Have you ever had a banana cookie? A pillow-y soft cookie topped with a sweet vanilla butter cream frosting. If you haven’t you’re in for a treat! My mom loved using her over-ripe bananas to make her famous banana bread but on occasion she would make these cookies instead and they are truly The Best Banana Cookies!
One small difference in the way my mom made these delicious banana cookies and the way that I make them is in the frosting technique. My mom liked to frost them while they were warm so the frosting sort of melted down the cookie and became more of a glaze. I prefer to wait until they are cooled to frost them so the frosting stays creamy and more traditional. Either way they are a superb cookie.
More awesome recipes to use up your over-ripe bananas…
- Best Ever Banana Bundt Cake
- Toddler Muffins with Bananas, Cream Cheese and Oatmeal
- Amish Banana Bread
- Banana Bundt Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Whole Wheat Grapenut Banana Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Banana Zucchini Bread {Bikini Bread}
How to Make The Best Banana Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions about The Best Banana Cookies:
How can I tell when these cookies are done in the oven?
The cookies stay quite light in color. You can watch for a very slight darkening around the edge, but the best way to tell when they are done is to gently touch the center of one of the cookies. If it feels like it bounces back from your touch it is done. If not, the cookies need another minute or two in the oven.
What’s the best way to scoop these COOKIES onto the baking tray? Cookie scoop?
This is a great question. If you have a cookie scoop, use a cookie scoop. It is probably the easiest way. If you don’t have one, no worries. You can use a soup-sized spoon and place approximately 2 tbsp of batter down for each cookie. When I do it that way I like to use a second spoon to help scrape the first spoon out as I drop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheet. Prepare your cookie sheet by spraying lightly with cooking spray, covering it with parchment paper or putting a silicone silpat mat on it.
How many cookies will this recipe make?
This recipe makes 36-48 cookies depending on how large you make the cookies. You need to consider how many cookies you made when determining how much frosting to spread on each cookie.
How many ripe bananas do I need to make this banana cookie recipe?
The recipe calls for one cup of smashed over-ripe banana. Depending on the size of your bananas this will take 2 or 3 bananas. I usually use 3 bananas and if the amount of smashed banana is a little more or a little less than one cup, don’t worry, the recipe will still come out perfect.
Can you freeze Ripe Bananas?
Yes, you can even freeze them still in their peel. That is my favorite way to freeze them. You can just take them out of the freezer the night before you want to use them…or if you forget you can just defrost them in the microwave. So easy and convenient to not have to put them in baggies or anything before freezing.
If you want to freeze bananas for other purposes then baking, like to add to smoothies or something, you need to take the bananas out of the peel and cut them in half or smaller pieces before putting them in an airtight freezer bag or container.
Can I use Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cookies instead of Butter cream?
Yes, I use cream cheese frosting on this Best Ever Banana Bundt Cake recipe and it’s delicious. I am sure it would be just as delicious on these cookies. However, I am a big fan of the traditional buttercream on these cookies because that’s the way I grew up eating them.
More recipes with delicious frostings
- FOR COOKIES:
- 1 cup shortening or (1/2 cup softened butter, ½ cup canola or vegetable oil)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup ripe mashed bananas (approx 2-3 bananas)
- ½ cup buttermilk or (sour milk, using regular milk plus one tsp lemon juice or white vinegar and letting it sit for 5 minutes)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- FOR FROSTING:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp evaporated milk, or heavy cream (you can use milk in a pinch)
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare two cookie sheets with cooking spray, parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In your mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream together the shortening (or butter and oil), the sugar and eggs.
- Add in the mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, put about 2 tbsp of batter down, making sure to place the batter scoops 2 inches apart on a large cookie sheet. You should be able to fit 12 cookies on one cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes
- Frost while warm if you want them to be glazed or wait until they have cooled if you want them to look like the cookies in my pictures.
- TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
- Using your hand mixer, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and 2 tbsp of evaporated milk or heavy cream. Mix until fluffy adding up to two more tablespoons of the evaporated milk or cream if needed.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting on each cookie and ENJOY!
If you love to bake, try these:
Look yummy. Do you have the nutritional information for these?
Hi Leslie, unfortunately I do not have the nutritional information.