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Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies … and, well, true confessions (of a sort) …

Don't be misled by this less than stellar photo. These Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are awesome. Especially hot out of the oven. [from GlutenFreeEasily.com] (photo)

I am one of those “old school” people who hates to waste food. Many of our leftovers get used for breakfasts or lunches, of course. But, if there are just a few green peas left or a smidgen of taco meat, in the freezer they go. They are stored in either of my two ancient, half-gallon Tupperware containers—one for the makings of my “Everything Soup,” and one for chili. When the containers are full, it’s time for that particular meal. The beauty of this system (other than not wasting food plus saving money and our Earth) is that most of the cooking is already done.

The freezer and its stronghold of leftovers is also my basis for making some sweet treats. For example, when cookies crumble, they go into a freezer container for reinvention as a highly desired cookie crust for key lime pie or cheesecake. However, the primary contents of my freezer slated for baking sweets is bananas.

I call these bananas, “baking bananas” … you know … the ones that are just too far gone to peel and eat, but when peeled and mashed can yield flavorful and moist gluten-free baked goods. I used to remove the peel and put them in containers, but, truthfully, it was sometimes hard to remember what was in the containers (one frozen glob looks pretty much like another frozen glob, and as for writing on the container, well, honestly, I don’t always take the time). Then, I read somewhere that you could just freeze bananas “as is,” with the peel acting as the only freezer protection. Well, I’d like to say this was a light bulb moment, but, true to my nature, I was still skeptical.

The first time I tried using baking bananas that had been frozen, I let them completely thaw on the counter. Mistake. The results were not pretty and I threw them away. The next time, I let the bananas thaw enough so that I could remove the peel and just the outsides of the bananas would be thawed.  Then I mashed them with my potato masher and used them in a recipe. The results were perfect! No longer would there be any guilt associated with bananas not getting eaten promptly. Plus, baking bananas would always be at hand. Yippee!

So any bananas are immediately placed in the freezer when they reach baking banana status.  Well, it occurred to me the other day that I hadn’t really baked with bananas in a while. I had pulled some out a few weeks earlier and made a delicious smoothie. I knew there were quite a few more though …amid various freezer containers, ice cube trays (“old school” again), and ice packs.

I took out three more bananas a few days ago to make an old favorite, Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. Then I decided I’d clean out the freezer and find out how many I really had. I grouped and set to the side the containers that would become my “everything soup” or chili. I found a small container  labeled “great brownie crumbs for sundae.” Hmmm, my eyes lit up, a smile graced my face, and my mind started rationalizing. There were only about 2 tablespoons worth and I had no definite plans to make any ice cream sundaes. LOL A 30-second thaw on the container and those crumbs were a very delicious half-time reward for cleaning out the freezer!

Now fortified, I continued on. Two chicken livers were set aside for a small meal the next day. (Sprinkled with a little sea salt and sautéed in olive oil the next morning, they became a nutritious and tasty breakfast.)

Finally, with all the other food organized and pushed to the side or another shelf, the bananas faced me. Some singles, some pairs, and some triplets. Some large, some small. They took up one-fourth of the bottom of the refrigerator. Wow, that’s a lot of bananas!, I thought to myself and laughed. Then I counted them somewhat sheepishly… 27 (remember that I had already used up 6!).  Okay, in all fairness, a friend who doesn’t bake had passed on three of those bananas when I had visited her the previous week … really, I am not making that up. She doesn’t bake, but knows that I do—how could I refuse? Not wasting is going green … or in this case, yellow … no, wait—it’s really going brown! 😉  Anyway, it was obvious that I needed to get busy baking and/or making more smoothies!

The Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe will be at the top of my baking list. I got the original recipe long ago, before I was gluten free, at a holiday cookie exchange. A co-worker had made them. Nobody was eating them. In all fairness, they did look rather anemic, but I tried one and it was surprisingly good. In fact, when I made my selections to take home, my tin was mostly filled with those cookies. Mr. GFE and Son loved them. I started making the recipe frequently.  They enjoyed it far more than banana bread. A friend of my son’s requested them whenever he visited. So back then I never had an excess of baking bananas. When I went gluten free, I adapted the recipe by using my favorite GF flour mix, adding a small amount of xanthan gum, increasing the oven temperature,  and reducing the baking time. The results were better than ever.

Now Son is off at college, so baking bananas don’t get called into action much. But, thankfully, Mr. GFE has pledged to do his part with the current baking banana crisis! And, then there’s my mom and dad and my sister and her husband … tins of banana chocolate chip cookies were delivered to them this past weekend. 😉 Tonight, dear husband took a batch to his hand bell choir practice. (It seems attendance improves when he periodically shows up with some of my cookies—no kidding! They love GFE cookies.)

So, in the next few weeks, I will be making these cookies, plus I will be making a double batch of the Banana Maple-Nut Muffins (that I shared in my initial post) for some overnight guests. I’m also going to turn to some of my blogging friends for their banana recipes. Jill Elise at Hey, That Tastes Good at just shared her Caramel Banana Pancake Breakfast. (One reviewer said the recipe “Comes out tasting somewhere between a Dutch baby and a sticky bun. ” Wow, that’s an endorsement!)  Karina, better known as Gluten-Free Goddess, concocted a gorgeous Banana-Blueberry Muffin Cake the other day. (Everything Katrina makes is delicious.) Cathy at Noble Pig made a Banana Cake with with Cream Cheese-Sour Cream Frosting a while back. (Note: This recipe is not gluten free, but I easily converted it to a gluten-free recipe by using my two-ingredient gluten-free flour mix and adding 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum.  Many of Cathy’s recipes are naturally gluten free and others easily converted.) Elana of Elana’s Pantry baked a Banana Birthday Cake. (Like most of Elana’s recipes, that one looks good for any occasion.) If I want a heartier banana treat, I can make Kate’s (of Gluten Free Gobsmacked) Whole Grain Banana Bread. Last, I even have an old recipe from Southern Living magazine, Luscious Pina Coladas, which calls for a banana—rich and thick, these are a dessert drink! (While it’s not exactly pina colada weather here, my friends have been known to have tropical-themed parties to make it through the big chill.) But, without further ado, here’s the recipe for the Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip cookies I made this evening. Oh, and by the way, Mr. GFE came home from hand bell practice with an empty tin and lots of “ooh’s” and “ah’s” to share. 😉

The best possible way to use overripe bananas! Move over Banana Bread! Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

gluten free, chocolate chip cookies, banana cookies, banana chocolate chip cookies, brown bananas, recipe
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Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are one of the very best possible ways to use ripe bananas. They might even become your favorite new chocolate chip cookies!

Ingredients

  • 2 2/3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (I use my Two-Ingredient Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix)
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter (dairy or non-dairy), softened
  • 1 large egg (see notes for egg substitution suggestions)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup mashed banana (about two bananas; do not use more than this amount--if you do, the cookies will be too moist, tending to fall apart and sticking together when placed in a storage container)
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or mini chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional, sometimes I add walnuts or pecans)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In large bowl, cream butter.
  3. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, mixing to form a grainy paste.
  4. Add egg, vanilla extract, and banana. Beat until smooth.
  5. Add gluten-free all-purpose flour mix, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips (any size works, from mini to chunks) and nuts (if desired).
  7. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet.
  8. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Let sit on bakiing sheet for one minute until cookie "releases" from baking sheet. (If it's difficult to remove the cookie from the cookie sheet with spatula, let it sit a little bit longer.)

Notes

Yield: 4 dozenReader Michelle used a flax gel egg successfully. Combine 1 tbsp flax meal and 3 tbsp water and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken before adding to the recipe in place of the egg. She said that the resulting cookies were "absolutely amazing." I believe that a chia gel egg would work (use ground chia seed in place of flaxmeal as noted above), but have not personally tried that or heard back yet from any readers who have.The original recipe called for using an electric mixer. At the end, stirring the mixture will be similar to stirring bread due to its thickness and how it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. While I have a KitchenAid and occasionally use it, I really prefer mixing with a wooden spoon whenever possible. I think it helps maintain arm strength (I switch arms while stirring) and I just like the physical act of stirring and taking my time making a recipe. In addition, I think using a mixer makes cookies too uniform, like store-bought cookies. These cookies will stay moist. In fact, you don't want to keep them in an airtight container like you do other gluten-free baked goods. If you do, they will get too moist and fall apart. I place mine in a tin, with waxed paper between the layers, and leave off the lid.I use my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour mix that I make ahead and then measure out per recipe. Adapted from the original (source unknown)

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Comments

  2. noble pig–Thanks, Cathy! I’ll be sharing more on the Everything Soup soon. Glad you liked the cookies … spread the banana love. LOL (FYI–Just like I convert your recipes to GF, folks who have no need to follow a GF diet can convert the GF recipes I make with special GF flour and xanthan gum (if required) by just replacing the flour and skipping the xanthan gum. Of course, there will be many recipes I post in the future that have no special ingredients and can be easily made by anyone with ingredients on hand.) Please report back on any other great banana recipes you try. 🙂

    Shirley

    Reply

  3. I love bananas, in fact, I like to buy very ripe bananas from the co-op and then freeze them right away in large containers (I peel mine). I have a fantastic GF/CF/EF banana walnut muffin recipe in our cookbook (The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook) that everyone loves! I like to add chocolate chips to those (the Enjoy Life brand).

    I also just created a recipe for banana cake for my twins first birthday. It was fantastic and will be in the next book I am working on. It was a sugar-free, vegan, gluten-free cake (using nutritious sorghum and brown rice flours) – I used bananas and pure grade B maple syrup to sweeten it.

    I like your idea to use bananas in cookies, I had not thought of that!

    Thanks for the creative GF recipe! -Ali

    Reply

  4. I wish I wasn’t allergic to bananas so that I could enjoy these recipes! I know that Shirley makes some wonder desserts because I’ve tried her crustless apple pie and crustless coconut custard pie!

    Reply

  5. These cookies look really good. I’m a total cookie fan so I’ll add this to my recipe folder. BTW, I always store ALOT of bananas in the freezer and the Artist always gives me the “Are you really going to bake with these someday?” look….

    Reply

  6. Ali–There’s really something so right about the combination of bananas and walnuts. So, I am sure your banana walnut muffins are a delight. Wow, you have twins! I know … I’m sure I sound like one of the silly folks in the grocery store who rush over! Trust me–we can’t help ourselves. Kids are irresistible and seeing double (or close to double for fraternals) is just so much fun. We share in your joy! Their BD cake sounded great, too. I bet all your kids enjoyed it. 🙂 I made some fun and clever cakes for my son before we both went GF, but since then he’s not been into cakes too much. (I did make him a GF ice cream cake a few years back that he really enjoyed.) I’d say we’re more of a cookie and pie family, which leads to Brenda’s comment …

    Brenda–Rats on the banana allergy. My boss is allergic to bananas, too. Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my pies! I am looking forward to sharing those with my readers in the near future. 🙂

    Steve—See … you have the banana problem, too! 😉 I think the correct treatment program for us is baking, baking, and more baking! Tell The Artist not to worry, help is on the way.

    Shirley

    Reply

  7. I love bananas so much that I eat all of mine before they reach baking status! I guess I should buy bigger bunches, so that I can make some of these yummy cookies!

    Reply

  9. Ok, so reading your “cookie” post has me reminiscing about the awesome peanut butter cookies you and Bo used to make for me. Sorry, nothing here in my comment about your banana chocolate chip cookies (although they sound yummy). . . . only a deep longing for my all-time favorite cookies made by one of my all-time favorite friends. I haven’t had a good PB cookie since I moved away from Virginia. Don’t forget I’m moving back soon. . . 🙂

    Reply

  10. Polly–Now that’s the sign of a banana lover! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone before who doesn’t let a few fall through the cracks. You could always follow Ali’s lead and buy some that are already ready for baking. I’ve seen some at our local grocery before. They’d probably even sell them at a discount. There might be some banana chocolate chip cookies in your future yet. 😉

    Nance–This is the freezer above my refrigerator. Granted, it is an oversized refrigerator so the freezer space is larger as well. Considering they only take up one-fourth of the bottom area, I could fit a lot more in there! However, I am not going there … in fact, I might just have to police the bananas more frequently and set a maximum capacity! LOL

    Cindi–I know since you’ve been out of state, you haven’t gotten any of my PB cookies in a very long time. And, I am sorry to tell you this, but they’ve only gotten BETTER!! Absence makes the peanut butter cookies get better. LOL Seriously, my new GFE recipe rocks. Come visit me on Valentine’s Day when some are already on the menu. Or alas, wait until moving back in a few months and I’ll welcome you with your own batch.

    Reply

  11. Shirley,
    Those look fantastic, I will definitely be trying this recipe.

    If you need to get rid of bananas, smoothies and baking aren’t the only option – I have actually used an old banana to sweeten stews before. You might be able to throw one in with your everything soup (great idea) or chili. I would recommend not using it with beef or venison, I don’t really see those flavors mixing, but I could be wrong. Vegetarian, pork, or chicken would work fine. Add the finely mashed up banana early on and let things simmer for a long time – the longer it goes, the further the sugars will be caramelized, the more sweetness you get, and the more banana flavor will be tempered and blended with the rest of the stew. It probably wouldn’t go well with a brothy soup.

    I am a huge fan of using fruits and fruit juices to sweeten and flavor pretty much anything – you will be hard pressed to find anything on my site with water as an ingredient. Pretty much all of my stews and brines are apple cider or cranberry juice based.

    Thanks!
    Steve
    http://www.iHateWheat.com

    Reply

  12. Hi, Steve–Thanks so much for stopping by and offering your soup-making experience and tips! I have no personal soup experience using fruits and fruit juices, but I am very intrigued. I did just note your mention on how you tend to make your soups on your blog, but still didn’t think about bananas for soup. I can more readily imagine using fruits as a basis for soups like pumpkin, butternut, and so on. However, I will definitely be following your blog to learn more. Caramelization … I mean what’s not to love about that? 😉 Last, let us know how your cookies turn out. Thanks again! Shirley

    Reply

  14. Hi Kay–Bummer … on the flip side, you don’t have bananas multiplying in your freezer. 😉 LOL Hopefully, you’ll be able to re-introduce them in your diet at some point and do fine with them (fingers cossed). Shirley

    Reply

  15. Gosh, Shirley — I am SO hungry right now and your cookies are seriously making my mouth water as I type. I am craving something sweet and I have nothing remotely close to that on hand. Well, I guess I could go saute my Swiss chard and have that and some millet or wild rice (sniff, sniff). While I love my healthy, whole foods, sometimes I just want a nice big fat cookie.

    LIKE NOW! Send me directions to your house, I’ll be right over.
    🙂

    Melissa

    Reply

  16. Melissa–LOL, we’re almost on the same latitude, so head due east and when you get to the VA border, give me a call and I’ll guide you the rest of the way. We may have a new stoplight by then (the 6th in our county!) and it will be right outside the entrance to our community, so better wait on the final details. There are no cookies left, but with all my bananas I can easily have some more made by then! LOL See, this is when I’d like to live in the Star Trek age … just for a bit. You could transport yourself here just long enough to grab a cookie, I could beam myself there with cookie in hand, or I could just “send” you the cookie!! Re: you healthy whole foods, often we protect ourselves by only having the good stuff on hand. I bet if you had some nuts on hand with their “good fat,” that would have done the trick—at least temporarily. 😉 Shirley

    Reply

  17. Oh Shirley, your cookies look wonderful! This post makes me hungry for sweets. I was just looking at my bowl full of clementines (I never get tired of them, the season is rather short) and decided I ought to try Nigella Lawson’s Clementine Cake. Maybe tomorrow. I believe it is a gluten-free recipe and it gets rave reviews on a cooking site I read. Here’s the link in case others have a crateful themselves:

    http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?key=C&rid=20002

    By the way, 190 degrees C = 375 degrees F

    Every recipe you mentioned sounds wonderful and your lucky guests who will enjoy your banana maple-nut muffins are in for a treat. I just love those and should make them soon.
    Caramel, cream cheese, sour cream, cream pies…you guys are killing me. 🙂

    Reply

  18. Therese–Thank you! 🙂 You and I have been talking about Nigella’s Clementine Cake for quite some time … every time I see the clementines, I think about you and Nigella’s recipe (in that order). I never have enough almonds on hand (I eat them as quickly as I get them) so I always pass the Clementines by—longingly. Yes, it’s a naturally GF recipe, so it fits my definition of GFE. 😉 Thanks for including the link. Nigella’s recipe is also here with no conversions needed for ingredients or temp (for lazy types like me): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/clementine-cake-recipe/index.html Last, Elana at Elana’s Pantry did her version using regular oranges and a lower glycemic sweetener a while back. http://www.elanaspantry.com/desserts/orange-cake/ Not surprisingly, it got rave reviews. I also enjoyed some other modifications that her readers provided in their comments, like one who made a lemon poppyseed cake. Yummm. MUST. GET. ALMONDS (or ready-to-go Honeyville blanched almond flour, which Elana highly recommends and I won’t be able to devour with my snacking LOL). Keep us posted on your baking efforts, Therese! Shirley

    Reply

  19. Finally made that cake, Shirley! It’s very good and I’ve just finished eating a warm slice right out of the cast iron skillet I baked it in.
    Of course my husband thought it’d be nice to add some chocolate icing (he may be onto something…) but I really think it’s great as is. I like the slight bitterness of the peel in the cake. A cup of hot tea would be wonderful with this.
    I did line the pan with parchment as she suggests, and covered the cake with foil after 40 min to avoid burning.

    Sorry about the goofy link! The one you posted is the one I used today.

    To the almond store with you!

    Happy baking, all.

    Reply

  20. Therese–You did it! Bravo! I only wish I could share it with you! Cooking it in a cast iron skillet was a terrific idea … I bet it was gorgeous when it came out of the oven against the black of the cast iron, plus you got the nutritional bennies of cast iron baking! Chocolate icing … okay, I think your sweet hubby is on to something myself—sort of upscale, “real” version of the chocolate-covered orange slices. I am thinking with the hot tea that you’d have that Constant Comment taste (one of my faves) going on. Delicious. Yes, I want a piece very badly now. Thanks for all the tips so we can all duplicate your successful baking! Oranges, bananas … see, we’re eating healthy. 😉 Shirley

    Reply

  21. Here to report that Nigella’s Clementine Cake definitely improves over 24 hours! If you make it I urge you to exercise restraint (as I most assuredly did not) and hold off. It will be worth the wait.

    Reply

  22. Love hearing that, Therese! Does this mean your assessment went from “very good” to excellent … wonderful …?? Let us know. Thanks so much for reporting back in. I made a quick jaunt into the store today and picked up only four items, but stayed away from the clementines. Not buying any until I get the Honeyville almond flour. Oh, I do have a question, is this the kind of cake that could be cut into small bite-sized pieces for finger food for a party or would it be best served on plates with forks? Thanks! Shirley

    Reply

  24. Shirley already knows how much I love these, but for anyone thinking about making them, not only are they easy to make (I had help from a 2 year old), but they’re my favorite chocolate chip cookies! So moist and freeze wonderfully!

    Reply

    • Hey Iris–You’re so sweet to take time to leave a comment for all the gfe readers—thanks so much! 🙂 And, I haven’t frozen these cookies yet myself, so that’s great news to me, too. 😉

      xoxo,
      Shirley

      Reply

    • Hi Alta–These are some of our favorites. I’ve had family members say they liked them better than my brown sugar chocolate chip cookies (which they beg for!). LOL on not having 27 bananas in your freezer! I was down to zero a few months ago when I was making tons of smoothies. 😉 Now the number is going back up! Mr. GFE only likes green bananas, so if I’m not eating them as I go, I get a nice freezer supply fairly quickly. I’ve learned that I can microwave the frozen ones (still in the skin) for about a minute and then peel off the skin, mash, and use them for smoothies or baking. I think you all will like the cookies! I want to replace some of the gf flour mix with almond flour the next go round for a slightly different texture and for added nutrition. Please let us know how yours turn out! 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

  26. How many bananas does it take to make 3/4 c? 1, 2, 5?

    Not being a banana eater, I only occasionally encounter a brown banana at someone else’s house… but the cookies sound delightful.

    Reply

    • Hi Stephanie–About two bananas make 3/4 cup. I’ll update the post to show that. I haven’t made these in a while because my bananas get used up quickly in smoothies and snacks for Mr. GFE, but now I’m craving these cookies. 😉 I love the banana/chocolate combo. Hope you will, too, when you find some brown bananas from friends. 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

  27. Now that we’ve moved to Colorado and higher altitudes, baking cookies does not always work well. But, I’m happy to say that I made these over the weekend and they turned out great, as usual. I think I must have made them a little smaller than I have in the past because I ended up with a lot more cookies (5-6 dozen). I kept some of the dough in the refrigerator, so I could bake a fresh batch later in the week. Yum!

    Reply

    • Hi Heather–Great to see you! I’ve heard about the challenges of high-altitude baking. I’m so happy that this recipe still works great for you. I bet the cookies will taste even better after that dough has “mellowed.” 😉 Hope things are going well in Colorado!

      Shirley

      Reply

  28. Hi! Have you ever used your cookie recipes to make in. 9×13 for bars? Was thinking my MIL told me once she used to do that with her regular cookie recipes…might be short on time tomorrow and thought I may try that with these? Recipe looks great!

    Reply

    • Hi Sabrina–I have made some of my cookie recipes into bars before, but usually out of necessity. 😉 For example, when I accidentally melted the butter for my Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies, I turned those into bars. It worked great. 🙂 These cookies are fairly soft, so I’m not sure it will work, but I’ll love it if you report back that it does. Please let us know … fingers crossed!

      Shirley

      Reply

    • Hi Michelle–It looks like this is the first time you’ve officially commented on gfe—welcome! 🙂 And I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you left a comment here and on Facebook to let us all know that a flax gel “egg” works so well in this recipe. I am so very happy that your family enjoyed them so!

      Thanks again, dear. Have a great week!
      Shirley

      Reply

      • Hi Shirley! I froze some of these cookies and have been taking one out at a time as I want them and they taste just as good as they did when I first baked them! I made sure they weren’t sticky and then I placed them in a freezer bag and froze them. I like them cold right out of the freezer or they are good brought back to room temperature.

        Reply

        • Wow, Megan! That’s terrific news! I imagine I will like them both ways as well. 😉 It will be nice to have cookies at the ready in the freezer for company, too. Thanks so much for stopping back by to let me know!

          Shirley

          Reply

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