Bake

Banana Bread-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

by:
May 17, 2021
4.4
14 Ratings
Banana Bread-Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Prep time 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • Makes a few batches
Author Notes

This recipe is adapted from Lisa Falasca, who used to make these and send them into work with her son Danny. I had the good fortune of sitting right near him. I spent a year experimenting with her recipe—think: swapping in brown butter, cutting back on flour, adding alt sugars—only to land very close to her original ingredient list. Try these out, and you'll see why.

"I give a lot of recipes a try," says Lisa. "Some are 'one and done' and others are 'keepers.' Everyone decided this was a keeper." (Lisa's recipe is itself an adaptation from the one on Life, Love & Sugar—she tweaked it to make the base more like her go-to chocolate chip cookie dough.) —Ella Quittner

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: Chocolate Chip Cookies x Banana Bread = A Dessert I'd Like to Grow Old With. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (352 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup butter (12 tablespoons, or 1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (247 grams)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup well-mashed very ripe banana (from about 2 1/2 large bananas)
  • 1 3/4 cups dark and milk chocolate chunks (or chopped chocolate bars)
  • Flaky salt, for sprinkling
Directions
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Mix with a fork to distribute everything.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer for several minutes, until very light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and banana. Mix to combine, then scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
  3. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chunks. Mix just to fully combine, but then stop to avoid over-mixing. Refrigerate 1 hour, loosely covered with saran wrap.
  4. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Use a 1.5-ounce scoop to make mounds of dough on cookie sheets spaced about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle each with a big pinch of flaky salt (don’t skimp—it really balances these out). Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until cookies are puffed up, starting to turn golden around the edges, and the middles look set. Let cool on trays a few minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Repeat with remaining batter.
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  • Taylor Stanton
    Taylor Stanton
  • Liza Posas
    Liza Posas
  • 이다은
    이다은
  • Ella Quittner
    Ella Quittner
  • VFell
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16 Reviews

Taylor S.
Taylor S. May 17, 2021
Delicious! These remind me of the banana chocolate chip cookies my mom would make growing up.
 
Liza P.
Liza P. October 26, 2020
these are now a go-to. nice base flavor and texture, makes this recipe easy to play with. I cut back the sugar to a little less than a cup and used only a cup of chocolate and 1/2C of nuts. thinking of adding toffee pieces next time or maple glazed bacon bits (Elvis inspiration anyone).
 
Liza P.
Liza P. October 26, 2020
these are now a go-to. nice base flavor and texture, makes this recipe easy to play with. I cut back the sugar to a little less than a cup and used only a cup of chocolate and 1/2C of nuts. thinking of adding toffee pieces next time or maple glazed bacon bits (Elvis inspiration anyone?).
 
이다은
이다은 April 20, 2020
I keep getting wet cookie bottoms. Has this ever happened to you?
 
이다은
이다은 April 20, 2020
I keep getting wet cookie bottoms. Has this ever happened to you?
 
Melissa
Melissa April 8, 2020
These are delicious! Soft cakey texture with a balance of flavor. Made them using semi-sweet Guittard chips only and Madagascar bourbon vanilla.
 
Jr0717
Jr0717 February 24, 2020
These were wonderful! I added butter-toasted pecans and used 94% dark chocolate, and they disappeared!
 
Joan M.
Joan M. August 12, 2019
Great texture, love the banana and chocolate combo. Next time I’ll reduce the sugar slightly. I’m wondering if adding another banana would mean adding more flour as the dough is already quite soft. Any suggestions?
 
Ella Q.
Ella Q. August 13, 2019
Hi Joan,

So happy to hear they're a hit! Adding another banana would definitely make the dough softer—you might want to try swapping the vanilla for bourbon to amp up the banana flavor, first.

Ella
 
Joan M.
Joan M. August 14, 2019
I’ll use bourbon and reduce sugar for the next batch, thanks Ella.
 
Stacy A.
Stacy A. June 30, 2019
Love the light texture of these cookies. Added extra banana for flavor, and the salt on top enhances the sweetness.
 
JR
JR June 9, 2019
I made these but only had two bananas and a third would have definitely amped up banana flavour. Also added 1tsp cinnamon and used 1 cup brown sugar instead of granulated (used less to cut down sugar content). These changes were made in response to previous review about lack of flavour. BUT we all love the pillowy texture of these delightfully easy cookies. Will make again!
 
bonni
bonni June 2, 2019
I wanted to like these, but in our house we all agree that they are ... meh. Maybe with buckwheat flour or ground walnuts or pecans in the batter they would be better?
 
Jr0717
Jr0717 December 18, 2019
I was tempted to try them with buckwheat flour! I think subbing in a partial amount of the AP flour with the buckwheat wouldn't affect the texture too much but might still give that deeper flavor.
 
susielou
susielou April 29, 2019
These look terrific; the combination of chocolate and bananas is my idea of great food. Question: Why is cornstarch added, and is it really needed? Thanks!
 
VFell
VFell May 22, 2019
I wonder if it is akin to using cake flour? To make the cookies softer, more like banana bread (not that quick breads use cake flour but it’s my only guess).