Soft, chewy banana oat cookies made with ripe bananas, oats, and chopped chocolate. Finished with banana chip crumbles and sea salt flakes for extra texture and flavor.
Preheat the oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two half-sheet trays with parchment paper.
Prepare the banana chips: Add banana chips to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.
Chop the chocolate: Chop the chocolate bars with a large knife and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars: In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, cream butter and sugars on medium speed for about 1 minute until combined.
Add banana, extracts, and eggs: Mix in the mashed banana on low speed until just incorporated. Keeping the mixer on low, add extracts, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients: Add flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix on low speed until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Fold in the chocolate: Stir the chopped chocolate into the dough until evenly distributed.
Portion the dough: Scoop 3 tablespoons of dough and roll between your palms to form rounded balls. Place 6 dough balls on each prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced.
Bake: Bake for 8–10 minutes, rotating the trays after about 5 minutes, until the edges are just golden and the centers are set but not fully browned.
Finish and cool: Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the ground banana chips over the hot cookies. Press lightly so they adhere, then finish with sea salt flakes. Let cookies set on the sheet pans for 2–3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Sea salt flakes vs. coarse sea salt: Sea salt flakes have a delicate crunch and are pyramid-shaped, making them ideal as a finishing salt for both texture and visual appeal.
Flour choice matters: Different types of flour contain varying protein levels. For this recipe, I use Gold Medal All-Purpose Flourfor consistent structure and texture.