Banana Oatmeal Cookies
139 Comments
Nov 29, 2023
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These are the easiest (and most delicious) banana oatmeal cookies you’ll ever make! They come together with just 3 ingredients and bake into an irresistibly chewy texture that’ll make it hard to stop at one cookie. But that’s okay – these cookies are on the healthier side!
Whether it’s the holidays or a typical weekday, a batch of easy-to-make banana oatmeal cookies delivers pure joy. So here’s a little nudge to keep these 3 ingredient cookies up your sleeve. They’re delightfully chewy, pretty darn healthy, and have that delicious chocolate banana flavor we all know and love.
Banana oatmeal cookies make waking up in the morning much more enjoyable with a fresh cup of coffee. You’d could even consider them a breakfast cookie, if you omit the chocolate chips. Plus, they’ll give you a fun way to cook with oats aside from your oatmeal or overnight oats routine!
Banana Oatmeal cookie ingredients
The best part is that you’ll likely have these three ingredients on hand. But there’s a few things to keep in mind to make sure your cookies turn out perfectly. Here are a few tips:
- Bananas: Since you’ll be mashing these, make sure your bananas are quite ripe! That way, they’ll also be sweet enough where you don’t need to add additional sugars.
- Oats: After a few test runs, I found that using quick cooking oats results in a smoother and chewier texture. You can certainly add old fashioned rolled oats into the mix, but the cookies will have a chunkier, more raw oat-y texture (as they’ll absorb less of the mashed banana).
- Chocolate Chips: I love to use semi-sweet chocolate chips. But if you’re more of a milk chocolate or dark chocolate type of person, add in what you like! And if you’re looking to mix in other ingredients besides chocolate chips, keep reading for more ideas.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Now that we’ve got the ingredients situated, you’ll be happy to know that the baking part is just as easy! But first, preheat your oven heated to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the banana oat mixture. First, mash up the bananas in a large bowl. I normally do this with a fork for a quick and easy mash. But you can also use a potato masher if you have one. Then stir in the oats and chocolate chips until everything is well combined.
Make the cookie shape. Each cookie is about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough (which should make 15 cookies). After all the dough is portioned out on the baking sheet use your fingers to flatten them into a round cookie shape as they won’t flatten as they bake.
It’s baking time. It only takes a short 13 to 15 minutes to bake them! Once you remove them from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before you enjoy.
A Few Tips
- Make sure to use quick cooking oats. Technically, you can use half rolled oats and half quick cooking oats. But as I mentioned above, quick cooking oats creates a much smoother and enjoyable texture – especially for cookies.
- Feel free to switch up the mix-ins! Treat these cookies like an energy ball and give them a nutritional boost with healthy mix-ins. You could add dried fruit (raisins and cranberries are great), chopped nuts such as almonds or pistachios, all sorts of seeds (pumpkin, chia, flax, etc.), and even spices such as cinnamon or a tiny splash of vanilla extract.
- Use a cookie scoop for same-sized cookies. This is my all-time favorite cookie scoop whenever I make cookies.
To Store
Although these cookies can easily be devoured, it’s always a good idea to save some for the following day. So here are a few ways you can store them.
- To store: These cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container or sealable bag (I love to use Stasher bags for this). The cookies do have quite a bit of natural moisture, so I also add a folded paper towel in the bottom of the container or one side of the bag.
- To freeze: Make a second batch and freeze them! Trust me, they’ll come in handy when you’re craving something sweet, but don’t have the time to bake. Just store them in a freezer safe container or bag and add parchment paper in between each layer to prevent the cookies from sticking to each other. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before you’d like to enjoy.
Note: don’t be alarmed when these cookies turn darker brown. They will naturally become darker due to the banana browning over time. But they’re still safe to consume!
More Easy Cookie Recipes
You can never have enough cookie ideas right? I think you’ll also love a few of these cookie recipes, so give them a try!
- No Bake Cookies
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mint Double Chocolate Cookies
- Flourless Almond Butter Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
What’s there not to love about these banana oatmeal cookies? They’re easy and delicious! If you make them, let me know how they turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Description
Video
Equipment
- Heavy Duty Baking Sheet My favorite for baking cookies!
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas, about 1 cup mashed
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until they're smooth and pureed.
- Add the oats and stir until the mixture is well combined.
- Add the chocolate chips or your favorite mix-ins, then stir again.
- Drop 1 ½ tablespoon portions of dough onto the baking sheet (I love to use this cookie scoop), then use your fingers to flatten them into a round cookie shape.
- Bake the banana oatmeal cookies for 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, then enjoy.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted December 2021, but updated to include new information for your benefit!
This is my favorite recipe for getting rid of too ripe bananas. I made a batch today and used chopped walnuts instead of chocolate chips. The cookies are just sweet enough.
These banana oatmeal cookies are a leftover banana classic!
Wow, yum!!!! I can’t believe I didn’t know this recipe existed sooner. I might have gone a little overboard on making these my own lol! I just kept adding ingredients. What an amazing customizable recipe!!! I think these will become a weekly staple in our house. I also just had a baby so I’m loving the oats in them for nursing! I added: melted coconut oil, almond butter, almond extract, maple syrup, collagen peptides, and cinnamon. I measured everything with my heart ;) thank you Lisa!
Hi Katie – This cookie is truly the best for customization! But happy to hear you’re loving these banana oatmeal cookies so much, especially since you just had a baby. Side note, congrats!
I caramelized the sliced (thick) bananas on 400 for 15 minutes. This creates natural sugar for cookies. Cooled and added to mix. I used 3 bananas because they shrink during caramelization. I added a little vanilla, two schools of unflavored collagen peptides and 1/4 cup basil seeds for fiber. They were very delicious.
Hi Elizabeth – What a great way to give these cookies some oomph!
Added shredded coconut and a little peanut butter and came out delicious.
Love those additions!
Love the simple clean ingredients but not a fan of this recipe- call me a cookie traditionalist! 😂
Haha, no worries! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, Lisa!
Hi, the texture of mine came out a bit gummy – what did I do wrong?
No biggy as my toddler still loves them!
Hi Jamie – these do have a bit more of a chewy texture, given the bananas and starch in the oatmeal. Glad your toddler loves them!
Another great recipe! Added a little cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup. So good!
Hi Nicole – Love the idea of adding those ingredients!
So quick, easy and delicious! Thank you!
Hi Penny – Thanks for leaving a review!
Pretty decent. My kids gobbled them up which surprised me. When the craving for cookies hit, i think i will make again. Glad i tried them.
Hi Jennifer – Happy to hear everyone enjoyed these banana oatmeal cookies!
These are so delicious and easy and perfect for a quick morning breakfast on the go or afternoon snack. I love them with mini chocolate chips and dried cranberries and sometimes toasted pecans. Yum!
Hi Adrienne – Happy to hear you love these oatmeal cookies!
This combo sounded perfect – in the oven now!
What’s the best way to store them?
Hi Lynette – I usually write storage instructions in the post or recipe card notes. But, these cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container or sealable bag.
LOVED this recipe soooo much that I had to send huge THANKS for sharing this easy and simple ingredients recipe. I made my first batch today but this will be my go-to recipe whenever I’m craving cookies! I didn’t have quick oats so I put my rolled oats in the blender and it came out perfectly shredded. Very excited about this wonderful base recipe! Can’t wait to experiment with other ingredients…maple syrup and pistachios…mmmmmm :D
Hi Lisa – Thanks so much for leaving a review and happy to hear these cookies were a hit :)
Overall tasty and easy to make. Added golden raisins to mine. Not sure how I messed up a 3 ingredient recipe but when I baked these, mine didn’t flatten into a cookie. They just stayed in a ball. Not bad though and my toddler is eating them up!
Hi Shana – in step 4 it says you need to flatten them with your fingers. :) These don’t flatten on their own. Glad you and your little one still loved them!
You are supposed to flatten them before hand :)
Thanks for a “sugarless” recipie!
Delicious! No chocolate.
I made multiple other additions:
Walnuts and a “preserve” of blueberry, black nerry, seedless grapes, maple syrup & cocoa.
Baked 24 minutes!!!
I’m loving all the delicious additions to these banana oatmeal cookies, Will!
These were extremely easy to make and have such good flavor! My bananas were small so had to use three and I added a smidge of vanilla on my husband’s request. I also added raisins for him as well. What a great recipe!! Thank you Lisa!!
I’m thrilled to hear you loved these banana oatmeal cookies, Susan!
Hello Lisa,
This recipe is great, thanks.
My 2 year old daughter loves helping me mashing the bananas and mixing it with the oats.
I have made these with more bananas when I have no chocolate chips and with raisins instead of chocolate chips.
María
I’m so happy you and your daughter love the recipe. Enjoy!
Made these today after my daughter let me taste hers. I used mini dark chocolate chips. Next time I will do the same but might try a handful of fresh coconut. Thank you for this recipe 😊
You’re more than welcome, Katherine! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, and you can definitely tweak the flavor profile with fresh coconut. Enjoy!
Just wondering where 1g of trans fat comes from. Thanks!
I did this today and doubled the recipe. Had lots of bananas to use up so it came out delicious and it’s great to have them at hand for a quick bite of hunger or sweet cravings, thanks a lot! Love these few ingredients recipes. Be safe and send in some more quick short recipes, love them.
I’m so glad you loved these banana oatmeal cookies, Miriam!
Greetings from Singapore!
Love the recipe! I actually baked them in my little toaster oven and they turned out yummy
I have made these several times, I did switch to mini-chocolate chips the 2nd time I made them, and today I used mini-cinnamon chips! Yummy!
Sounds amazing with mini cinnamon chips – yum!
will try that too i love cinnammon
I’m obsessed with these. I’ve been raving all day after having them about how mad I am for not knowing about them sooner!!!! So easy. So delicious. So good for you. A new staple in my home. @tattedmamaonthemove
Glad you finally got around to making these cookies!
Simple, delicious and incredible easy. I didn’t have enough oatmeal so I only made 1/4 of the recipe, and I added some toasted coconut as well. It was Just enough to leave me wanting more. Tonight I’ll be making it again and I’m so much looking forward to treating myself to a healthy snack/cookie.
Glad these cookies turned out great!
I enjoyed this! Thank you. Shared it with my family. A few changes I made were soaking the oats in the bananas for a bit, adding 2 tsp vanilla and 2 dashes of salt because my bananas were kinda bitter. Oh and I used mini chips.
Love the addition of mini chocolate chips!
Super yummy 😋
Excellent way to use ripe bananas. Great base recipe to build on depending on what taste you want. I added vanilla, cinnamon and some almond butter. Nice breakfast cookie or a snack with tea.
Made this tonight. Added unsweetened shredded coconut, and only put one tiny stevia-sweetened chocolate chip on each because they were already sweet, but they needed to look less . . . anemic. Also used old fashioned oats (didn’t have the quick-cooking variety at hand). The results look promising. They’re still cooling off.