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Crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, these vegan banana cookies taste like banana bread in cookie form! They’re filled with flavour, thanks to mashed banana, chocolate chips, and a touch of cinnamon, plus, they have the perfect cookie texture—not cakey at all.
They’re dairy-free, egg-free, and can be made gluten-free if needed!
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These vegan banana cookies are exactly what you should make when you're craving banana bread but don't want to take the time to make banana bread!
They're the perfect mashup between banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. You get the bold banana flavour of banana bread along with the soft, chewy, gooey, texture of a really good chocolate chip cookie.
A common thing many banana cookies have is a cakey texture, but you won't find that here! (If you do want a cakey banana-flavoured treat, try my vegan banana cake).
I tested several times and made adjustments to ensure that this recipe will result in the most delicious, perfectly textured vegan chocolate chip banana cookies you've ever had, so, let's go through all the things you need to know!
Ingredients You'll Need
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
Flour - You will need all-purpose white flour.
For vegan gluten-free banana cookies: Use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour in the BLUE bag. Oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour or any other gluten-free flour on its own will NOT work, it must be this specific gluten-free flour blend to get the results I do. (Read all of my vegan gf baking tips.)
Baking Soda - This is essential for the texture of the cookies to be perfect. It cannot be substituted with baking powder.
Vegan Butter - You’ll need a firm softened vegan butter stick. The spreadable type of vegan butter or margarine you get in containers/tubs is too soft for this recipe.
IMPORTANT TIP: Always ensure your butter is slightly softened before starting, NOT melted or TOO soft. To know if your butter is ready, lightly press your finger into it. If it leaves a shallow indent, it's the perfect temperature. If your finger sinks into the butter with barely any effort, it's too soft. Refrigerate it until it has firmed up a bit and then test again.
Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar - These two types of sugar are essential for the cookies to have the right texture and flavour. Liquid sweeteners like maple syrup and agave won't work in this recipe without additional adjustments. I haven't tested with any granulated sugar substitutes.
For granulated sugar, I use organic cane sugar, but regular white sugar works too if that's what you have. Keep in mind that not all sugar is vegan; some are processed with animal bone char. To ensure yours is vegan, choose a brand labelled as vegan or look for organic sugar, which is always processed without bone char.
Mashed Banana - Use spotty bananas that are soft and very ripe. Mash very well with a fork until smooth and no chunks remain.
TIP: Avoid leaking bananas and those with any signs of mould. Also, steer clear of bananas that are still green or difficult to peel, as they are not ripe enough. Using underripe bananas will result in dry cookies that don't have proper flavour, sweetness, and texture.
Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, and Salt – These are all flavour enhancers and important for the cookies to taste amazing, don't leave any of them out.
Vegan Chocolate Chips - I like using regular-size chocolate chips but you can use chocolate chunks or mini chocolate chips instead. For a list of dairy-free chocolate chips to look for, read this article: Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?
NOTE: Measuring flour accurately for any baking recipe is essential to getting the results you expect, no matter what type of flour you're using. Read this article: "How to Measure Flour Correctly" before you start.
How to Make Them
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, combine them and then mix in the chocolate chips. Take care not to overmix.
No chilling is required for this cookie dough, so right after you've prepared it, use a medium-sized cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop the dough onto your cookie sheet. If you are using a tablespoon, roll each scoop into a ball.
Repeat until the cookie sheet is filled, leave some space around each cookie, and don't flatten them, they will spread on their own as they bake.
When the baking time has ended, carefully remove them from the oven and allow them to rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Storing and Freezing
Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. They will be crisp on the outside on the first day but soften after being stored.
Freezing Baked Cookies
Freeze your cookies in single layers in a freezer bag or airtight container, with parchment paper separating each layer, for up to 2 months.
Freezing Cookie Dough
Prepare the cookie dough, scoop it, and then freeze for up to two months. See the recipe notes below for full details.
Want more cookies? Have a look through all of my vegan cookie recipes for more ideas!
Tips for Success
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Measure your flour correctly. Too much flour will result in cookies that are dry, cakey, and don't spread. Not enough flour will result in greasy cookies that fall apart and spread too much. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly. This tip also applies to all other ingredients, make sure to measure them accurately to get the best cookies possible. I highly recommend using a scale (this is the one I have) and my weight measurements.
- Make sure your butter is softened but still cool to the touch before starting. Softened butter will blend better and easier with the sugar. See the "Ingredient and Substitution Notes" section above for info on how to know if your butter is ready to be used.
- Don't overmix the cookie dough. When all spots of dry flour have been incorporated into the dough, stop mixing.
- Don't skip the resting time after you've removed them from the oven. You must let them rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack since they're very soft right after baking and will fall apart if you try to move them. They continue to cook as they rest and will firm up as they cool.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve included many tips and tricks so you get things right. Also, read through the actual recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
If You Make This Recipe...
Let me know! Do that by leaving a comment below and you can also post a picture on Instagram and tag me so I can see them! (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram)
If You Like This Recipe...
Then you may like these other vegan banana recipes:
Vegan Banana Cookies
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour OR gluten free flour blend (If using the gluten-free flour blend, use 1 ½ cups (222g), please see important notes below)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup / 1 stick (113g) vegan butter (softened)
- ⅓ cup (67g) brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (61g) mashed ripe banana (see note below)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (120g) chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper (if needed), and set aside.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to a small bowl. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of your bowl when needed. Add mashed banana, and vanilla extract, and blend again for 1 minute.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed with your electric mixer or a wooden spoon until a soft, sticky dough has formed. Don't overmix.
- Add chocolate chips and stir until they combine with the dough.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (or a tablespoon) scoop the dough and place it on the cookie sheet. If using a tablespoon, roll the dough into balls. (Don't press the cookie dough down.)
- If making the vegan version: Bake for 9 minutes. If making the vegan gluten-free version: Bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will appear puffy and soft right after they come out of the oven, but that's okay, they will flatten slightly and firm up as they cool.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information and FAQ info above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
- This recipe makes 23 cookies, the amount you’ll get if you scoop them with a medium-sized cookie scoop (medium scoops are usually 1.5 tablespoons).
- The cup measurements are the same for both types of flour, but their weights are different because they have different properties and densities. If you're weighing your ingredients, make sure to take note of these differences and measure your flour accurately.
- If making the vegan gluten-free version, it's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results may vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of gf flour to make this recipe other than Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the blue package, NOT the red package, so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with another gluten-free flour blend. The weight listed above is for this specific brand of flour.
- This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour, it must be the blend mentioned above for the best results. Make sure to measure your flour correctly.
- Mash your banana very well so no chunks remain and it's very smooth. ¼ cup of mashed banana is roughly 1 small banana.
- Store for up to five days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze the cookies in single layers in a freezer bag or airtight container, with parchment paper separating each layer, for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter and when you’re ready to serve, place them on a plate, bring them to room temperature, and enjoy.
- Freeze Cookie Dough for Baking Later: Scoop the cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place the whole cookie sheet in the freezer. Once completely frozen, place the balls in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake them, remove them from the freezer, place them on a baking sheet (no need to thaw), and bake for 11-12 minutes at the same temperature. If you thaw them, use the same timing in the recipe above.
- Nutrition info is based on 1 of 23 cookies with the recipe made as written and is only to be used as a rough guide. The gluten-free version has an approximate calorie count of 114 per cookie. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
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