Banana Bread Cookies (3 Ingredients, No Eggs, No Added Sugar) (2024)

These Banana Bread Cookies are healthy, vegan, soft banana cookies with a thick, fluffy banana bread texture. They are easy to make with just 3 ingredients, so it’s up to you to add chocolate chips or walnuts to make these cookies even more delicious.

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I love banana baked goods and am never running out of ideas to create recipes with ripe bananas. This new 3-ingredient cookie recipe is inspired by a recipe I was making for my babies, the 3-ingredient banana cookies.

That recipe was delicious, but I wanted to create a fluffier cookie recipe. I was dreaming about a cookie that tastes like my eggless banana bread, but in a large, thick, soft cookie that bakes in less than 15 minutes.

Why You Will Love These Cookies

• Just 3 ingredients
• Easy and healthy
• No added sugar
• Thick, soft banana cookies
• Vegan
• Egg-free
• Dairy-free

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Self-Raising Flour – This is a premade mix of all-purpose flour and baking powder. You can make your own by using 1 cup of all-purpose flour and stir in 2 teaspoons of baking powder. I didn’t try gluten-free flour blend in this recipe, it may work as well.
• Ripe Bananas – The riper the bananas, the stronger the flavor and sweetness of the cookies. In this recipe, there’s no added sugar. The bananas are the ones adding sweetness. If your bananas are yellow and not ripe enough to make sweet banana cookies, then add up to 1/3 cup of coconut sugar,brown sugar, or any crystal sweetener. Stir it in the mashed banana before adding the flour. You can also try my vegan banana chocolate chip cookies for a classic banana cookie recipe with added sweetener.
• Melted Coconut Oil – This is my favorite option to make flaky cookies that almost taste like a vegan scone. You can also use melted plant-based butter or avocado oil.

Optional Add-Ons

Banana bread is always better with some additional crunchy ingredients. That’s why I like to add some of the below ingredients to my cookie batter. They make the cookies even better.

Try adding up to 1/2 cup of one or two of the below add-ons:

• Chopped walnuts
• Chopped pecans
• Dark chocolate chips
• Dried raisins or cranberries
• Shredded coconut

You can also boost the banana bread flavor of your cookies by adding spices. Add the spices in the flour, following the suggestions below:

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg or allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

How To Make Banana Bread Cookies

1. In a large bowl, mash the ripe banana into a smooth puree using a fork.

2. Add melted, cooled coconut oil and self-raising flour. Stir until the dough is smooth and moist.

3. If you like, stir in some of the suggested add-ons. I like to stir in 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and oil it with a cooking oil spray.
5. Use a cookie dough scoop to release dollops of dough on the baking sheet. Leave two thumbs of space between each cookie. They expand in the oven.

6. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown on the top.
7. Let the cookies cool down for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Frosting Banana Cookies

I didn’t frost these cookies, but you can add a salted caramel peanut butter frosting on top like I did with my almond flour banana cookies. Or, try some of the frosting recipe below.

• Cashew frosting – this is a vegan version of the classic cream cheese frosting.
• Protein frosting – a chocolate frosting made from protein powder.

Tips for the Best Banana Bread Cookies

For a foolproof batch of banana bread cookies that’s ideal for baking beginners, follow these three simple tips:

1. Pick the ripest banana: Choose a banana that’s gone all brown and spotty for maximum banana flavor and sweetness in your cookies.
2. Spice it up: Adding spices like allspice or nutmeg really brings out the banana flavors.
3. Easy on the mixing: Once you’ve combined all the ingredients, stop mixing as soon as there are no more lumps of flour. Overmixing can result in a more bread-like and dry texture.
4. Spacing Matters: These cookies expand more than your average cookie. So it’s crucial to leave enough space between them on the cooking sheet.
5. Underbake them slightly: Your cookies will continue to set as they cool down. Take them out when they still seem a bit soft in the middle, and they’ll firm up as they cool.

Frequently Asked Questions

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