One of my favorite fruits is a good old banana. However, I only like them when they are still green, and just beginning to turn yellow… it’s a texture thing. Basically once they are ripe I can no longer enjoy them as a snack. I can (and do) bake with them though!

I tend to end up with a lot of ripe bananas because I can’t eat them fast enough when they are still green, so I try and find creative ways to use them. Of course there are the classics… banana bread, banana pancakes, smoothies, and my personal favorite: banana nut muffins.

Those are all wonderful ways to enjoy bananas, but I wanted something a little more unique. Enter my new favorite way to enjoy bananas: banana nut chocolate chip cookies. One word to describe these… AMAZING!

Banana nut muffins meet chocolate chip cookies, and it couldn’t be a better marriage of flavors. I was in heaven after the first bite, and I seriously could not stop eating these. Usually when I make desserts I taste them and then I’m done and give the rest away. Not the case with these. I found myself thinking about them throughout the day… I even ate one with my yogurt for breakfast!

Just imagine the best banana nut muffin you’ve ever had, but with chocolate, and with the texture of a cookie. Seriously, these are just plain wonderful. They are soft, with a hint of banana, and lots of texture from the oats and walnuts. Oh, and I have I mentioned the chocolate? Best. Cookie. Ever.

Next time you find yourself with some overripe (or in my case just ripe) bananas, you have to make these cookies! Be sure to have lots of milk on hand for these… it’s definitely a milk-and-cookie kind of cookie.

What are you favorite ways to use up ripe bananas?

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Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana nut muffins meet chocolate chip cookies in this amazing recipe. You won’t be able to stop eating these – I know I couldn’t!

Yield: 3 Dozen | Prep Time: 20 Min. | Cook Time: 12 Min.

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
½ Cup Whole-Wheat Flour
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 ½ Sticks Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
¾ Cup Light Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Granulated White Sugar
1 Egg
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Large Banana, very ripe and sliced
1 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats (not instant)
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
¾ Cup Chopped Walnuts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375º. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugars until pale in color. Add in the egg and mix well. Add in the vanilla extract and the banana pieces. Mix until the banana is broken up and mashed into the mixture. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add in the oats, chocolate chips, and walnuts; mix well.

Using a medium-sized (1-½ inch) ice cream scoop, drop cookies onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies at 375º for 12-14 minutes or until they are set and lightly golden around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then remove them onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Serve cookies with milk and enjoy!

Notes:

• When baking cookies, I always rotate my pans halfway through the cooking time. You don’t have to do this, but I think it produces a more consistent cookie. 
• Use a really ripe banana for this – the flavor will be much stronger. 
• These cookies don’t spread that much while baking, so you may think they aren’t done when they actually are. Once the edges are golden, they are done – they will have pale tops. The texture is amazing on these cookies… soft with a slight crunch, so don’t over bake!

Recipe Adapated From: Martha Stewart