Description
These Banana Drop Cookies are soft, moist, and bursting with banana flavor, perfect for a quick and delicious treat. Made with simple pantry staples and lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, they’re easy to whip up and bake in under 30 minutes. Optional vanilla icing adds a sweet finishing touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
Optional Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. This combines and aerates the dry ingredients for an even texture.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar and packed brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This process incorporates air, creating tender cookies.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar mixture until fully combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Bananas: Stir the mashed ripe bananas into the wet mixture, blending thoroughly to ensure even banana flavor throughout the dough.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, stirring just until combined to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the cookies.
- Drop Dough: Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow spreading during baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn a light golden color, indicating they are cooked through but still soft inside.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Optional Icing: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies for added sweetness and presentation.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for maximum sweetness and flavor.
- Do not overmix the dough to keep the cookies tender.
- Optional icing adds sweetness, but cookies are delicious plain as well.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
