Alright, I know you wonder why bananas at the end of December? I debated on the cookie of the week while looking at my counter. Four lonely bananas were just staring at me, turning browner by the day. Knowing I would not be able to eat all four bananas before they were too ripe, I decided to make banana cookies.
Bananas are a great source of potassium and vitamins B6 and C. If you would like to read more about all the benefits of bananas, I am providing a link to Healthline.
Ingredients You Will Need
Jump to Recipe for Amounts- Butter unsalted - I have found the most consistent butter taste and quality is Land-O-Lake.
- Cream Cheese - My favorite is Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- Light brown sugar - I used light brown instead of dark brown since I did not want too strong of a molasses taste for my cookies.
- Sugar white
- Vanilla bean paste - If you do not have any on hand, you can use vanilla extract. The difference is the paste has vanilla bean specks.
- Egg
- Bananas - I used bananas that had some spotting on the skin but not solid dark brown skins.
- All-purpose flour - My go-to flour is King Authur All-Purpose Flour.
- Baking powder
- Kosher Salt
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip
- Caramel Chips with Sea Salt
- Macadamia nuts
Instructions
Weigh or measure your light brown and white sugars into one bowl and set it aside. Then, in another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, salt, baking powder, and run a whisk through to blend. Finally, take the two bananas and mash them with a fork.
Add the butter and cream cheese into your mixer bowl and mix until they are incorporated. Now add the sugars and blend on medium speed for two to three minutes. Next, add the vanilla bean paste, egg, and mashed bananas.
Scrape down the bowl sides, turn the mixer to a low speed, and gradually add the flour mixture. Don't overmix. You only need to mix for a minute or until most of the flour is mixed through. Finally, add the chocolate and caramel chips, combining for 30 seconds or less. Use a spatula to make sure the chips are evenly distributed.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat your oven to 350°. Take a medium cookie scooper and scoop 12 mounds onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan. I add two macadamia nuts pressed lightly into the top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Ensure the tops of the cookies are not shiny before pulling the pan from the oven.
Leave them on the pan for a minute before moving them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Storage
As with any cookie that has fresh fruit, do not seal them in an enclosed container. I also add a piece of parchment paper or wax paper between layers if I am stacking them in any container. I usually just lay the lid a little off-center so the cookies get some air. These cookies will last between 5-7 days.
Banana with Chocolate and Caramel Chip Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted 1 stick room temperature
- 4 oz (113.4 g) Cream Cheese softened
- ½ cup (110 g) Light brown sugar 106 g
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar white 99 g
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla bean paste
- 1 (1 ) Egg
- 2 (2 ) ripe mashed Bananas
- 2-¾ cups (62.5 g) All-purpose flour 330 g
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- ¾ cup (131.25 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip
- ¾ cup (219 g) Caramel Chips with Sea Salt
- ½ cup (67 g) Macadamia nuts Optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, mash with a fork two ripe bananas and set aside. Weigh or measure the light brown and white sugar into another bowl and set it aside. In the last bowl, weigh or measure the flour, salt, baking powder, and run a whisk through to blend.
- Add the butter and cream cheese to a mixer bowl and on at medium speed blend for 2 to 3 minutes. If the butter or cream cheese is still really cold, it will take the full 3 minutes. It should be smooth looking not chalky. Add both sugars and mix for another 2 minutes. I stop and scrape down the sides and across the bottom before adding the vanilla bean paste, mashed bananas, and the 1 egg. Mix till the egg and bananas look incorporated. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour mixture. I turn off the mixer and scrape the sides and across the bottom before adding the caramel and chocolate chips. Turn on the mixer for about 30 seconds to blend the chips through the cookie dough. Cover lightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°, and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a medium-size cookie scooper, scoop 12 mounds onto a cookie pan. I take 2 pieces of macadamia nuts and press them lightly into the top of each cookie mound. This is entirely optional, but I love banana and macadamia nuts together. Bake for 10-12 minutes (mine were done at 11 minutes). I look to see if any cookies still have a shiny top; if they do, let them in for another minute. Leave them on the pan for a minute or two after pulling them from the oven before moving them to a cooling rack. This recipe makes about 2-½ dozen.
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