Okay friends, I have been WAITING to share this recipe with you because it is genuinely a combination of my most beloved recipes on the entire blog. My brown butter chocolate chip banana bread is hands down my MOST POPULAR recipe on Munchies by Mallory, and y’all have been going absolutely crazy for my oatmeal cream pies. After the peanut butter oatmeal cream pie situation became a moment, I knew I had to keep pushing the oatmeal cookie agenda. And here we are.
These cookies are everything I love about my banana bread (the deep nutty brown butter, the cozy cinnamon warmth, those gooey chocolate pockets) packed into the chewiest, dreamiest oatmeal cookie you have ever had in your life. One bite and you will understand why I cannot stop making them. They taste like a hug. They taste like a slice of warm banana bread had a baby with the BEST chocolate chip cookie you have ever had. I am not exaggerating, this is the cookie.
If you have a sad lonely banana on your counter that is begging to be used, this is your sign. Drop everything and make these immediately. They come together in about 45 minutes total and they are SO worth every single second.
P.S. The flaky sea salt and extra chocolate chunks on top are NOT optional in this house. Trust me on this, those little finishing touches take these from amazing to life changing.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted Butter: This is the star of the show. Browning the butter is what gives these cookies their signature nutty, caramel like depth. Make sure to use unsalted so you can control the salt content yourself.
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is what gives these cookies their chewy texture and that warm molasses flavor that pairs perfectly with the banana and brown butter. We are using all brown sugar in this recipe for maximum chew.
- Uber Ripe Banana: You want a banana that is spotty, soft, and almost too far gone. The riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful your cookies will be. One medium banana should give you about 1/2 cup mashed.
- Egg and Egg Yolk: The whole egg provides structure and the extra yolk adds richness and that perfect tender texture. This combo is the secret to a cookie that is chewy in the middle and slightly crisp on the edges.
- Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract: Vanilla bean paste gives you those beautiful little flecks and a more intense vanilla flavor, but regular vanilla extract works perfectly too.
- All Purpose Flour: Your base for the cookie structure. Make sure to spoon and level your flour so you do not end up with dense cookies.
- Old Fashioned Oats: These add that classic oatmeal cookie chew and a little textural moment that makes these cookies feel hearty and substantial. Do not substitute quick oats here, you need that heartier texture.
- Cornstarch: My secret weapon for the softest, most tender cookies. Just one tablespoon makes such a noticeable difference in the final texture.
- Baking Powder: This gives the cookies just enough lift without making them cakey. We want chewy, not fluffy.
- Cinnamon: A warm cozy hit of cinnamon brings everything together and amplifies that banana bread vibe.
- Salt: Balances all the sweetness and makes every other flavor pop.
- Chopped Dark Chocolate: I always recommend chopping a chocolate bar instead of just using chips because you get these gorgeous gooey pockets and shards of chocolate throughout the cookie. The variation in size is what makes these so beautiful.
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips: A combo of chopped chocolate AND chocolate chips is the move. The chips hold their shape while the chopped chocolate melts into gooey puddles.
Substitutions and Modifications
- Milk Chocolate Swap: Swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate if you prefer a sweeter cookie.
- Gluten Free: Use gluten free 1 to 1 flour to make these gluten free.
- Add Nuts: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for a banana bread inspired crunch.
- Fall Spin: Swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice for a fall version.
- Dairy and Egg Free: Use vegan butter and a flax egg to make these dairy free and egg free.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The Ultimate Mashup: It combines the BEST parts of banana bread and oatmeal cookies into one perfect chewy cookie.
- Brown Butter Magic: The brown butter adds this incredible nutty depth that takes everything to another level.
- Banana Rescue: They use up that overripe banana that has been staring you down all week.
What Is Brown Butter and Why I Love Baking With It
Okay let me get on my soapbox for a second because brown butter is genuinely one of the BEST things to ever happen to baking. Brown butter, or beurre noisette if we want to get fancy, is regular butter that has been cooked low and slow until the milk solids toast and turn this gorgeous golden brown color. The result is a butter that smells like caramel, hazelnuts, and pure magic.
Why do I love baking with it so much? Because it adds this incredible nutty, almost butterscotch flavor that you simply cannot get any other way. It deepens every single flavor in your bake. Vanilla becomes more vanilla. Chocolate becomes more chocolatey. Cinnamon becomes warmer and cozier. It is the secret weapon behind my most popular recipes and once you start baking with it, you cannot go back.
If you have made my brown butter chocolate chip banana bread, my brown butter chocolate chip cookies, or any of my brown butter situations, you already know what I am talking about. These cookies are the natural next step in the brown butter universe and they do not disappoint. This recipe felt like an absolute no brainer to me because it brings together everything that has worked SO well on the blog into one perfect cookie.
Equipment Needed
- Small Saucepan: You need this to brown your butter low and slow. A light colored pan works best so you can actually see when the milk solids turn golden brown.
- Mixing Bowls: One for your wet ingredients and one for your dry. Nothing fancy needed here.
- Whisk and Rubber Spatula: The whisk is for combining your wet ingredients smoothly and the spatula is essential for folding in the dry batter without overmixing.
- Cookie Scoop: A 2 tablespoon cookie scoop makes this so easy and ensures every cookie bakes evenly. Even sized cookies means even baking, which is everything.
- Baking Sheet and Parchment Paper: For baking the cookies without any sticking situation.
- Biscuit Cutter or Small Bowl: This is for the optional cookie shaping step. Totally cosmetic but it makes them look so professional and pretty.
The BEST EVER Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter browned
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup mashed uber ripe banana about 1 medium banana
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces chopped dark chocolate
- ¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for topping (optional but recommended)
- Extra chocolate chunks for topping (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low to medium heat, add your unsalted butter and stir slowly and consistently. The butter will melt, then foam, then you will start to see those gorgeous brown bits forming at the bottom and smell that nutty caramel aroma. As soon as it turns golden brown, remove from heat. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, transfer your brown butter to a large mixing bowl and add your light brown sugar. Mix together for about 1 to 2 minutes until fully combined.
- Add in your mashed banana and stir until incorporated. The mixture might look a little broken at first, just keep stirring.
- Add in your egg, egg yolk, and vanilla bean paste, then mix again until smooth and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your all purpose flour, old fashioned oats, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Coarsely chop your dark chocolate bar, making sure to leave a mix of small and big chunks. This is what gives you those incredible gooey pockets throughout.
- Add your chopped dark chocolate and semi sweet chocolate chips to the dough and fold in gently until evenly distributed.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step is essential for the perfect texture, do not skip it.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into 14 equal sized balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Place on your prepared baking sheet leaving room for spreading.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly underdone. They will continue to bake on the pan.
- As soon as they come out of the oven, take a biscuit cutter or small bowl slightly larger than the cookie and wiggle it around each cookie to create a perfect circle shape. This step is totally cosmetic but it makes them look SO professional. You can absolutely skip this if you do not care about the shape.
- While the cookies are still warm, press a few extra chocolate chunks on top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. This makes them STUNNING.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Video
Storage Instructions
- Counter: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls and bake straight from frozen, just add 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time.
Tips and Tricks
- Do Not Skip the Brown Butter: This is what makes these cookies taste like absolute magic.
- Use a Very Ripe Banana: Lots of brown spots equals the deepest banana flavor.
- Chill the Dough: 30 minutes is essential for the perfect chewy texture and to prevent excessive spreading.
- Finish It Right: The biscuit cutter shaping trick and the flaky sea salt finish are what take these from great to UNREAL.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I use quick oats instead of old fashioned oats?
I really do not recommend it. Old fashioned oats give these cookies their signature hearty chew. Quick oats will absorb too much moisture and make the cookies dense.
Why do I need to brown the butter?
Brown butter is what gives these cookies their incredible nutty, caramel like depth of flavor. It completely transforms a regular cookie into something extraordinary. It is worth every extra minute.
Can I skip the chilling step?
Please do not. The 30 minute chill is what gives these cookies the perfect chewy texture and prevents them from spreading too thin. Trust the process.
My banana was bigger than 1/2 cup mashed, will it still work?
Stick as close to 1/2 cup as possible. Too much banana will make the cookies cakey instead of chewy. If you have extra mashed banana, save it for smoothies or another bake.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! You can refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours before baking. The flavor actually gets even better as it rests. You can also freeze the scooped dough balls and bake from frozen.
Why use both chopped chocolate and chocolate chips?
The chopped chocolate melts into gorgeous gooey puddles throughout the cookie while the chocolate chips hold their shape. Using both gives you the best of both worlds and the most beautiful chocolate situation.
Do you LOVE Banana Bread?! Check Out More of my Favs:
Salted Caramel Banana Crumble Buns
Salted Caramel Banana Bread Oatmeal Cream Pies
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Crumble Banana Bread (Bakery-Style Top!)
If you make these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Oatmeal Cookies, PLEASE tag me @munchiesbymallory on Instagram and TikTok! I genuinely live for seeing your bakes and it absolutely makes my whole day. I cannot wait to see your gooey chocolate pockets and flaky sea salt moments!
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