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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Banana bread bites! Made these on a cold January day and they were a hit. I don’t think I had enough wet ingredient (banana mash?) as mine did not run or spread out as much to make them thin and crispy. They were more like a traditional oatmeal cookie. Non the less they tasted delicious! Next time I will lessen the oats or amp up the banana to allow them to spread a bit more. I love many cookies, and particularly thin and crispy so I will try these again to see if I can find the magic mix of wet and dry ingredients.
These were really tasty! They were like a mix of cookie and banana bread in one. When freshly baked, the outside was crispy but the inside soft like banana bread, very interesting combo! I lessened the sugar about 30% which made them drier and dense, so it didn’t run as much as other reviewers mentioned, and it gave it a scone like feel to it in addition to the banana bread and cookie. I added unsweetened shredded coconut to one half of the batch and it was fantastic. They were a hit in my house, so give it a try! They’re like little pre-portioned banana bread bites. Great for breakfast or anytime.
Thank you Jenn, I have been wanting a recipe just like this. I wonder how a walnut “flour” base with powdered sugar would do with these cookies to get the “banana nut” feel.
I made these the other night and added chocolate chips to the recipe and they came out terrific!!! I love ALL your recipes Jen. I posted my pics on social media with your link. It inspired others to make these and discover your scrumptious varieties of recipes!!
About how many cookies from this recipe? Many thanks!
Hi Nel, this will make about 45 cookies. Enjoy!
Can you use quinoa flour to make this?
I’ve never worked with quinoa flour so I can’t say for sure, but for the most predictable results, I’d stick with all-purpose flour. Sorry!
1st time trying the recipe. I did 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar. Everything else I followed. My cookies came out soft. Is it because of the sugar? How can I make sure they are crispy next time?
Thanks!
Yes, I strongly suspect cutting back the sugar impacted the texture.
First time trying this recipe and it was really good, definitely will make again, thank you!
OMG easy, tasty, & amazing recipe. I have been looking for a good banana cookie 🍪 recipe and I found it! THANK YOU.
I have not baked cookies in a long time because it just seemed like too much trouble. But I saw this recipe when I happened to have some very ripe bananas, and gave it a try. I loved that there was no rolling out or cutting shapes. It was everything you said. Crispy and soft at the same time. The oatmeal and banana combination was great. I plan to make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Could I sub oat flour for the all purpose flour?
Hi Zehra, I’ve never put oatmeal flour these, so I can’t say from experience, but I suspect it will work (though the cookies will definitely be a bit drier and more dense). I’d suggest replacing no more than 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour oat flour. Hope that helps — I’d love to hear how they turn out if you make them this way!
OMG. These are fantastic. I have celiac, so I switched the flour to gluten-free substitute. The cookie dough alone is irresistible. I flattened the cookies before baking them, to guarantee extra crispiness. I am very very pleased with the result. A real treasure of a recipe – thank you for sharing it!
My kids were wanting something flatter and crispier than my go-to Toll House I frequently make. So I searched for banana oatmeal cookies. This recipe came up and I was doubly excited because its a Jenn Segal recipe as well. The cookies turned out wonderfully perfect and were exactly what I was searching for. This will be my new go-to crispy oatmeal cookie recipe.