana Cookie recipe is that dream-come-true treat! We’re talking an impossibly soft, chewy, and cake-like cookie, bursting with sweet banana flavor and absolutely loaded with pockets of gooey, melty chocolate.
This isn’t just another cookie recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a flawless, crowd-pleasing favorite that never fails. Forget dry, bland, or overly cakey banana cookies. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to the most tender, chewy texture you’ve ever had. This is a satisfying, soulful, and deeply comforting cookie that is perfect for an after-school snack, a bake sale, or a cozy afternoon treat.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Soft & Chewy Cookie Mash-Up
What makes these Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies so spectacularly delicious is their incredible, soft-baked texture and their classic, cozy flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of comfort food baking. The cookie itself is a super-moist and tender, banana-infused butter cookie. The secret to its incredible softness is the combination of ripe bananas, a high ratio of moisture-rich brown sugar, and a touch of cornstarch. The dough is then loaded with a generous amount of classic, semi-sweet chocolate chips. The final, brilliant trick is to let the baked cookies cool completely on the hot baking sheets, which is the key to a perfectly soft and chewy center that is never under-baked or doughy.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | About 2 dozen cookies |
The Baker’s Pantry: The Essential Ingredients
The beauty of this classic recipe is in its simplicity, which means the quality of your ingredients and the proper technique are absolutely paramount.
- The Perfect Banana Cookie Base:
- Very Ripe Bananas: This is the single most important, non-negotiable secret to a perfect banana cookie! You must use bananas that are very ripe, with a peel that is covered in brown or black spots. As a banana ripens, its starches convert to sugars, which is the key that makes them intensely sweet and fragrant. They also become much softer, which provides a huge amount of natural moisture for an unbelievably soft cookie.
- The Cornstarch Secret: This is a brilliant, professional baker’s trick! A small amount of cornstarch added to your dry ingredients is the key that will give your cookies an incredibly soft, tender, and almost melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Brown Sugar: Using a higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar is another crucial secret to a soft and chewy cookie. The molasses in the brown sugar provides a wonderful, deep flavor and, most importantly, a ton of extra moisture.
- The Chocolate Chips: A classic and perfect choice is a generous amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips, which beautifully balance the sweetness of the ripe bananas.
The Baking Science Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfect Cookie
This recipe uses a few simple but crucial techniques that guarantee a flawless result.
- Creaming the Bananas: By creaming the soft, ripe bananas directly with the butter and the sugars, you are seamlessly incorporating their flavor and moisture into the very foundation of the cookie dough, ensuring a perfect texture and an even flavor.
- Chilling the Dough: This is a crucial step for a thick, chewy cookie. Chilling the dough for just 30 minutes solidifies the butter. This is the key that will prevent your cookies from spreading out too much in the hot oven and becoming thin and crispy.
- Cooling on the Pan: This is the final, brilliant secret to a perfectly soft-baked cookie! By letting the cookies cool completely on the hot baking sheet after you have removed them from the oven, you are using the residual heat from the pan to gently finish cooking the very center of the cookie, without over-baking the edges. This is the key that guarantees a soft and chewy texture every single time.
Step-by-Step to the Best Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
This elegant dessert is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: Make the Soft Banana Cookie Dough
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, the 1 teaspoon of baking soda, the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and the 1 teaspoon of salt. Set this aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), cream the 1/2 cup of softened unsalted butter, your 2 peeled ripe bananas, the 1 cup of brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 3: Beat in the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until it is combined.
Step 4 (The Most Important Step for a Tender Cookie!): Add your prepared flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir on a low speed, or by hand with a rubber spatula, just until it is combined.
Pro Tip: The number one secret to a tender, not tough, cookie is to not overmix the dough after you have added the flour.
Step 5: Gently stir in your 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Step 6: Refrigerate the finished cookie dough for at least 30 minutes.
Part 2: Scoop, Bake, and Cool to Perfection
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.Step 2: Use a cookie scoop to portion and scoop out the chilled cookie dough onto your prepared cookie sheets.Step 3: Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed up and have just started to turn a light, golden brown on top.Step 4 (The Secret to a Soft Cookie!): Let the cookies cool completely on the hot cookie sheets. Do not transfer them to a wire rack.
Soft & Chewy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
A recipe for soft, cake-like cookies that combine the classic flavors of banana bread with chocolate chip cookies. This simple recipe features a dough made by creaming together softened butter, ripe bananas, and a mix of brown and granulated sugars for a moist and flavorful base. The dough is loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and then chilled briefly before being scooped and baked until just golden brown.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ripe bananas, peeled
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter, ripe bananas, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Stir in the flour mixture with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop balls of the chilled dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, or just until the cookies start to turn a light, golden brown on top.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheets before moving them.
Notes
- This recipe is a great way to use up overripe bananas.
- Chilling the dough for 30 minutes is an important step that helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents them from spreading too much during baking.
- The cookies have a soft, cake-like texture and will be delicate when they first come out of the oven, so it’s important to let them cool completely on the baking sheet to firm up.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: This cookie dough is a perfect make-ahead treat! You can prepare the entire dough and store it, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Storage: Store the finished, baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: The unbaked cookie dough freezes beautifully! You can portion the dough into balls, freeze them solid on a baking sheet, and then transfer them to a freezer-safe, resealable bag. You can bake them directly from frozen, just be sure to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a truly soft and chewy cookie?
There are three main secrets! First, use a high ratio of brown sugar to white sugar, which adds a ton of moisture. Second, chill your dough before baking to prevent it from spreading too much and becoming thin and crispy. And third, the brilliant trick in this recipe: let your cookies cool completely on the hot baking sheet. This allows the centers to finish cooking gently without the edges becoming over-baked.
Q2: How ripe do my bananas need to be for baking?
For the absolute best, sweetest, and most flavorful result, your bananas should be very ripe. You are looking for a banana peel that has a large amount of brown or black spots. These bananas are much sweeter and softer, and they will provide the perfect flavor and moisture for these cookies.
Q3: Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! The baked cookies are fantastic for several days. Even better, you can prepare the cookie dough and either chill it in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze the portioned dough balls for up to 3 months, which will allow you to have fresh, warm cookies on demand!
Q4: Can I add nuts to this recipe?
Of course! A classic and delicious addition to any banana or chocolate chip cookie is about 1/2 to 1 cup of toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans. Simply fold them in along with the chocolate chips.
Q5: Can I make this recipe with a different kind of chocolate?
Yes! This recipe would also be fantastic with milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or even a handful of rich and decadent butterscotch chips.