I’m sharing my Gluten-Free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe with you today. If that title sounds confusing and you think that I may have just thrown “Flour” in there accidentally, allow me to clarify.
These gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are made using banana flour. Only banana flour. No other flours or starches are needed.
![Gluten-Free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies. Delicious grain-free treats that are just soft enough and chewy enough! [from GlutenFreeEasily.com]](https://glutenfreeeasily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Gluten-Free-Banana-Flour-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-on-Plate-WM-Photo.jpg)
Are you familiar with banana flour? A few years ago, NuNaturals sent me a complimentary gift package of products to try out. A package of their banana flour was included.
I was intrigued by the idea of this grain-free flour, which is simply dried green bananas that have been finely ground. While it seems relatively new here in the U.S., apparently it’s been used for centuries in some parts of the world (e.g., Caribbean, South America, Africa, parts of Asia). Places where bananas are in abundance.
When I received the banana flour, I was sure I would use it to make some gluten-free treats but then the package got pushed to the back of my pantry and I forgot about it. I’d see it occasionally when I was moving items around in my pantry and think “Hmm, I need to use that” but then I’d forget about it again.
The green banana flour sat in my pantry for a long time. I didn’t think about it again until NuNaturals offered some as part of its prize package for March Muffin Madness.
Then I got busy with MMM and forgot about it again. When I remembered the banana flour again recently, I realized that its “best by date” had, in fact, long passed. LONG passed. (No, I am not going to tell you how out of date it was.)
I was not deterred though. The flour seemed just fine and thankfully, it was. In fact, it was better than fine. I loved it! Let me tell you why.
More About Naturally Gluten-Free Banana Flour
I’ll start with the top two reasons that I love banana flour. First, it’s not only gluten free, it’s also grain free. There’s no doubt that I do better with grain-free flour options.
Second, after eating treats made with banana flour, I didn’t get that usual sugar “buzz” or, later, sugar crash. That’s pretty remarkable, especially since there was no lack of other sugars in the recipe I used the banana flour in.
Banana flour is a light brown color. In that regard, it reminds me of cocoa powder.
Some describe banana flour as tasteless. Others describe it as slightly sweet with an earthy taste. I didn’t pick up on the latter but I did think banana flour added a tiny bit of sweetness when I used it in baking.
It’s also super fine. So be very careful when opening the package, measuring it out, and stirring it in with other ingredients. You really don’t want to waste any of it! (It can be pricey. More on this factor in a moment.)
Because banana flour is grain free, it’s obviously considered paleo friendly. It’s also considered to be a resistant starch. From what I understand, it’s called a resistance starch because it “resists” the process of being broken down into sugars, which is what most starches do. It’s thought that banana flour helps lower blood sugar levels. Banana flour is not only paleo friendly but also keto friendly can also have a place in the diet of those who eat keto style (read more here). I’ve also seen it mentioned as acceptable for the paleo autoimmune protocol (AIP).
As you would expect, banana flour is a great source of potassium. But it’s also a good source of other vitamins and minerals.
Some people like using banana flour raw—for adding to smoothies or other raw treats. I’ve read that it’s the resistant starch aspect that they really want to include in their smoothies. (I’m not up on the benefits of resistant starch but if that fact interests you, do check it out further.)
When baking with banana flour, you can leave out the xanthan gum unless your recipe also includes a grain-based flour. This is a big plus for folks who can’t tolerate xanthan gum. While I tolerate xanthan gum with no issues, I really like being able to make a recipe without adding it.
I was in the mood for my gluten-free Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies when I rediscovered my banana flour so I decided to make those using the banana flour. Per the instructions on the package, I simply substituted ¾ cup of banana flour for each cup of grain-based flour.
That substitution worked beautifully and I absolutely loved the resulting gluten-free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were just a tad softer than the grain-based version of my recipe and had just the right amount of chewiness.
![Gluten-Free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies. Delicious grain-free treats that are just soft enough and chewy enough! [from GlutenFreeEasily.com]](https://glutenfreeeasily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Gluten-Free-Banana-Flour-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-Cooling-WM-Photo.jpg)
I thought the texture offered by the banana flour was terrific and then I read later that some folks like adding small amounts of banana flour to recipes that use almond flour and/or coconut flour to improve the overall texture. And I’ve read raves over pancakes made using banana flour only. So, I’m adding those to my “must-make-with-banana-flour” list!
But back to these totally delicious gluten-free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies … Both Mr. GFE and my mom also loved these cookies. I’ll be making another batch tomorrow.
That will be my third batch in 2 weeks. That fact alone should show you just how good these cookies are! The inclusion of banana flour is a large part of why these cookies are so wonderful.
With my gfe approach, the focus is on whole foods and recipes made from them first and foremost, then some mainstream processed foods that are naturally gluten free, and last, a very few gluten-free specialty products. The gfe approach is healthier, simpler, and a less expensive way to live gluten free. In fact, if you’re living gfe, your lifestyle related to food doesn’t have to be any more expensive than anyone else’s food lifestyle.
Initially, I thought that banana flour was more expensive than any other flour that I’ve used to date. However, I’ve found that the price between brands can vary greatly—from fairly reasonable for a high-quality gluten-free flour (and comparable to other gluten-free or grain-free flours) to a price point that is out of reach for most consumers. So please do some shopping before you buy and read the reviews on individual brands. Also, take into consideration that you use less banana flour than you would other gluten-free flours.
The bottom line is that I like banana flour so much, particularly in these gluten-free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, that I will definitely be keeping it in my pantry and using it frequently in the future.
Gluten-Free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
![Gluten-Free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies. Delicious grain-free treats that are just soft enough and chewy enough! [from GlutenFreeEasily.com]](https://glutenfreeeasily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Gluten-Free-Banana-Flour-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-on-Plate-with-Napkin-Text-Photo.jpg)
You're going to love this version of my Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies that's made with healthier grain-free banana flour! Makes about 40 cookies (3 to 3 ½ inches in diameter). You can easily halve the recipe to make only about 20 cookies (3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter) if you prefer.Gluten-Free Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Charlotte Moore says
Theses look wonderful I was surprised when you said the flour was Keto friendly. Since bananas are high carb I figured this would be also.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Charlotte–Thanks! Perhaps “keto friendly” is too strong. I’m not a keto expert by any means. Banana flour is different from banana anything else because it’s made from green bananas. Leanne of Healthful Pursuit talks about consuming banana flour and its effects on ketosis here. Hope her info is more helpful than my simple statement!
Shirley
Frances says
Eventhough I live where bananas are grown and are about $3.kg. at the moment, banana flour is about $25 a kg. beyond my pension budget. Thanks.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Frances–It’s good to see you here at gfe again! Yep, that’s pretty pricey and would be outside most people’s budgets! 🙁 I have seen banana flour as inexpensive as $5 a pound online in the U.S. Still not cheap but I will use it some. I do like the fact that you can use less of it than other gf flours. That wouldn’t help much at the higher price point though.
Shirley
Sheila says
I only learned about banana flour last month and have successfully made green banana flour myself to save money. Fortunately, a local grocery store frequently stocks green bananas. Therefore, I wash, peel, slice, dehydrate, and grind them into flour using a high powdered blender. I’ve also read about people using a food processor to grind dehydrated banana slices into flour.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Sheila–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I’m not sure if Frances is still reading but thanks so much for taking the time to share your tip. Anyone with a dehydrator can definitely can go this route!
Shirley
Sheila says
You’re welcome!
Ina Gawne says
Shirley these cookies sound delicious! I have never heard of banana flour before but love the fact that it is not hard on the blood sugar levels. We use organic coconut sugar for the same reason. Must keep a look out for this flour and give this recipe a go…thanks for sharing!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Ina–Thanks! The next time I make this recipe, I plan to use coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar and brown sugar. I love using it in other recipes for baked goods but have not yet tried it in these cookies. I might start by subbing in coconut sugar for the brown sugar only and see how that goes. This first time using banana flour, I only wanted to change the one variable from my original Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies. Anyway, I do hope you find some banana flour and give it a go. I can’t wait to “play” with it more. 🙂
Shirley
Tessa Simpson says
I have used SO many flours, sup not banana flour yet! My curiosity is piqued~! Thanks Shirley,I’ll have to check it out!
Shirley Braden says
Tessa–I really hope you’ll give banana flour a try! Mostly because I’d like to see what recipes you’d create for me to try! 😉 I’m really happy to have another grain-free choice as I’ve discovered I can’t tolerate cassava flour. Boo. 🙁
Shirley
Mary Flynn says
Yes -me too on not tolerating cassava. I cannot tolerate tapioca either. Have you had a similar reaction that I have —-violently & painfully throwing up? Sorry for being graphic, but my experience was so unfriendly I wonder if others have gone through it as well. Thanks.
Also, I am very excited to try this recipe. Have a wonderful day. ~Mary
Shirley Braden says
Hi Mary–First, it looks like you’re new to gfe–welcome! 🙂 Although I’ve had the reactions you describe to gluten and a few other ingredients that I can’t tolerate in the past, I didn’t have that reaction to cassava. In my case, it was “just” bloating, cramping, and major diarrhea. I’m so sorry that you can’t tolerate these ingredients and have had such awful reactions. Both ingredients are present in so many gluten-free products. 🙁
I really hope you do fine with banana flour and enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Shirley
Mary Flynn says
Thank you for your kind reply. I look forward to checking out more of GFE.
All of the reactions we’ve listed are terrible. I liked your “just”. 😉
Shirley Braden says
You’re welcome, Mary, and thank you for the kind feedback. Yes, all of the reactions are terrible. Fear of being glutened is one reason that I’m very reluctant to try new products. I’d much rather stick to naturally gluten-free foods and recipes made from those and other recipes that use my simple Two-Ingredient Flour Mix and other flours that I have no issues with. Along those lines, I sure hope you find much more to enjoy on gfe. Thanks for being here! 🙂
Shirley
Cassidy @ Cassidy's Craveable Creations says
Thanks for the great review of banana flour, I have never even heard of it!!! You make it sound amazing, I will have to check it out – and your cookies look amazing 🙂
Shirley Braden says
Hi Cassidy–You’re welcome and thank you, dear! It’s interesting because when I first received this flour, I saw several reviews on blogs (mostly of another brand of banana flour) and then I really didn’t hear anything more. In doing my research for this post, I did find quite a few recipes on paleo, paleo AIP, and keto sites but I’d still say that not too many in the U.S. seem to be using it. I love it so much that I wish it came in bigger, economy-type packages! I will be interested to hear what you think when you do give it a try. 🙂
Shirley
Judee says
Shirley,
I never heard of banana flour but I love the idea that it is grain free. Most have it’s own natural sweetness as well. Your cookies look delicious and very tempting. I’ve been in the mood for sweets lately and chocolate chip cookies would be perfect!!
Shirley Braden says
Judee–I think you will really love banana flour! Such a good point about most grain-free flours having a bit of their own natural sweetness. Now that I’ve made this recipe the original way (just subbing in banana flour and not changing anything else), I look forward to playing with the recipe more to make it healthier (e.g., refined sugar free). IMO, this recipe can only get better. While I’ve enjoyed other grain-free chocolate chip cookie recipes, my family has long been addicted to these cookies in particular and I’m thrilled that the grain-free version tastes indistinguishable from the original!
Shirley
Linda says
Swooning over those gently rippled edges. Cookie perfection, Shirley. Must get some banana flour now!
Shirley Braden says
Thanks so much! As the writer and recipe creator behind Free Range Cookies, I’m not surprised that you appreciated those yummy edges, Linda! I know that some like to use a cookie scoop to get perfectly round bakery style cookies but I go crazy over these one-of-a-kind homemade cookies! I will be excited to see what you create with banana flour when you start experimenting with it, Linda. 🙂
Shirley
christina says
What can i substitute butter and eggs with? I can’t have dairy or eggs.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Christina–Good to see you here on gfe again. 🙂 As I noted in the recipe, Earth Balance Buttery Spread (soy-free version) can be subbed for the butter. However, I’ve never made this recipe with an egg substitute. I’ve read that it can be difficult to make banana flour recipes egg free with good results. I would recommend trying either a commercial egg replacer or flax gel eggs. I would also recommend halving the recipe so you only have to substitute for one egg. That way if the egg substitute does not work, you won’t have lost too much. If you are pleased with the egg substitution results, then you can try the recipe as shown substituting for two eggs in the future. Fingers crossed! Please come back and let us know your results. Thanks!
Shirley
April J Harris says
I had never heard of banana flour, Shirley! I’m so interested to learn about it – and these cookies look delish! Thank you so much for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Hope to ‘see’ you again this week!
Shirley Braden says
Thanks, April! I do think you would really enjoy this flour and these cookies! I couldn’t get my act together for Hearth and Soul this week but I hope to next week for sure. I appreciate you always being there with Hearth and Soul so I can share my recipes and other posts when I’m on the ball. 😉
Shirley
April J Harris says
No worries, Shirley! It’s hard to keep up with everything every week! I’m going to be at a family wedding in Montreal over the weekend and at the beginning of next week, so Hearth and Soul is having a week break, but we’ll be back on 25th June, celebrating H&S’s 8th anniversary, Hope to see you there!
Shirley Braden says
Thanks for the heads up, April! Have a fabulous time in Montreal! Congrats on the upcoming Hearth and Soul anniversary—woohoo!!
Shirley
April J Harris says
Thank you so much, Shirley!
Nancy says
I first saw banana flour at the grocery store in Ecuador while shopping for yuca/tapioca flour. Though I was intrigued I didn’t buy any– not knowing how I would use it. While this recipe is appearing quite a bit after that fact, they sound yummy. Think I might play around with using fresh plantains though and see if I can come up with something. Plantains are widely available and cheap in Florida. Thanks for the idea!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Nancy–Interesting on seeing banana flour in Ecuador. I can understand not buying it, especially given the fact that my own bag sat for so long. Also, I’m sure that playing around with plantains will be interesting but know that fresh plantains will be very different from banana flour which is made from dried green bananas. I’ve seen quite a few paleo recipes that use plantains though so I’m sure you’ll come up with something great!
Shirley
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
I’ve never heard of banana flour! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner Party.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Helen–Most have not heard of banana flour. It’s become one of my very favorite naturally gluten-free flours! Happy to share it at What’s for Dinner, of course. 🙂
Shirley
Lauren says
My kids and I made these last night and they are amazing!!! I used dark brown sugar and coconut sugar. My husband, who hates bananas, loved them and still has no idea that I used that flour! The recipe made a ton of cookies too! So happy I found this recipe!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Lauren–First, it looks like you’re new here at gfe–welcome!! Second, woohoo on your success with these cookies! I especially love the fact that your banana-hating husband still enjoyed these cookies so much. I know that other folks who feel the same way that he does have been very reluctant to give this recipe a try. I’ll have to share your review on my gfe Facebook page later to encourage more readers to do so. 😉 Which brand of banana flour did you use to make your cookies?
Thanks,
Shirley
Lauren says
I used the Let’s Do Organic brand that I got from Thrive Market?
Deb says
I made these and they were a crumbly mess! And tasted so under ripe banana-y! Thy looked nothing liked texture in pic and were falling apart! I am god in the kitchen and I can’t figure out what went wrong?!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Deb–I’m sorry your cookies didn’t turn out. What brand of banana flour did you use?
Shirley
Lauren says
Made this and they turned out so yummy! Super chewy and tasty, its like eating banana bread but in the form of a cookie. Very happy!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Lauren–Welcome to gfe! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know how your cookies turned out! I’m so glad you enjoy these cookies so much. I do as well. May I ask what brand of banana flour you used?
Thanks,
Shirley
Lauren says
2
I used Let’s do organic organic green banana flour 🙂
Shirley Braden says
Thanks so much for letting me know, Lauren! I plan to do some more baking with banana flour over the holidays. 🙂
Aperalta says
I am not a great Baker. At all! The cookies were flat but I knew that going in since I melted my butter and didn’t get the butter consistency right. The flavor was amazing! I could just eat the batter. And the cookies were just as good!! This is a huge win for me! Thank you!
Shirley Braden says
Welcome to gfe! I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies. Banana flour is a very fun flour to use. And flattened cookies are fine with me as long as they’re tasty. 😉
Shirley
Sarah says
These cookies sound delicious! Have you ever tried using coconut butter in place of the butter? Do you think they would still turn out okay?
Shirley Braden says
Hi Sarah–It looks like you’re new here. Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Honestly, my expectations are that coconut butter could not be simply substituted for the butter in this recipe. However, I’ve seen others saying that such a substitution can work in recipes. If you give it a try, please report back on how it turns out.
Shirley
Cara says
FINALLY! An amazing gluten free chocolate chip cookie! I used half the brown sugar and just 1 stick plus 2 TBSP butter and they were sooooooo good. I pulled some batches out of the oven halfway and banged the pan on the counter to flatten them so we could have some that were crispy. Thank you for this recipe!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Cara–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I’m so happy that you made a variation of this recipe that works for you and created amazing results!! Thanks for sharing your changes with us, too.
Shirley
Jane Thompson says
i made these today and they maybe did not have enough of the banana flour. They were more like a Florentine than a chocolate chip cookie. Still delicious. I will try adding more flour next time. I cut the recipe in half since i was testing it. any tips? Has anyone else gotten totally flat results?
Shirley Braden says
Hi Jane–First, it looks like you’re new here—welcome to gfe! 🙂 While these cookies are admittedly flat cookies (as you can see in the photos), they shouldn’t really be Florentines. These cookies are simply a banana flour version of this recipe) for which I followed the recommendation on the package and substituted ¾ cup of banana flour for each cup of grain-based flour. (The original recipe used a total of 2 cups of gluten-free flour mix.) Did you use a brand of banana flour other than NuNaturals? I suspect that there can also be variations in baking results due to banana flour brands, as there are with coconut flour. I’d try adding a little more flour and then baking one or two to check out the results before you use the whole bowl of batter. You may have to adjust the flour amount as you test. Crossing my fingers that you’ll have great results next time!
Shirley
Colleen says
Have you tried this yet with coconut sugar? I’d be interested to know how that turned out and what your substitution amounts were. I’d love to use less refined white sugar in my baking.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Colleen–First, it looks like you’re new here. Welcome to gfe! 🙂 While I have not made this recipe using coconut sugar, readers have. One commented on Pinterest that she subbed in ghee for the butter and used all coconut sugar. She said: “Used ghee. Used all coconut sugar. It was softer but with a slight crispiness and very tasty.” I would recommend starting out baking a few cookies and if they seem too soft, adding a pinch more banana flour (literally only a pinch) to the batter and see if that firms them up sufficiently. Good luck! Please report back if you give it a try!
Shirley
Candice says
Wow! These were amazing just like regular flour chocolate chip cookies!! My kids loved them!!! I used coconut sugar in place of brown and it worked well. A little to sweet for my taste though. I’ll have to reduce the sugar next time.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Candice–It looks like you’re new here–welcome to gfe! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed these cookies so much. Banana flour is wonderful; isn’t it? Last, I do love using coconut sugar in recipes like this one, and cutting back on the amount a bit is an easy fix.
Shirley
SHERYL L FALCETTONI says
I did try it… it was more of a brownie than cookies. It had a fabulous flavor. I’m trying it again tonight with added oatmeal, strawberry sauce, walnuts and molasses. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Sheryl–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Your new version sounds a lot more complex! I’m sorry your first attempt didn’t work out exactly as planned. I’m curious though … did you make any changes? did you use the same banana flour and other ingredients that I did?
Can’t wait to hear more. Thanks!
Shirley
Shirley Braden says
Darned autocorrect. Sorry about your first name being messed up. 🙁 It’s fixed now!
Heather Smith says
Thank you for this recipe! There’s a local lady nearby who makes green banana flour, and I’m always looking for ideas. Although I took a lot of liberties with the recipe, it was a great starting point.
I only used 1 egg instead of 2, and a 1/2cup of butter. As a replacement, I added about a 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce. I completely omitted the granulated sugar, and added a couple tablespoons of cocoa. I’m more of a bittersweet type. These turned out great! Crispy around the edges, and soft and chewy just like I like them! I’ll definitely be making more of these in the future!
Shirley Braden says
Hi Heather–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 How intriguing that you have a local source of green banana flour! I’m guessing that you aren’t located in the U.S. 😉 I love that you made changes to make this recipe work for you but still maintained the crispy edges and chewy centers as that’s definitely the hallmark of this cookie! As soon as I get some applesauce, I’m definitely going to try your adaptation. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Shirley