Chewy Banana Bread Cookies
Bakery-Style Banana Bread Cookies with Crisp Edges & Soft Chewy Centers
If you love classic banana bread but crave the texture of a bakery-style cookie, these chewy banana bread cookies are about to become your new obsession. They have perfectly crisp edges, ultra-soft centers, and a buttery brown sugar streusel topping that takes them over the top.
Think: banana bread meets a coffee shop cookie case.
This recipe makes 12 large bakery-style cookies, and yes — they’re just as incredible warm as they are at room temperature.
Why You’ll Love These Banana Bread Cookies
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Soft and chewy centers
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Slightly crisp, caramelized edges
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Real banana flavor (not overpowering)
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Buttery brown sugar streusel topping
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Perfect make-ahead dough (chill = better flavor)
The secret? Melted butter that’s slightly cooled and a full 4-hour chill before baking. That’s what gives you that chewy, rich texture.
Ingredients
For the Banana Bread Cookies
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12 tablespoons salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
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¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
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⅓ cup granulated sugar
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6 tablespoons smashed very ripe banana (from 1 medium banana)
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Brown Sugar Streusel Topping
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2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
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⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
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¼ cup all-purpose flour
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¼ teaspoon cinnamon
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Pinch of salt
How to Make Chewy Banana Bread Cookies
Step 1: Cool the Melted Butter
Melt your 12 tablespoons of salted butter.
Place it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes so it’s melted but slightly cooled — not hot.
This helps prevent greasy cookies and gives you that perfect chewy texture.
Step 2: Measure the Banana (Important!)
Mash one very ripe medium banana.
Measure out exactly 6 tablespoons of mashed banana.
Too much banana will make the cookies cakey instead of chewy — so measure carefully!
Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine:
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¾ cup packed light brown sugar
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⅓ cup granulated sugar
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Slightly cooled melted butter
Mix on low/medium for 1 minute
Add:
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2 teaspoons vanilla
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6 tablespoons mashed banana
Mix until just combined.
Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients
Combine well in a separate bowl:
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2 cups flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
Step 5: Scoop & Chill (Do Not Skip!)
Using a large ice cream scoop, form 12 large cookie dough balls.
Place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Chilling:
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Deepens the flavor
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Prevents spreading
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Creates thick, bakery-style cookies
Make the Brown Sugar Streusel
In a bowl, mix:
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⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
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¼ cup flour
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¼ teaspoon cinnamon
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Pinch of salt
Pour in:
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2 tablespoons melted salted butter
Mix thoroughly until crumbly.
Place the streusel in the refrigerator to chill alongside the cookie dough. It will firm up — that’s perfect. You’ll break it apart before using.
Assemble & Bake
Step 1: Prep the Cookies
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove cookie dough balls from the fridge.
Flatten each slightly and create a small well in the center.
Break up the chilled streusel with a fork.
Fully submerge each cookie top into the crumble mixture, pressing gently so it adheres. Coat generously.
Step 2: Bake
Place cookies on a lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 12–13 minutes.
Bake one sheet pan at a time for best results.
The edges should be lightly golden, and the centers will look slightly underdone — that’s perfect.
Drop the cookie sheet onto the counter right away to help flatten the cookies and create insane texture.
Step 3: Cool Properly
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
This allows them to set and finish baking internally.
Then transfer to a wire rack.
Tips for Perfect Bakery-Style Banana Bread Cookies
Use very ripe bananas (brown spots = flavor)
Measure banana exactly
Chill the dough the full 4 hours
Bake one sheet at a time
Don’t overbake — slightly soft centers are key
Storage Tips
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Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days
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Refrigerate up to 5 days
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Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months
They reheat beautifully for 10–15 seconds in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bananas will I need?
Most likely just 1 large-sized banana. Have 2 on hand. Measure exactly 6 tablespoons of smashed banana.
Can I make these smaller?
Yes — reduce bake time to 9–10 minutes.
Can I skip the streusel?
You can — but it truly makes them taste like banana bread in cookie form.
Final Thoughts
These chewy banana bread cookies are everything you love about banana bread — buttery, sweet, soft — transformed into thick, bakery-style cookies with crisp edges and a caramelized brown sugar crumble topping.
They’re cozy.
They’re nostalgic.
And they’re dangerously good.
If you make them, I’d love to know how they turn out!
Chewy Banana Bread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 12 tbsp salted butter melted, slightly cooled
- 3/4 c light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 c sugar
- 6 tbsp smashed banana
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 c light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 c flour
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Start by melting the 12 tablespoons of butter for the cookies. You don't want it so hot that it starts bubbling. Once it's just barely melted, place the butter in the refrigerator for 10 minutes so it slightly cools. This is an important step. Don't skip it.
- While the butter cools, measure and sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Once cooled add the melted butter along with the sugar and brown sugar to a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer. Blend for one minute. Start on low speed for 30 seconds then switch to medium speed for the final 30 seconds. The sugars should be fully dissolved into the butter and the mixture start to get slightly fluffy.
- Add the smashed banana along with vanilla and blend just until mixed in.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Once it comes together, stop mixing. You just barely want the dry ingredients incorporated. Use a rubber scraper to scrape the bottom of the bowl and fold all the ingredients together so there are no wet or dry spots.
- Using a standard ice-cream scoop, scoop 12 equal size cookies while the dough is soft. Form into balls and place on parchment paper and cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- For the streusel topping add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix well then add 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Continue mixing. It will resemble wet sand. You want everything very well mixed. Place in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set a rack to the middle position.
- Remove cookie dough balls and streusel topping from the fridge. Using a fork, break up the streusel topping. You can also use your fingers to create small crumbles of streusel. You don't want fine granules but you also don't want huge hunks. Pea size or smaller.
- Take a cookie dough ball and roll it in your hands and press the center in with your thumbs. You want to flatten it slightly and create a shallow well in the middle for the topping. The dough edges will mostly likely crack a little during this process. The consistency is like silly puddy so just press everything back together.
- First roll the edge of cookie into the streusel crumbles. Once the edge has crumbles, turn upside down and plant the top of the cookie dough into the streusel crumbles. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a pinch more streusel crumbles to the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes in rounds on the middle rack. Only bake one sheet pan at a time and don't overcrowd the pan. The cookies should have a slightly golden edge in places but look puffy and slightly underdone in the middle at the end of baking. Remove from the oven and drop the pan on the counter one time. The slam will help flatten the cookie and create even better texture.
- If you like a perfect edge, use a small bowl, turn over and cover each cookie individually. Gently swirl a few times in one direction then carefully lift the bowl up. You'll see a perfectly round cookie edge!
- Let cool on the cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature! They get chewier the longer they sit.
Chewy Banana Bread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 12 tbsp salted butter melted, slightly cooled
- 3/4 c light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 c sugar
- 6 tbsp smashed banana
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 c light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 c flour
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Start by melting the 12 tablespoons of butter for the cookies. You don't want it so hot that it starts bubbling. Once it's just barely melted, place the butter in the refrigerator for 10 minutes so it slightly cools. This is an important step. Don't skip it.
- While the butter cools, measure and sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Once cooled add the melted butter along with the sugar and brown sugar to a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer. Blend for one minute. Start on low speed for 30 seconds then switch to medium speed for the final 30 seconds. The sugars should be fully dissolved into the butter and the mixture start to get slightly fluffy.
- Add the smashed banana along with vanilla and blend just until mixed in.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Once it comes together, stop mixing. You just barely want the dry ingredients incorporated. Use a rubber scraper to scrape the bottom of the bowl and fold all the ingredients together so there are no wet or dry spots.
- Using a standard ice-cream scoop, scoop 12 equal size cookies while the dough is soft. Form into balls and place on parchment paper and cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- For the streusel topping add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix well then add 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Continue mixing. It will resemble wet sand. You want everything very well mixed. Place in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set a rack to the middle position.
- Remove cookie dough balls and streusel topping from the fridge. Using a fork, break up the streusel topping. You can also use your fingers to create small crumbles of streusel. You don't want fine granules but you also don't want huge hunks. Pea size or smaller.
- Take a cookie dough ball and roll it in your hands and press the center in with your thumbs. You want to flatten it slightly and create a shallow well in the middle for the topping. The dough edges will mostly likely crack a little during this process. The consistency is like silly puddy so just press everything back together.
- First roll the edge of cookie into the streusel crumbles. Once the edge has crumbles, turn upside down and plant the top of the cookie dough into the streusel crumbles. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a pinch more streusel crumbles to the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes in rounds on the middle rack. Only bake one sheet pan at a time and don't overcrowd the pan. The cookies should have a slightly golden edge in places but look puffy and slightly underdone in the middle at the end of baking. Remove from the oven and drop the pan on the counter one time. The slam will help flatten the cookie and create even better texture.
- If you like a perfect edge, use a small bowl, turn over and cover each cookie individually. Gently swirl a few times in one direction then carefully lift the bowl up. You'll see a perfectly round cookie edge!
- Let cool on the cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature! They get chewier the longer they sit.