These easy Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect way to use up that lone brown banana. They are soft, slightly chewy, and super banana-y. Meanwhile, the addition of oatmeal provides a wonderful texture and flavor that is somewhat reminiscent of freshly baked muffins! You definitely can't go wrong with these amazing cookies.
(This recipe was originally published in September 2015, but was updated with new photos and content in 2020).
Have a ripe banana lying around? Not enough browning bananas to make banana bread, which typically uses about 3 of them? Don't worry. This cookie recipe is the perfect way to use up a solitary ripe banana.
It's also a delicious twist on banana bread flavors crossed with a chocolate chip cookie. Adding oats and toasted walnuts adds great texture and more depth of flavor. This recipe also uses some whole wheat flour, so it's just slightly less guilt-inducing than your typical chocolate chip cookies.
The texture of these cookies is on the cakey side. So it's not chewy or crispy as some other chocolate chip cookie variations. I think the cakey texture is perfect for the flavors at hand.
These banana walnut chocolate chip cookies really are reminiscent of other banana baked goods. This is partially because of the subtle but delicious banana flavor and crunchy walnuts. It's also in part from the soft texture that walks the line between cake and cookie.
And of course anything with ooey, gooey chocolate chips is a winner in my book! These cookies are a revelation. They really do encompass the best of both words. Yet they bake in a fraction of the time that banana bread would spend in the oven.
Whether you bake these for your family or to impress guests with the unusual take on chocolate chip cookies, these cookies are delicious and a wonderful addition to your baking repertoire.
How to make them
Making banana walnut chocolate chip cookies is similar to any other scooped or dropped cookie recipe. First combine your dry ingredients (all-purpose and whole wheat flour, salt, and baking soda) in a bowl.
Cream together room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar with an electric mixture. You can use some elbow grease and do this by hand, but it's much easier to achieve the results you want with a mixer.
Beat in an egg and vanilla extract, then add your mashed banana followed by your dry ingredients. Finally, stir in oats, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper, and use a small cookie scoop or spoon to portion out the dough. I like this Oxo cookie scoop.
Bake the cookies in batches, rotating pans halfway through as needed. They will take about 11 to 13 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Allow the cookies to cool. Although I love snagging them while they're still a little warm, and the chocolate chips are still gooey and soft!
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Use up leftover ingredients with these recipes
- Bouchon Bakery Banana Muffins (Brown Sugar, Bananas & Walnuts)
- Milk Bar's Compost Cookies (Brown Sugar, Oats & Chocolate Chips)
- Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (Brown Sugar, Oats & Chocolate Chips)
- Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies (Brown Sugar & Chocolate Chips)
- The Ultimate Brownies with Walnuts and Chocolate Chips (Walnuts & Chocolate Chips)
- Hummingbird Pie (Brown Sugar, Bananas & Oats)
- Guinness Bread (Whole Wheat Flour & Oats)
- Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread with Oats and Pecans (Whole Wheat Flour & Oats)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup mashed ripe banana about 1 large
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 8 ounces chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks)
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces) toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together both flours, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
- Put butter and both sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
- Using a 1 ½-inch ice cream scoop (#40 size), drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart (you’ll need 3 half sheet pans). Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.
Notes
- I recommend this #40 size medium Oxo cookie scoop for portioning the cookies evenly.
- To freeze: scoop out the dough as you would to bake. Freeze the scooped balls of dough until frozen solid. Transfer the frozen balls into a freezer bag, and label with the date. Frozen cookie dough can last about 3 months in the freezer. When ready to bake, remove as many balls of dough as you desire, and partially thaw them in the refrigerator (you can bake from a frozen state, but I always feel like they don’t spread out as nicely). Bake as directed in the recipe. You may need an extra minute or two of baking time since the dough will be cold or even partially frozen.
- Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
AJ says
I made these, and they’re delicious!! I really appreciate the instructions for freezing and cooking from frozen, since this family can’t (ok, shouldn’t!) consume so many cookies in a short period of time 🙂
Samantha says
These were perfect to use up that lone, brown banana!
They got a crisp edge which was so yummy. I didnt end up using the walnuts, cause I didnt have any, and they were perfect. They were a huge hit and my daughter who doesnt like banana, really enjoyed them too.