Chef Dean
Almond Butter Cookies
Buttery, sandy-textured cookies crowned with whole blanched almonds, delivering old-fashioned elegance through honest technique and quality butter. The kind of cookie that earns its place on holiday platters.
Culinary Explorer
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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
Created by
Soft, chewy oatmeal cookies enriched with peanut butter and ripe banana, striking the perfect balance between wholesome and indulgent. The kind of cookie you can justify at breakfast and still crave after dinner.
Pastries & Cookies
American
Make Ahead
Batch Cooking
15 min
Active Time
12 min cook•27 min total
Yield24 cookies
American home bakers have always known how to make something wonderful from what's already in the kitchen. These cookies exist because someone looked at overripe bananas, a jar of peanut butter, and a canister of oats and saw possibility. That's the genius of American baking: resourceful, practical, and delicious without apology.
The banana does double duty here. It provides moisture that keeps these cookies soft for days, and it contributes enough natural sweetness that you can ease back on the sugar without anyone noticing. The peanut butter brings its characteristic richness and that slight stickiness that makes a cookie feel substantial. Together with old-fashioned oats, they create something that genuinely straddles the line between treat and sustenance.
I've seen these cookies packed into lunchboxes, served at bake sales, grabbed by the handful before morning runs, and plated alongside afternoon coffee. They belong everywhere. The dough comes together in one bowl, requires no chilling, and bakes in twelve minutes. This is the cookie you make when you want something honest and good without ceremony.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
ripe bananas
Quantity
2 large (about 1 cup mashed)
creamy peanut butter
Quantity
1 cup
light brown sugar
Quantity
1/2 cup
packed
egg
Quantity
1 large
pure vanilla extract
Quantity
1 teaspoon
old-fashioned rolled oats
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
Quantity
3/4 cup
baking soda
Quantity
1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Quantity
3/4 cup
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| ripe bananas | 2 large (about 1 cup mashed) |
| creamy peanut butter | 1 cup |
| light brown sugarpacked | 1/2 cup |
| egg | 1 large |
| pure vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| old-fashioned rolled oats | 1 1/2 cups |
| all-purpose flour | 3/4 cup |
| baking soda | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| ground cinnamon | 1/2 teaspoon |
| semisweet chocolate chips (optional) | 3/4 cup |
Equipment Needed
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Two rimmed baking sheets
- •Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Cookie scoop or tablespoon measure
Instructions
- 1
Prepare oven and pans
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. The parchment prevents sticking and makes cleanup simple.
If you only have one baking sheet, bake in batches. These cookies spread slightly, so they need the space. - 2
Mash the bananas
Peel the bananas into a large mixing bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork until almost smooth. A few small lumps are fine. You want bananas that are heavily spotted, nearly brown. Underripe bananas lack the sweetness and moisture this recipe depends on.
- 3
Mix wet ingredients
Add the peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla to the mashed banana. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until the mixture is uniform and slightly glossy. The peanut butter will resist at first but keep working it. You'll know it's ready when no streaks remain.
Use a peanut butter that requires stirring (where the oil separates) for the best flavor. If using no-stir varieties, the cookies will be slightly sweeter. - 4
Add dry ingredients
Add the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon directly to the bowl. Fold everything together until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. The dough will be thick and sticky, somewhere between cookie dough and a stiff batter. If using chocolate chips, fold them in now with a few final strokes.
- 5
Portion the dough
Using a tablespoon measure or small cookie scoop, drop rounded portions onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about two inches apart. These cookies spread modestly, so twelve per standard sheet works well. Press each mound gently with your palm or the back of the spoon to flatten slightly. They won't spread much on their own.
- 6
Bake until golden
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges turn golden brown and the tops look set but still slightly soft. They'll appear underdone in the center. Trust this. They firm as they cool.
Start checking at 10 minutes. Overbaked cookies become dry rather than chewy. Pull them when you think they need another minute. - 7
Cool properly
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This sets their structure. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Resist eating them straight from the oven if you can manage it. They need those few minutes to become themselves.
Chef Tips
- •The ripeness of your bananas matters enormously. Look for skins that are more brown than yellow, heavily spotted at minimum. Frozen and thawed bananas work beautifully and are often sweeter than fresh.
- •For a nuttier texture, toast the oats in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Cool completely before adding to the dough.
- •These cookies freeze exceptionally well. Layer them between parchment in an airtight container. They thaw at room temperature in 15 minutes or can go straight from freezer to lunchbox.
- •Swap the chocolate chips for raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped walnuts depending on your preference. Or leave them out entirely. The base cookie stands on its own.
- •For a more decadent version, use chunky peanut butter and add a quarter cup of honey. The texture becomes chewier and the flavor deeper.
Advance Preparation
- •Dough can be portioned and refrigerated on the baking sheet, covered, for up to 24 hours. The chilled dough spreads less and produces a thicker cookie.
- •Baked cookies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The banana keeps them moist longer than most cookies.
- •Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Freeze portioned unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months; bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 cookie (about 45g)
Calories
155 calories
Total Fat
7 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
5 g
Cholesterol
8 mg
Sodium
88 mg
Total Carbohydrates
19 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
8 g
Protein
5 g
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