Thin & Crispy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
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If you can imagine a cross between oatmeal cookies and banana bread, this is it.
These banana oatmeal cookies are everything you love about banana bread, reimagined as crispy, golden-brown cookies. Thin and lightly spiced, they’ve got the perfect balance of crunch and a chewy center, with just a hint of warmth from cinnamon and nutmeg. The mashed banana adds natural sweetness and moisture, while the oats bring a hearty texture that keeps you coming back for more. Ideal for a coffee break or an after-dinner treat, they’re a new twist on classic comfort flavors—and if you love the texture that oats add to cookies, my oatmeal brown sugar cookies with raisins and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are worth a try, too.
“Delicious for dessert or as an afternoon snack!!! Crispy on the outside and lovely and soft on the inside. Very good way to use up ripe bananas if you don’t want banana loaf.”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of the cookie, creating structure and adding a subtle chew to each one. To ensure accuracy, measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
- Old-Fashioned Oats: Also known as rolled oats. Add texture and hearty flavor, giving the cookies a crispy edge and chewy center. I’d stick with old-fashioned oats; instant or quick oats would break down too much and impact that ideal crispy-chewy texture.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Provide warmth and a cozy depth that complements the banana.
- Baking Soda: Ensures the cookies spread and crisp up during baking.
- Butter: Adds richness and a crispy texture to the edges of the cookies.
- Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Together, these sugars create a balanced sweetness and help the cookies achieve a crispy, caramelized finish. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients and adds a bit of chew to the cookies’ centers.
- Mashed Bananas: Brings natural sweetness, moisture, and a hint of banana flavor for a soft, chewy interior.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the flavors with a classic hint of sweetness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl. Stir or whisk to combine and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
Beat until light and fluffy, a few minutes.
Add the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla.
Mix to combine.
Add the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed to combine. The batter will be wetter than most cookie doughs.
Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing the dough balls evenly apart.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make-Ahead, Freezing & Storage INformation
The cookie dough can be frozen for up to three months. Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. To thaw, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
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Thin & Crispy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
If you can imagine a cross between oatmeal cookies and banana bread, this is it.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 scant teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup mashed bananas, from 2 overripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Space two oven racks so that the oven is divided into thirds. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, a few minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg, mashed bananas and vanilla extract; beat until combined. Add the flour and oats mixture and mix on low speed until well combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be wetter than most cookie doughs; that's okay.
- Scoop large balls of dough (about 1½ tablespoons) onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 3 inches apart, as they spread quite a bit (I use a small ice cream scooper with a wire scraper). Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Cookie Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 128
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 83mg
- Cholesterol: 15mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Have time to make the cookies today for a meeting I’m going to have in two days. You said they’re best on the day baked. Will they stay good for 2 days?
Thanks!
You could keep them for two days– they are just best on the day they’re baked.
These were amazing! Very tasty and chewy and decadent.
Great recipe! I have found that very few banana cookie recipes are crunchy which we like. And, I added one cup of pecans for even more crunch! DE-LISH!!!
Yummy- just made this great recipe. I added mini chocolate chips. Didn’t have full 3 cups of oats so I used quinoa flakes for the difference. they r soooo good. Thanks for a great recipe.
These are amazing, they are the perfect banana bread in cookie form! I was looking for something different to do with my brown bananas and was so excited to see this pop up on Jenn’s site because I knew it would be no fail. I made them exactly as written, except I did add about 3/4 a cup of mini chocolate chips. Kids and husband loved them and I’ve already passed the recipe along to others!
Try with chopped pecans – even better! Brings out the banana flavor.
I first tried with chocolate and peanut butter chips but banana flavor was light and was too sweet.
Hi Jenn, when you’re right you’re right! Do not reduce the sugar in this recipe, otherwise they will not flatten out and get crispy. While they were a bit cakey, they were still yummy, and I am looking forward to getting this recipe right the second time. BTW, always a good idea to read the reviews before trying a recipe so you can get Jenn’s feedback!
Hi Jenn
Would you be able to convert this recipe to metric – looks like a great recipe. I did manage to get some US size cups at Costco recently, so don’t feel quite so worried about conversion, but on the whole I prefer to measure with the scales! Thanks again for some great recipes. Anita
Hi Anita, I just added the metric conversions to the recipe. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
I just baked these cookies, and when I tasted my first bite, I thought, “banana bread!” These cookies are wonderful! They are chewy on the outside, soft on the inside.. I added walnuts to the last panful, and it was delicious! There’s nothing I don’t like about these banana cookies! I gladly give it five stars! If you’re wondering what to do with those over ripe bananas, but don’t want banana bread again. . Try these cookies! Thank you for the recipe!
Jan ♡
Very good. A little too good. (Belly is now full of these yummy cookies). I decided not to use parchment and didn’t regret the decision, as I waited until they had cooled off before lifting them from the pan and there’s enough butter that they don’t seem to stick. Great recipe!