This banana cookie recipe came from my grandmother, Sybil Capune; she was a spry woman who made me fresh orange juice in the mornings, loved her toast burnt, and was an amazing home cook. When I inherited her recipe boxes, each filled with yellowed hand-typed note cards, I began exploring my family's culinary history. This particular recipe, now about 70 years old, is one of the best in the bunch and has become one of my favorite cookie recipes ever.
These banana cookies are what I consider to be a staple for any home. Who hasn't had plenty of instances where some bananas have gotten a bit overripe? Banana bread and muffins aren't the only way to use up ripe bananas, and these cookies are a great new alternative. With a fresh banana taste and enhanced with spices and pecans they're a perfect treat for any brown paper bag lunch.
So good, I guarantee they won't last long.
Banana Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 cups of flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives)
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.
3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.
4 Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.
Makes about 30 cookies.
