Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Published: 05/01/2020 | Updated: 03/27/2024

These crazy moist banana oatmeal cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and so much flavor! They freeze well, make a huge batch and stay fresh for days!

My family can put away some cookies and we each have our favorites.

My husband will always go for a classic peanut butter cookie (my grandmother even makes him an extra bag of them every Christmas!).

My son likes a regular old chocolate chip cookie (although there’s nothing regular about how good my recipe for them is!).

My daughter loves my toffee chip cookies. She’s not a nut girl, and isn’t always a fan of peanut butter, but these toffee chip cookies are buttery and soft and perfect for her!

I’m with her on the butter, but I also love a tart flavor, so these lemon shortbread cookies rank high for me!

And my point in telling you all that is that you can forget everything I just said, because I’m pretty sure these Banana Oatmeal Cookies have officially become all of our favorites!!

They came about because I had a ton of bananas from my sister that I needed to use and somehow I ended up with 3 large canisters of quick oats. I’m not exactly the best with grocery lists, but that’s a story for another day.

So I started combining some recipes and was so confident that it would work, that I doubled the batch on the first test run! Thank goodness I was right and they were a huge hit!

How to Make Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Bananas– as with most recipes that use bananas, the riper the better. Don’t worry if the peel is starting to brown. That’s actually what you want because it means it’s ripe and all the sugar is coming to the surface of the banana. It will make your cookies even sweeter!

Sugars– This recipe uses a mixture of light brown sugar and white sugar, which is pretty much my favorite way to make all my cookies recipes. I love the depth of flavor that brown sugar gives baked goods, so I always try to add it in when I can!

Cornstarch- This is an ingredient you don’t usually see in cookie recipes, but can I tell you a secret?? When I used to own a bakery, I included cornstarch in almost all of those cookie bar recipes because it kept them soft for days longer! You don’t want to add too much otherwise you’ll be able to taste it, but just a small amount will keep extend the shelf-life of your cookies!

Chocolate Chips– Remember when I said I doubled this recipe on my first test batch? Well I scooped the first 3 or so baking sheets of cookies before I added the chocolate chips. I wanted to test them both ways. My husband much preferred the ones without! But I have a sweet tooth like no one else, so I added them for the second half and am so glad I did! Feel free to leave them in our out, though based on your tastes!

Oats- I know most people will give you really detailed reasons as to why you should use old fashioned oats versus quick oats. Honestly, I use them interchangeably in most baked goods and I’m here to tell you, it is not a big deal!! One might result in a slightly chewier cookie, but they both taste amazing and don’t let this be something you get hung up on. Use what you have available and enjoy!

Tips to Make Cookies

Can I freeze cookies? YES!! After they’re baked and have cooled completely, just pop them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. When you want to eat one, just let it sit out for 20 minutes or so until it’s thawed and then enjoy!

Can I add anything else to my cookie batter? Sure, why not?! You can add chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, coconut flakes, even a tablespoon or so of peanut butter if you want!

How long do I bake cookies for? Here’s my little secret… I always take the cookies out of the oven right when the bottoms are starting to turn brown but the center of the top still looks like it isn’t done. I let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before I remove them to the cooling rack. I like my cookies soft, so I am super careful not to overbake them.