Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve somehow accumulated an ungodly amount of very ripe (as in mush) bananas in the freezer that I desperately need to make use of. I need my freezer space. And since there’s only so much banana bread one can consume, it’s time to expand my banana horizons (questionable sentence but let’s go with it). I’m talkin’ these vegan banana chocolate chip cookies. And eventually some banana cake, buns, and maybe even pudding. The amount of bananas will tell. But before I get ahead of myself, let’s start with these banana cookies.

Why make these vegan banana cookies

They’re soft, a bit fluffy but still chewy, with a slightly crisp edge and little pockets of chocolate. These cookies are basically banana bread but in cookie form, and without the bread part. They even have a hint of cinnamon to really bring it home. The chocolate chips also add a little something, but there’s just enough to taste them without overpowering the banana flavour. But feel free to add more if you want a more chocolate-forward cookie or even replace them with walnuts or pecans for added crunch.

If all that hasn’t convinced you yet, these are also really easy to make. No butter or creaming necessary, just a few simple ingredients and two bowls. You could even make this a one bowl recipe if you wanted by mixing all the ingredients together without the flour or chocolate chips and just incorporating them at the end!

How to make these vegan banana cookies

There’s really not much to making these. Just your classic wet and dry ingredients combined. Start by whisking the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in one bowl. Then in another, whisk together the oil, sugars, cornstarch, mashed banana and vanilla.

Make sure to mash the banana really well (it should have the texture of applesauce or baby food) and to use one that’s very soft and ripe so it adds sweetness. Stir the two mixtures together and when everything is almost incorporated, add the chocolate chips and finish mixing. Avoid overmixing so you don’t end up with a bready cookie, mashed banana seems to elevate the risk of that.

At this point you can bake them right away, but I highly recommed chilling the dough at least 30 minutes or 1 hour, or even overnight if you have that kind of willpower. It gives some time for the flavours to mingle, the flour to hydrate and even the gluten to relax, that way you’re sure to not get a bready banana cookie. Which means more chew, a more crinkly top, and an extra gooey center. But if you want to bake them right away, feel free to do so, they’ll still be delicious.

The recipe for these vegan banana chocolate chip cookies yields 8 giant bakery-style cookies, but you can also make 16 regular-sized ones. You’ll just have to reduce your bake time. Make sure when you bake them not to overbake them, that way you’ll retain that soft and gooey center and avoid a cakey cookie.

The edges should be golden brown and the center on the paler side. They’ll continue to bake on the tray as they cool and the cornstarch will set up as well so you’ll have perfect cookies in the end!

Storing these banana cookies

Since there’s banana in these cookies, they hold their moisture really well, so they’ll get quite soft with time in a closed container. Still delicious, just soft. So you can keep them for about 2-3 days in a container at room temperature but they’re obviously best enjoyed still warm from the oven. You could also bake however many you want and freeze the rest of the dough already portioned into balls for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the fridge before baking and you’ll have freshly baked vegan banana cookies anytime!

If you make this recipe please let me know in the comments! All feedback is very much appreciated and I would love to hear from you! You can also tag me on instagram @the.quaint.kitchen or use the hashtag #thequaintkitchen to share your creations!

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tatyana

Soft, chewy, gooey and slightly crisp vegan banana cookies with chocolate chips. They’re addictive, super easy to make and a great way to use up overly ripe bananas!

4.5 from 2 votes

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Course Dessert

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 173 g all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ¼ + ⅛ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• 110 g mashed very ripe bananas
• 80 g neutral oil, (grapeseed, canola, vegetable…)
• 103 g brown sugar
• 50 g white granulated sugar
• 2 ½ tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 45 g chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• If you’re going to bake them right away, preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat before starting.
• In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
• In a separate bowl or flat plate for ease, mash the banana really well. It should be pretty smooth and have the texture of applesauce or baby food. Then add the oil, sugars, cornstarch and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• Add the dry ingredients along with the chocolate chips and stir just until well combined, avoid overmixing.
• If you’re chilling the dough, cover it and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or even overnight.
• If not, scoop about 2-4 tbsp or 35-70 g worth of dough per cookie onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving room for spreading.
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown but the middle is paler. They’ll still be soft and a bit underbaked but that’s normal, they’ll continue to bake as they cool on the tray. Let them cool about 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack (with a spatula if needed) to cool completely.

Notes

• *Disclaimer: I have a tiny not-so-great oven, so your bake time may vary from mine.
• I strongly suggest making recipes by weight, if you make them by cups I can’t guarantee that you’ll get the same results.
• Feel free to add more chocolate chips, replace them with walnuts or pecans, or make these with half chocolate chips and half nuts.
• I’ve also made these with arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch since I was out of it and it worked perfectly well too.