If banana bread and chocolate chip cookies had a baby, it would be these soft, fragrant, vegan banana chocolate chip cookies.
Hi. My name is Amber and I have a banana-buying problem.
I can't walk by the discount produce rack without "rescuing" a bundle of ripe bananas. It has gotten to the point where my mom and I call them "sacrificial bananas" because there's no way one person could ever go through the amount of bananas I bring home.
I mean, I use a lot of bananas in overnight oats, but I always seem to have one sad little brown banana leftover at the end of the week. This banana chocolate chip cookie recipe only needs one banana, so it's perfect for that one little sacrificial banana that's turning brown on your counter.
Since there's only one banana in the recipe, the cookies are not overly banana-y and not too cakey. They have a hint of molasses (because I looooove the molasses-banana flavor combination), and they're packed full of melty chocolate chips.
Next time you have a single sacrificial banana just begging to be used, I dare you to make these chocolate chip cookies. Then pat yourself on the back for giving that banana a reason to exist.
Let's talk about the recipe!
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Recipe Highlights
- This vegan chocolate chip banana cookie recipe is egg-free and dairy-free, and it's also made without wheat, gluten, or oil.
- Oat flour makes these healthy chocolate chip banana cookies whole grain. Yay, fiber!
- They're simple to make and use common pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, but here's a quick look at the ingredients you'll need to make these vegan banana chocolate chip cookies.
- one very ripe or over-ripe banana - I prefer a banana with a spotty peel, but you can use a brown or black banana for even sweeter cookies
- oat flour - grind your own by grinding rolled oats in a high speed blender or spice grinder, and make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if necessary
- almond flour and almond butter - adds fat and makes the cookies less cakey and more cookie-like
- baking soda - gives the cookies rise so they're not too dense
- salt - balances the sweetness and brings out all the flavors
- coconut sugar - sweetens the cookies and adds a hint of caramel flavor
- molasses - adds sweetness and complexity, and the acidity of the molasses helps activate the baking soda
- vanilla extract - adds fragrance and flavor
- chocolate chips - use your favorite vegan chocolate chips (bittersweet, semi-sweet, dark, etc.)
Recipe Steps
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set it aside.
Peel your banana and use a fork to mash it in a medium bowl. Add the almond butter, coconut sugar, molasses, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is incorporated.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
Stir the chocolate chips into the dough.
Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough up and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use the back of the tablespoon to spread the dough blob out to about ½” thick and 2-2 ½” in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving about 1” between cookies.
Bake the cookies for 11 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before handling them.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some ideas for substitutions you can try.
- Almond butter - any other unsalted and unsweetened nut or seed butter should work well here (peanut butter banana chocolate chip cookies sound delicious)
- Nut-free - use sunbutter or tahini in place of the almond butter, and use ground sunflower seeds or more oat flour in place of the almond flour
- Chocolate chips - chopped dark chocolate bar would be delicious if you love dark chocolate like I do
- Coconut sugar - evaporated cane sugar can be used in place of coconut sugar
- Low-fat - I haven't tried this version, but I think you should be able to replace the almond butter with more mashed banana an equal amount (by volume) and use more oat flour in place of the almond flour (cookies will be much cakier)
For a fun variation, you can reduce the chocolate chips to ¼ cup and add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, or omit the chocolate chips completely and use a full ½ cup of chopped nuts in their place. Raisins would be yummy, too!
Try adding ¼-1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a spiced version.
Helpful Tip
If the dough is sticking to the back of your tablespoon when you try to spread your cookies, fill a small, shallow bowl with cold water and dip the back of your tablespoon (not the whole tablespoon!) in the water before spreading each cookie.
FAQs
The darker the peel, the more ripe the banana is and the sweeter it will be. I prefer a banana with a spotty peel because they're less mushy, but you can use a brown or black banana for even sweeter baked goods.
How do I ripen bananas quickly?
To ripen bananas immediately, place the unpeeled bananas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them at 300°F. Bake them for 10 minutes and check them to see if the peels are starting to turn dark brown. If they're not dark brown yet, keep baking them for up to 20 additional minutes, checking on them every 5 minutes and taking them out of the oven when the peels have turned dark brown. Let the bananas cool on the baking sheet. When they're cool enough to handle, break open the peel and use a spoon to scoop the sweet, soft, ripe banana out.
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a rating and comment below, and share a picture on Instagram and tag me @thethrobbingeggplant.
Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (80 g) oat flour
- ⅓ cup (34 g) almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 (100 g) very ripe banana, peeled
- ⅓ cup (55 g) coconut sugar
- ¼ cup (64 g) unsalted almond butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-Ins
- ½ cup (90 g) vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set it aside.
- Peel your banana and use a fork to mash it in a medium bowl. Add the almond butter, coconut sugar, molasses, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is incorporated.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the dough.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough up and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use the back of the tablespoon to spread the dough blob out to about ½” thick and 2-2 ½” in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving about 1” between cookies.
- Bake the cookies for 11 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before handling them.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition Disclaimer*
Nutrition information is an estimate. If you are concerned about the accuracy of nutrition information, I encourage you to weigh your ingredients and use a tracking app like Cronometer for more accurate nutritional data.