Brown Butter Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Dreamy, delicious, and loaded with chocolate, these homemade cookies are full of banana flavor. They’re super soft and chewy, and such a fun way to use up those extra bananas!

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If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while now, you know my love for banana desserts. What’s actually hilarious is that I don’t love bananas on their own. I will not eat them. But, caramelize them or use them to make banana bread, and I can’t get enough. A few weeks ago, I made an Instagram post with my top five favorite banana bread recipes which I highly recommend checking out. For those that prefer TikTok, click here.

With how much I LOVE banana bread, I just knew that I needed to try to make a banana cookie. One that was loaded with chocolate, made with brown butter, and topped with flaky sea salt. Sounds so dreamy, right?! Well, that’s exactly what I did and I’m very happy with how they turned out. The banana gives them the perfect chewy texture and such amazing flavor. These are definitely one of my new top favorite cookies. I literally am going out to buy more bananas today just so I can make another batch of these.

I know you have some ripe bananas sitting around in your kitchen too. And, guess what? You only need TWO bananas for this recipe. Now, let’s get to it, because these are going to be SO GOOD.

Read on for the full recipe for these amazing Brown Butter Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Yes, as the name suggests, we will be making brown butter for this recipe. There is nothing that I love more than a homemade brown butter chocolate chip cookie and I just knew that adding banana would take them to the next level. I wasn’t wrong. Oh, and don’t forget to always top your cookies with flaky sea salt. It’s a game changer.

If you’ve never browned butter before, don’t worry. As I say in every single brown butter recipe on my blog, it’s SUPER easy.

First, place the butter in a light-colored saucepan or pot over low to medium heat on the stove. I like to err on the side of low heat so that nothing sticks and it doesn’t accidentally burn. Throughout this process, you should be frequently stirring the butter, the entire time. Do not walk away. The butter will begin to melt and after it has fully melted, within a minute or so, it will begin bubbling. Continue stirring the butter. Within a few minutes, the butter will begin to change in color from yellow to a golden, amber color. At the bottom of the pan, you will also see darker flecks which are the toasted milk solids that give the brown butter that amazing flavor.

Once the butter is that golden, amber color, remove it from the heat. Immediately transfer the butter to a glass bowl or measuring cup and let it cool for ten minutes before you begin baking. It’s important to let the butter cool so that it doesn’t impact the other ingredients which would result in flat cookies or a different cookie texture.

The rest of the recipe is fairly simple. Since we’re using melted brown butter, you don’t need a stand or hand mixer for this recipe. Everything comes together in one bowl. It’s a super quick and easy recipe and truly the best way to use up those leftover, ripe bananas.

Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post for some of my tips for success for this recipe.

Other brown butter recipes you may like:

• The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Dipped Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Nutella Stuffed M&M Cookies
• The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• Bananas
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Egg yolks
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Cornstarch
• Chocolate Chips
• Mini chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt

Kitchen tools you’ll need (linking my favorites below!)

• Mixing bowls
• Dry ingredient measuring cups
• Adjustable measuring cup – great for measuring the mashed bananas!
• Spatula
• Whisk
• Cookie scoop
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Cookie turner
• Cooling rack

How to make these dreamy Brown Butter Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

On low to medium heat, brown 1 cup unsalted butter. Remove the butter from heat when the top is foamy and the butter is amber/golden brown in color. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

While the butter is cooling, combine 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cornstarch in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add 1½ cups brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and the brown butter. Whisk together until it is smooth and combined.

Add 2 egg yolks, ½ cup mashed banana, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and lighter/paler in color.

Fold the dry ingredients in with a rubber spatula. Then, add 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips and ¼ cup mini chocolate chips. The dough will be a bit sticky.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scoop out 16 equally sized dough balls. Optional – roll each dough ball in a mixture of regular and mini chocolate chips.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cookie dough balls on the sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops of the cookies still look slightly wet.

As soon as they come out of the oven, shape the cookies with a spoon, bowl, or circular cookie cutter. Top with extra chocolate chips and flaky sea salt.

Let the cookies rest for about 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Once on the wire rack, let the cookies cool and set for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips for success

• When measuring your dry ingredients, be sure to use the spoon and level method. Before scooping out dry ingredients (like flour), use a spoon and run through them, fluffing them up and removing any clumps. Then, spoon the ingredient into the measuring cup and use a flat top tool to level off the top and remove any excess. When measuring dry ingredients, you should be using measuring cups like these. If you prefer to bake using grams and weighing your dry ingredients with a kitchen scale, this recipe can easily be converted using an online conversion calculator like this one from Inch Calculator. I personally bake using volume measurements (cups) which is why I do not include metric conversions.
• Two mashed bananas are needed for this recipe. Since bananas come in a variety of sizes, you will need to measure out the mashed bananas — do not just add them in as it will impact the dough. You will need to measure out ½ cup and I highly recommend using a measuring cup like this one to do so. It makes life so much easier!
• Bananas add so much moisture. In this recipe, we’re using 2 bananas to substitute for 2 full eggs. We are adding in 2 egg yolks just to give the cookies an extra chewy texture. Because of this, your dough will be a bit tacky. That’s why you must chill your dough for at least 30 minutes before scooping. When scooping and rolling the dough balls, I highly recommend wetting your hands just a little bit as it will help prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. Continue rinsing and wetting your hands, as needed, while rolling the dough balls.
• Do not overbake your cookies. The cookies are done baking and should be removed from the oven when the edges are set and lightly golden. The tops of the cookies will still look wet — this is okay!! The cookies will continue baking and setting on the hot pan once they’re removed from the oven. This is the key to achieving that dreamy, soft & chewy cookie texture that we’re going for.
• Pro tip: Roll your cookies in a mixture of regular and mini chocolate chips before baking. I LOVE how cookies bake up when I do this. When rolling the cookie dough balls in extra toppings, make sure that the toppings are just attached and almost sitting on the dough ball. If they’re fully pressed in, it won’t have the same effect.

FAQs

My cookie dough is too tacky, what should I do?

Before adding in more flour, I highly recommend chilling the dough first to see if that helps. However, if you feel that more flour is necessary, I’d start by adding 1 tbsp of flour at a time and folding it in gently. You don’t want to add too much flour as that will impact the taste and texture of the cookies.

Is it necessary to chill the dough?

Yes! Because of the banana and egg yolks, this dough will be a bit tacky. Chilling the dough for 30-45 minutes will make your life so much easier. Furthermore, chilling the dough helps all of the flavors deepen, creating an even more dreamy cookie.

Can I double or halve this recipe?

Absolutely! Simply double or cut the ingredients in half.

Can I make this dough in advance?

Yes. This dough can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Prior to baking, set the cookie dough out for about an hour to let it soften so that it’s easier to scoop. Baking temperature and suggested bake time will remain the same. However, always use the bake time as a suggestion – go by how the cookies look instead!

How to store

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. The banana does impact the texture of these cookies and how they keep over time, so I don’t recommend letting them sit out for more than 3 days. If freezing, store the cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag. Set the cookies out for about 20-30 minutes and let them come to room temperature prior to consuming.

A new favorite cookie recipe to add to the collection! These cookies make me so happy. They’re incredibly soft & chewy, loaded with chocolate, and full of banana flavor. I can’t wait to make another batch and hope you love them as much as I do.

If you try this recipe, share and tag me on socials using @itsbrunchoklock or #itsbrunchoklock.