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These Banana Oatmeal Cookies are soft, chewy cookies made with oats, mashed banana, cinnamon and honey. I love to add chocolate chips for a little extra sweetness. Chopped nuts are a delicious optional mix-in, too!

Cookies stacked on a plate with bananas in the background.

One of my favorite afternoon treats is a cookie and a cup of tea. Lately I’ve been enjoying these banana oatmeal cookies, and I think you’ll love them too. The dough for this easy recipe is mixed up by hand, no electric mixer needed. It’s the perfect recipe to bake with kids in the kitchen, and mine often ask to help. They’re great at scooping, pouring the ingredients and mixing the dough!

I love that these healthy cookies are made with wholesome ingredients, including rolled oats, flaxseed and whole wheat flour instead of white flour. They’re sweetened with mashed banana and honey, instead of refined sugars. I’ve even been known to eat a couple of these banana oatmeal cookies for breakfast. They’re just sweet enough and the chewy texture is irresistible.

The baked cookies freeze wonderfully, and they’re perfect for adding to school lunchboxes. My kids gobble them up, and having a stash of these in my freezer makes school lunch packing just a bit easier. They can go straight from freezer to lunchbox, and they’ll defrost by snack or lunch time.

Banana chocolate chip cookies stacked on a white plate.

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Old-Fashioned Oats: I love the chewy texture that old fashioned oats give to these cookies. You can substitute quick oats, they’ll just change the texture of the cookies a bit.
  • Whole Wheat Flour: You can substitute all-purpose flour if that’s all you have on hand.
  • Ground Flaxseed: Flaxseed adds fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Be sure to use ground flaxseed (sometimes called flaxseed meal), not whole flaxseed.
  • Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Vanilla: These complement the banana flavor.
  • Baking Soda and Salt: Baking soda makes the cookies puff up a bit as they bake, and salt enhances all of the flavors.
  • Banana: The banana adds natural sweetness and moisture.
  • Honey: To sweeten the cookie dough. Maple syrup works well as a substitute.
  • Butter: For moisture and flavor. You can substitute melted coconut oil for dairy-free cookies.
  • Egg: Helps the dough hold together and provides moisture.
  • Chocolate Chips: For little bursts of sweetness throughout the cookies. I love to use dark chocolate chips. Mini chocolate chips would also work well here.
  • Chopped Walnuts, if you want! I prefer these with the nuts, but the rest of my family likes them without.

Tip: Use Very Ripe Bananas

The secret to making the best banana cookies is to use very ripe bananas. Ripe, brown-spotted bananas are extra sweet, and this sweet banana flavor will come through in the baked cookies. Looking for more ripe banana recipes? Try my Healthy Banana Muffins or Healthy Banana Bread.

How to Make Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Here is an overview of how to make this recipe. Find the full printable recipe with ingredient measurements below.

Stir together the dry ingredients in one mixing bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Then combine them together.

Dry ingredients combined in mixing bowl.
Wet ingredients added to dry ingredients in mixing bowl.

Add the chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Chocolate chips added to bowl with cookie dough.
Cookie dough scooped onto baking sheet.

Scoop the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

Recipe Tips

  • The dough will be fairly moist. Use a spoon to scoop heaping tablespoon sized portions onto the baking sheet and then use your fingers to gently shape the cookies.
  • Use your hand to flatten the cookies slightly before baking. They won’t flatten on their own in the oven.
Close up of banana oatmeal cookies stacked on a plate.

Recipe Variations

  • Nuts: Add chopped walnuts or pecans, or leave them out – it’s up to you! I like to toast the nuts in a skillet before adding them to the cookie dough.
  • Raisins: Use them in place of the chocolate chips, or add both!
  • Coconut: Try adding coconut flakes to the cookie dough. You can toast the coconut in a skillet to bring out its nutty flavor.
  • For gluten-free cookies, substitute oat flour for the whole wheat flour and use certified gluten-free oats. You can make your own oat flour by processing oats in a food processor until finely ground. I’ve made these cookies using homemade oat flour and they turn out great.

How to Store and Freeze

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. These banana oatmeal cookies freeze wonderfully. Once cool, freeze them in an airtight container, such as a zip-top bag with the air squeezed out, for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature or using the defrost setting of a microwave.

Banana chocolate chip cookies stacked on a white plate.

More Healthy Cookie Recipes

You’ll often find me in the kitchen baking a batch of one of these cookie recipes!

Banana chocolate chip cookies stacked on a white plate.
5 from 1 rating

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Servings: 36 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
These Banana Oatmeal Cookies are made with oats, mashed banana, cinnamon and honey. I love to add chocolate chips for extra sweetness; the chocolate-banana combo is so good! Raisins and walnuts are also delicious in these healthy cookies. They freeze wonderfully for quick grab-and-go snacks.
Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour , or oat flour*
  • ½ cup ground flaxseed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 3 medium bananas
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chocolate chips, mini or regular size
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together mashed banana, honey, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined.
  • Gently stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using. The dough will be moist.
  • Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Use your fingers to gently flatten each cookie a little, since they won't flatten on their own during baking.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes, until set and barely golden. (If baking more than one pan at a time, be sure to rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.) Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • You can make your own oat flour in your food processor. For 1 cup of oat flour, process 1 heaping cup of old-fashioned oats until finely ground, about 1 minute.
  • Nutrition estimate includes the optional walnuts.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 95kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 53mg, Potassium: 98mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 51IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert, Healthy Dessert, Snack
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