These banana oat chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with the sweet flavour of ripe bananas and melty dark chocolate. They’re an easy and delicious way to use up overripe bananas, using simple pantry staple ingredients. A little like banana bread, but in cookie form.
I like to think that I love all the cookie recipes on my website equally, but there is just something about these banana oat cookies with chocolate chips that I adore. I think it’s because I like to store them in the freezer and then give them a zap in the microwave to defrost them and give them that warm, fresh from the oven taste. It’s so delicious!
These cookies are basically just banana bread but with the chewiness of oats and the deliciousness of chocolate chips. They are soft in the middle with beautifully crispy edges and are perfect when you want to eat something sweet but also want it to fill you up on more than just sugar.
I don’t know whether this could be officially considered a breakfast cookie or not but if you were ever going to get away with eating a cookie for breakfast, this would be the one.
👩🍳Recipe Testing Notes
I don’t often include these notes, but when testing these cookies, the recipe originally contained an egg and less banana and was a total fail.
The thing is, the banana itself actually acts much the same as an egg (just like in my banana choc chip cookies) so by removing it and increasing the amount of banana, it allowed me to create a cookie that is egg-free and contains loads of real banana flavour. Yum!
Key Ingredients
These vegan banana oat cookies use simple, everyday ingredients that you may even have in your pantry right now!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Bananas – it’s important for the taste and texture of these cookies that you use overripe, spotty bananas.
- Dairy free butter – use a quality dairy-free butter substitute here for the best flavour. I love and always use Nuttelex Buttery which is an Australian product. In the US, the closest alternative is Earth Balance which I understand to be very similar.
- Brown sugar – adds flavour, sweetness and also helps keep the cookies soft and chewy in texture.
- Vanilla extract – always, to enhance the other flavours.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
- Ground cinnamon – you can skip it but I recommend adding just a little cinnamon because banana and cinnamon belong together!
- Bicarbonate of soda – also known as baking soda in the US. We add just a little bit to help the cookies puff up and spread slightly so they are soft and not like rocks.
- Rolled oats – you want to use the old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe not the quick cooking kind.
- Chocolate – I like to use a block of dark chocolate chopped up but you can also use dark chocolate chips.
Step-By-Step Instructions
These are such an easy cookie to make but I will let you know that I do recommend chilling the dough for at least 1-2 hours, so make sure you plan for that. The chilling time allows for the melted butter to aborb into the dry ingredients and helps prevent the cookies from overspreading while simultaneously ensuring a more flavourful cookie.
So don’t skip the chilling time!
Step 1: Start by mashing the banana in the bowl of a large mixing bowl. Add in the brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla, then whisk until well combined.
Step 2: To the same bowl, sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix to combine. It should have a batter-like consistency.
Step 3: Add the rolled oats and mix through with a spatula until fully combined.
Step 4: Finally, add in the chocolate and mix through until evenly distributed. Set the cookie dough aside in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill.
Step 5: Preheat the oven while the dough is chilling and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Get your cookie dough out of the fridge and using a cookie scoop if you have one, scoop out about 3 tablespoons worth of dough per cookie.
Gently roll the cookie dough into balls and place on the baking sheet, pressing them down slightly so they are like flat disks.
Step 6: Bake the cookies in batches as needed for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
👉Tip! For perfect looking cookies, as soon as the cookies have been removed from the oven, use a spoon or a large round cookie cutter that fits over the cookie, to gently shape the cookie back into a circle. This only works if the cookies are still soft so needs to be done immediately before they start to cool.
Step 7: Let the cookies cool on the tray for about 10 minutes to firm up before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to store cookies
Once cooked, these banana oat choc chip cookies will be fine in an airtight container for about 2-3 days in a cool area. If you are in a humid environment then the cookies may go sticky so it’s best to store them in the fridge.
These cookies also freeze perfectly. Just place cooled cookies in a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, either let come to room temperature or zap them in the microwave for 30 seconds and get that warm, freshly baked cookie taste (my favourite).
You can also make the dough the day before and leave in the fridge overnight before baking. If the dough is too firm, just let rest on the bench for 15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! Add dried fruit or try nuts such as walnuts or chopped almonds.
Yes is my recommendation. This is because chilling helps the oats absorb some of the moisture from the melted butter which not only makes the dough easier to handle, it prevents them from overspreading in the oven. This process of absorption also helps enhance the overall flavour of the cookies.
If you’re short on time, you can bake them straight away, just note that they’ll spread more and be thinner not thick and chewy.
You want to use super ripe bananas that are dark and spotty. This is what is going to give the best flavour to the cookies. Perfectly ripe bananas like you’d have on your smoothie bowl just won’t work the same here.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More vegan banana recipes:
The BEST Vegan Banana Bread
Vegan Banana Walnut Muffins
Banana & Oat Bread
Banana Pancakes (Vegan, GF)
Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 mashed bananas about 1 cup
- 1 cup (250 grams) dairy free butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups plain flour/all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla, then whisk until well combined.
- Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until just incorporated.
- Use a spatula to fold through the rolled oats, then mix in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This helps the dough firm up and makes it easier to handle.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place them onto the prepared tray, leaving a little space between each one. Lightly press down to flatten and shape with your hands if needed. The dough will still be sticky, and that’s perfectly fine.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The cookies will be soft when you remove them from the oven but will firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in June 2020 and has been updated in 2025 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same.
Alex says
These look absolutely wonderful, Sally! I just made myself a cup of coffee, and these are definitely what is missing!
Sally says
These would be so perfect for that!
Megan Ellam says
Oh damn these look amazing! Thanks Sally for another amazing recipe.
Sally says
Glad you like them Megan!
Jaimie says
These just look like they have the PERFECT amount of chew factor! Definitely trying this instead of banana bread with my next batch of overripe bananas. Awesome!
Sally says
I love banana bread, but it’s always good to try something a bit different!
Sarah says
Yum! I always end up with extra over ripe bananas when kids decide they don’t want them after all.
These look delicious and make a great alternative to making banana bread 🙂
Sally says
I think I am your kids, because that’s exactly what happens to me haha!
Gavin Sutherland says
Banana in a cookie – this is genius! Especially when my kid demands I buy bananas and decides not to eat them. I almost feel healthy eating chocolate!!
Sally says
Totally!
Sylvie says
Banana, Oats and Chocolate is such a great combo – especially when mixed together into a cookie! Yuuum!
Sally says
Thanks Sylvie!