Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (Not quick oats.)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (Softened.)
• 0.5 cup packed light brown sugar
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg (Room temperature.)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe speckled bananas
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (Coarsely chopped into roughly 1/4-inch pieces; use a baking bar rather than chocolate chips for melting chocolate pieces.)
• 0.5 cup walnuts or pecans (Coarsely chopped and toasted; use either walnuts or pecans.)

Steps

1. 1

   Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats. Set the dry mixture aside.

3. 3

   Add the softened butter and both sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or use a hand mixer. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.

4. 4

   Add the egg, vanilla extract, and mashed banana to the butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

5. 5

   Add the dry ingredients, chopped chocolate, and toasted nuts. Mix at medium speed only until combined and the flour is incorporated; do not overmix.

6. 6

   Place the bowl of dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. This chilling helps the cookies stay thick; skipping it will make them spread more.

7. 7

   Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

8. 8

   Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 inches), drop scoopfuls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Arrange no more than 8 dough balls on each sheet.

9. 9

   Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets about halfway through for even browning. The cookies are done when golden brown around the edges and set in the centers.

10. 10

    Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let them cool.

11. 11

    Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

The yield is about twenty-two 2 1/2-inch cookies when using a 1 1/2-inch scoop. To toast the nuts, bake them at 350°F for about 4 to 5 minutes, until fragrant, then remove promptly. The recipe notes that baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container, layered with wax paper, and thawed at room temperature. Raw dough balls can also be frozen and baked directly from frozen. Prep time excludes the 30-minute dough chill; the listed total includes it and uses the minimum 13-minute bake time.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cookies
• baked
• American
• vegetarian
• make-ahead
• freezer-friendly