This banana cookie recipe came from my grandmother, Sybil Capune. She made me fresh orange juice in the mornings, loved her toast burnt, and was an amazing home cook.
When I inherited her recipe boxes, each filled with yellowed hand-typed note cards, I began exploring my family’s culinary history.
This particular recipe, now about 70 years old, is one of the best in the bunch and has become one of my favorite cookie recipes ever!
These banana cookies are soft, not crispy. They’re almost cake-like, or like muffin tops. They’re seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and peppered with pecans.
They’re perfect for using up overripe bananas. (Who hasn’t had plenty of instances where some bananas have gotten a bit overripe?)
Banana Cookies Recipe
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 cups of flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives)
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
2 In a separate bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.
Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture.
3 Whisk together the flour, salt, and spices. Add to the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.
4 Fold pecans or chocolate chips (if using) into the batter.
5 Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.
