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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I have the same problem as others did too runny. Trying to figure out What to add so I can salvage the recipe. If I add more flour I think they’ll be too bland. Will try to add more sugar also
Sorry you had a problem with these! Did you, by any chance, use frozen bananas? If so, did you drain off any extra liquid?
Made these today and I think the recipe got mixed up somehow!
Used the 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 cups quick oatmeal, followed the directions step by step, and the cookie dough was more like cake batter! Very thin, I added about 1+1/4 cups of flour, it got so I could scoop it up and put on the pan. Then followed the baking instructions and they tasted great!
I’m not a novice baker (been baking for about 52 or so years, I’m 66), and kind know what to do in the kitchen.
I’m just wondering if the amounts got switched between the flour and oatmeal!
Hi Jim, Sorry you had a problem with these! The flour and oatmeal measurements are correct. The batter is wetter than most cookie doughs, but you should still be able to scoop it and form mounds of dough (although you’ll need to use a scooper or spoons, as it’s too wet to roll).
Made these yesterday because I didn’t want to do banana bread again and I really like them!
I used old fashioned oats since I didn’t have quick. Used fresh but Very ripe bananas
The dough was definitely a bit closer to a batter but ultimately the finished cookie is delicious even though they were very flat.
When I make these again I will probably add 1/4-1/2 cup more flour but honestly if my family is going just going to eat them, I might not bother because the taste is good.
These cookies turned out so good! I added walnuts too them and they were a big hit with the family. I will definitely be making these again!
They were a bit of a disaster, first of Jenn’s recipes that I have tried that I would not make again.
Some of them spread too much and was unable to salvage except by eating as is, so no one would see! And they did taste great. As I got to the bottom of my stand mixer bowl I noticed that there was more butter than batter, so maybe the mixing was at fault. But loved the idea of them.
Another slam dunk. Thank you! Had some ripe bananas and just wasn’t in the mood for bread/muffins. These are perfect. The only problem is that I can’t stop eating them…
Just made these, came out great soft in the middle and crispy around the edges!
Can I add chocolate chips &/or dried cranberries to the recipe?
Sure! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Thank you Jenn for this most excellent cookie recipe. Mine came out like some other people’s did, which was like “cakey” cookies and everyone thinks they are awesome. I found that they needed a long time in the oven to harden up and I think my batter was a little gooey. They ended up taking around 25 minutes. I also put in maybe 1/2 the total sugar amount in the end. And congratulations for the lifestyle you chose – giving up the high end stressful restaurant gig to raise your kids and decide to do things the way that works out best for you and your family. I am doing the same thing and am very happy doing it, despite less earnings. I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt I will not regret having done this when I am old and gray. Btw, I also spent a year abroad in France and got fired from my summer job at the end of the academic year as a GO at a Club Med in Turkey. Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed the cookies and thanks for your kind words! And funny (at least now!) that you were also fired from a job abroad! 🙂
Amazing cookies! I prefer less sweet so
I kept the prescribed 3/4 cup light brown sugar and omitted the white sugar altogether. Added a chopped bar of 70% dark chocolate (35g) and the result was PERFECT. The only thing was that the batch size made it very hard to mix by hand (I don’t have an electric mixer). but I got a good workout and 3 dozen medium cookies for my effort. Will def make again!
Perfect! Delicious! Exactly as you described them. Thank you for sharing!