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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We love banana bread (your banana bread recipe) and so no surprise these cookies were definitely a hit in our home. Although they did not crisp up all the way at the bottom and were sticking to each other when I tried to stack them for storage, the taste was good. I tend to like my cookies a bit less sweet so I reduced the sugar by two tablespoons. I’ve had so much success with so many of your recipes I guess I got a little comfortable deviating from the recipe. I will definitely make these again following the exact recipe!
I like less sweet baking so I deleted a bit of the sugar no choc chips or raisins but 1/2 cup of raisins would be nice for something sweeter most would go for full cup but I like just a hint of sweetness but it sustains this cookie. Put 3/4 cup of very lightly packed brown sugar and took out 1/8 cup of the white sugar. I used 1/2 cup Vegan Becel and 1/2 cup I Cant Believe Its not Butter Margarines. I put an extra 1/4 cup mashed bananas in (leftover 3 big bananas) and a 100 gram package of chopped walnuts. Cookie batter was thick. I lined my two narrow cookie pans with foil gave light spray cooking oil and rubbed it in with my fingers so no excess oil on foil. The first batch I just sort of flattened out the cookie with my fingers only a bit sticky and I got a taller kind of puffed up mound cookie tasty and soft but not like depicted in photo. I baked them for about 8-10 minutes middle of oven side by side. Got about 16 cookies. Next batch I used same amount of batter (heaping table teaspoon) took time to really flatten them out and baked them 10 minutes. They spread and rose up only slightly but you got a soft and chewy cookie can really taste the banana because less sugar and the healthy oats and spices. 2 cookies and I am stuffed and fully satisfied these will feed a crowd got another 16 cookies plus another half dozen so 38 cookies total nice for one recipe and not thimble sized. I also put two cookies each in a ziplock sandwich bag and sealed they stay great that way put in a container in the fridge last even longer or freeze them. It keeps cold germs off the cookie plate. Healthy snack. P. Stevens
Just made them . Perfect . Crispy outside . Soft inside . Yummy
how much flour did you use i.e cup size or grams?
These cookies are fantastic. I made them because I had some overripe bananas, and it was a stretch for me because I have a former-favorite oatmeal cookie recipe that I’ve been baking for decades. I added chocolate chips and pecan pieces to half of the dough. Both ways, these are pretty doggone hard to beat! In the future, I may add dried apricot pieces, walnuts, golden raisins–whatever I have on hand. Thanks for a terrific and versatile recipe.
how much can the sugar be reduced without altering outcome of cookie?
thank you!
You could probably reduce the sugar by about 1/4 cup without impacting the texture of the cookie. Hope you enjoy!
Made exactly as written, and would not make again. These tasted good, but were hopelessly soft and crumbly, when fully cooked. Not “crisp outside and chewy inside” as they should be. First recipe of Jenn’s that I didn’t love!
I had extra bananas that were really ripe and we were tired of banana bread variations. I also had tons of oatmeal, so I found this recipe and I’m so glad. I’ve made a lot of Jenn’s recipes but this is my first review. These cookies are fantastic! I followed the instructions to a T. We wonder if they can be frozen? We have a new favorite cookie!
Glad you enjoyed them! And, yes, I think they would freeze nicely.
These cookies are amazing! They have the perfect amount of sweetness and a beautiful little crunch along the edges. I definitely recommend!
I was looking for a recipe for banana oatmeal cookies and found this picture, which looked exactly like what I thought my cookies should look like. I used 2 frozen bananas and reduced the white sugar by 1/2. I also added a cup of chopped pecans and 1/2 cup of cruisers. I let them go in the oven a couple extra minutes for a little crispier as per a suggestion on a different recipe and they came out perfect. Like al dente banana nut bread. Will definitely be making these again, for breakfast!
Just made this recipe and it turned out looking awesome, smelling wonderful and tasting delicious. Two tweaks made to suit our personal preferences. Replaced 0.5 tsp of the 1.5 tsp of cinnamon with the same amount of cardamom and added 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips to final batter. Well worth the time and effort to make! Thanks for sharing.
Do you have a basic oatmeal cookie recipe?
Hi Kimberly, why don’t you give this recipe a try? Hope you enjoy if you make them!