When my sister, Cindy, and her family were visiting a few weeks ago, I was able to spend a little one-on-one time with my three-year-old niece, Lyla, while Cindy and my mom ran to the post office. Lyla has quite the sweet tooth (like everyone else in our family!) so naturally, we decided to make some treats together. When I asked her what she wanted to make, she said:
“Chocolate chip cookies! . . . With Bananas!”
And whatever Lyla says goes when she’s with me (yes, I’m quite the pushover at times when it comes to my nieces and nephews), and, let’s be honest…who could say no to a face like this?
![IMG_2458[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.clarkscondensed.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/IMG_24581.jpg)
Anyways, on we went, and our delicious banana chocolate chip cookies were created!
I have to say, cooking is SO much more fun with kids. They get so, so excited about every step. And, you are totally their hero for letting them help. Two of my other nieces, Alexis and Tori, always say they like to cook with me, because my first rule of cooking is eat as you go (as opposed to my mom’s — clean-up as you go!) Even Jack absolutely loves helping me cook and bake. Whenever I start to get out cooking supplies, he immediately grabs a chair and drags it over to where our cooking station is. No son of mine will leave our home not knowing how to cook!
Anyways, for these cookies, I just took the base chocolate chip cookie recipe that my mom makes (which is AMAZING, by the way. I’ll share it on another day) and modified it ever-so-slightly to make it a little healthier, and then threw in some bananas. The result? Super soft, yummy cookies, with a slight hint of banana to them. To be honest, they reminded me of Chips Ahoy (not the crunchy ones, but the chewy ones) and I couldn’t get enough of them.
So if you are ever in a rut, and need some inspiration for a new recipe, I’d recommend including a little one; they come up with the best ideas!
Also, one of my favorite cookie making tools is a cookie scoop — seriously, it is worth the investment. I really like this OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop (affiliate link)!
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup white flour
- 1/2 cup wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large banana
- 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chpis
Instructions
- Preheat to 345 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cream the first five ingredients with a hand or stand mixer. Add in the flour salt, baking and baking soda, banana, and mix again. Finally, add in the entire bag of chocolate chips.
- Using a one tablespoon measuring spoon (or cookie scoop around the same size), place cookies on a greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 minutes, and cool on paper towels.
Katie is a Colorado-native, BYU graduated, and most importantly, wife to one and mother to three beautiful boys. She is passionate about sharing her experiences with others – especially about pregnancy, breastfeeding, cooking, and crafts. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She loves spending time with her family and helping others find joy in family life.
Jen says
Thanks for the recipe. Made them yesterday and my hubby loved them. He likes a soft cookie, and I’ve not been very successful at that, but these are perfect. I did use mini semi-sweet chocolate chips because I didn’t have regular ones, but he thought they were perfect and preferred them.
Thanks, again. This gives me another cookie to make for my niece and nephew when they visit!
Just curious why you cool on paper towels. I just used cookie racks, but I wondered if there was a good reason to use paper towels instead?
Katie says
Thanks so much for letting me know you made them! Mini chocolate chips are always a good choice 🙂
And honestly, I only do it because my mom always does it with these cookies…and she only does it because the recipe she got said to! haha
Brenna @ Life After Laundry says
My son loves Bananas, so putting them in cookies would be a big treat for him.