These Banana Oatmeal Cookies are absolute perfection. This recipe yields a perfectly soft, cake-like banana cookie loaded with oats.
This is the banana oatmeal cookie that's acceptable to eat for breakfast! It's a foolproof recipe that yields a pillowy soft banana cookie every single time.
The great thing about this recipe is the cookies are drop cookies, just like my banana nut bread cookies.
This means there is no need to chill the dough. You just scoop and drop mounds of dough right onto a baking sheet.
Pop the cookies straight into the oven until they are baked through. This only takes about 10 minutes.
I'm pretty sure if you love my banana cream pie, best ever banana bread, and banana pudding cupcakes, you'll love these cookies!
How to Make Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Making banana cookies with oats from scratch is very easy. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer to make the dough.
- First, cream butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar together. Then add an egg, mashed banana, and vanilla extract.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a separate bowl then add it to the butter mixer. Mix everything together until just combined.
- Gently fold in quick-cooking oats and chopped walnuts.
- Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake.
How to Keep Banana Oatmeal Cookies From Spreading
Banana cookies that don't spread require vegetable shortening. Shortening will the cookies a soft, cake-like texture that doesn't spread into a flat crisp cookie.
Using quick-cooking oats also helps hold the cookie together resulting in less spread.
How to Make Soft Oatmeal Banana Cookies
The key to soft banana cookies is to use both butter and shortening. The two work together to keep the cookies tender.
Using a combination of white and brown sugar will also yield a softer cookie. Brown sugar contains molasses which add more moisture to the cookie.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies for Breakfast or Dessert
The thing I love most about these oatmeal banana cookies is they can be eaten for breakfast or dessert. Enjoy them as they are for breakfast. Or mix in chocolate chips, caramel bits, toffee bits, etc. to make an exquisite dessert cookie.
PRO TIP: Take these cookies to the next level by roasting the banana before adding them to the batter. Simply line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the whole banana, in its skin, on the baking sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes at 350°F. Let them cool completely before using.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
These Banana Oatmeal Cookies are absolute perfection. This recipe yields a perfectly soft, cake-like banana cookie loaded with oats.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (102 g) vegetable shortening, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 cup (225 g) mashed banana, about 2 bananas
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (160 g) quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup (58 g) chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat; set aside.
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the egg, banana, and vanilla extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Take care not to over mix.
- Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in the oats and walnuts until just incorporated. The dough will be soft.
- Scoop cookie dough, about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie, and place 2 inches apart on the prepares baking sheet. Bake for 1-10 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Try swapping the walnuts for chocolate chips, caramel bits, toffee bits or any other add-in you love.
Make ahead tip
- The cookies will keep for up to 1 week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 42 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 97Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 71mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
Eric Claeyborn says
These cookies look like the same cookies I've made for years, although, your recipe has a couple of noticeable differences, like doubled the oats, 1/2 cup of light brown sugar in the place of 1/2 cup of sugar, and some other smaller differences. The recipe I have is from an old (yellow) Pillsbury cook book (1975). I like putting raisins in my cookies, instead of the walnuts or chocolate chips. One time, I used dried cherries, but I didn't like it as much as the raisins. Another time, I used coconut oil (organic/refined) instead of margarine/oil. They are my favorite all-time cookie.
Petra says
I just made these and I have to say... They are heavenly! I love how soft and delicious they turned out, even though I didn't have a mixer. Also, I ran out of white flour so used whole wheat. Still very tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
Jen Sobjack says
I love that the recipe worked with whole wheat flour! Thanks for sharing!
Smitty says
Can I use regular oats ?
Jen Sobjack says
I'm afraid the texture of the cookie wouldn't be the same...
Susan says
Thank you for posting this & the tips! Looks very good & will try.
Would you use Regular or Butter Flavor Shortening?
For those people who are just starting to bake/cook. It would be nice to have the type of ingredients used, the tips listed & videos.
Thank you!
Jen Sobjack says
Hi Susan! Use regular shortening. There's a list of ingredients in the recipe! And the post has a video as well as tips for success with this recipe. 🙂
Dawn Brown says
This recipe is really delicious! Cookies came out great, except the first batch. Instructions said preheat to 400 degrees, and then I saw too late the “pro tip” of baking at 350. Just preheat and bake at 350. These are worth it! Made exactly according to instructions and they were perfection.
Jen Sobjack says
Hi Dawn! The 350°F you are referring to in the "pro tip" is the temperature at which you'd roast the bananas if you chose to do so. 400°F is the correct temp for baking the cookies but I'm happy to hear the cookies came out great at 350. I imagine the bake time was a little longer at the lower temperature.
Nuna Swan says
They were perfect except missing something and I couldn’t place it
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
Who doesnt love a cookie for breakfast?! This combo is delish!
Megan says
My mom would use both butter and shortening in her cookies!
Nancy says
Banana oatmeal cookies sound great for breakfast!