Banana Oatmeal Cookies

This is one of those old fashioned recipes everyone loves. It’s originally from my grandmother’s cookbook, which is full of newspaper clippings featuring the recipes and names of people who shared them with the paper. I just love it. Such a different time in the world. Now we find everything online!

Banana is one of those flavors that can get lost when you bake with it. It can be a really subtle flavor. It always bums me out when that happens, because we love the taste of banana.

But these cookies make the list of banana things to go crazy for. Without a doubt, it’s a tie between them and my Banana Bread Recipe! Or, maybe they are tied with my Banana Cupcakes or Homemade Banana Pudding — I just can’t decide. Banana desserts are just so tempting.

Why You’ll Love Banana Oatmeal Cookies

• Easy to make. Making these tasty banana cookies is just as easy as eating them. They’d be great to make with kids! You can mix everything in one bowl. That means less clean up, and that’s always a good thing.
• Tons of banana flavor. These cookies meet the category of being FULL of banana flavor. Just the smell of this cookie dough mixture with the banana in it is intoxicating.
• Perfect texture. They are so moist and tender, the nearly melt in your mouth.
• Grandma’s recipe. Another reason this recipe is extra special is because I got if from my grandmother (my dad’s mom). She passed away in 2008. A few years after she passed, when I started baking a lot, my uncle gave me her cookbook. This recipe was tucked inside it, and it brings back so many special memories. I made a few changes to her original recipe to make the cookies thicker and softer, but they are essentially the same as grandma used to make.

What You’ll Need

• All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure your flour. Too much flour and you’ll end up with dry cookies, too little and they’ll get runny.
• Baking soda: A little baking soda gives the cookies a light, fluffy texture.
• Ground cinnamon & cloves: These warm spices nicely compliment the banana.
• Salt: Helps to enhance the flavors and spices in the cookie dough batter.
• Cornstarch: This is one of the secret ingredients for this recipe. Cornstarch gives the cookies a chewy texture, helps them not over spread and gives them a lovely soft texture.
• Unsalted butter: I highly recommend using unsalted butter because it allows you to control the saltiness of the cookies. However, salted butter will also work, but you’ll want to leave out the rest of the salt in the recipe.
• Sugar: Using both granulated sugar and brown sugar gives the cookies a deep, richer flavor. The brown sugar also provides extra moisture.
• Egg: You’ll need 1 egg to bind all your ingredients together.
• Vanilla extract: You can’t go wrong adding a little vanilla to banana cookies.
• Bananas: Make sure to use overripe bananas for the best flavor. They should have plenty of brown spots, but not be completely brown and nearly falling apart. If they don’t hold together anymore, they are probably too ripe and your cookies may not turn out well.
• Oats: This recipe originally called for old-fashioned rolled oats but after some kitchen testing, I decided I like quick 1-minute oats better. The texture of the cookies is a little softer when you use quick oats, but either will work.

How to Make Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Here’s a quick look at how to make this banana cookie recipe. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

• Prepare the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt and cornstarch to a medium sized bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

• Combine the butter and sugars. Add the melted butter and sugars to a large bowl and whisk to combine. 
• Add the egg and vanilla. Whisk the egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture until well combined.

• Add the mashed bananas: Add the mashed bananas to the creamed mixture and whisk together until well combined.

• Add dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients into the batter and mix until just combined.
• Add the oats. Pour in the oats and fold together until well combined.

• Form the dough balls. Create cookie dough balls that are 1 ½ tablespoons in size.
• Refrigerate (optional). If desired, chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. The longer they are refrigerated, the stronger the banana flavor will be.  
• Prepare to bake. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and arrange the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet. (No need to bring the cookies to room temperature. You can bake them immediately after pulling them from the fridge.)
• Bake. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
• Cool. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack lined with parchment paper.

Helpful Tips

• Measure carefully. Proper measuring of the flour and sugar plays a big roll in determining how much your cookies will spread during the baking process. So, measure carefully. If you want to achieve the perfect light, chewy texture, check out my tutorial on How to Measure Flour Correctly. It’s best to use a food scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method. Whatever you do, don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup.
• Use quick oats. The biggest change I made when I updated this recipe was switching from old-fashioned oats to quick 1-minute oats. You can totally use either, but I really like the way 1-minute oats absorb more moisture. The cookies not only spread a little less, but they also develop a softer texture, which I love. If you decide to use old-fashioned oats just remember that they won’t absorb as much moisture (and may spread more), and the cookies will turn out a little firmer with a bit more texture.
• Make this recipe with overripe bananas. Make sure to use overripe bananas for the best flavor and texture. They should be soft on the outside and easy to mash when you peel them. They should also smell appetizing. Overripe bananas will have plenty of brown spots, but not be completely brown or nearly falling apart. If they don’t hold together anymore, they are probably too ripe and your cookies won’t bake properly.
• Refrigerate the cookie dough balls. You don’t have to refrigerate them (they will still taste amazing), but I highly recommend refrigerating them at least 2-3 hours; overnight is even better. Refrigeration helps the dry ingredients soak up more moisture, which helps them spread less. It also allows the flavors to permeate the cookie dough better. Cookies refrigerated overnight will have the strongest banana flavor.
• Use parchment paper. These cookies can be a little sticky from all the moisture and sweetness in the bananas. You’ll want to line your cooling racks with parchment paper. If they stick to the parchment paper after cooling (and they probably will), just give them a little twist before lifting them. They will come right off.

How to Store

Store the cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. If you are going to stack them in a container, put parchment between the layers so the cookies don’t stick to each other. These cookies are best if eaten within 4-5 days.

More Banana Recipes

If you’re like me, desserts with bananas are always a good idea. Here are some of my other favorite recipes featuring bananas.

• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Easy Banana Bread
• Banana Cream Cheesecake
• Banoffee Cupcakes
• Bananas Foster
• Banana Pancakes
• Overnight Banana French Toast Casserole