23 July 2020

Banana Nut Cookies

Banana Nut Cookies - Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies / www.delightfulrepast.com

Banana nut cookies, or more specifically, banana nut oatmeal cookies, popped into my head a few days ago when I noticed the bananas ripening much faster than usual. So I quickly mashed them, measured them into portions for this recipe, and popped the half-pint jars in the freezer. 

Then I moved a jar from freezer to refrigerator the night before to thaw. I always bring out the cold bananas along with the eggs and butter an hour before making the dough so that all ingredients are at cool room temperature.

Banana Nut Cookies (this is my watercolor painting of the bananas) / www.delightfulrepast.com
I've been painting the groceries again!


Mr Delightful, who also loves my regular Oatmeal Cookies, says these are the best cookies he's ever had in his whole life! So I hope you'll give them a try and let me know what you think.

Pairing beautifully with a cup of tea, they are perfect for elevenses; with coffee, for a coffee break; with milk, for a more-wholesome-than-most lunchbox or afternoon snack. 

Banana Nut Cookies - Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies / www.delightfulrepast.com

Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies


(Makes 3 1/2 dozen)

1 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (7.5 ounces/213 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups (10.5 ounces/300 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, cool room temperature
3/4 firmly packed cup (5.25 ounces/149 grams) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sugar
2 large eggs (medium in UK)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (6.5 ounces/184 grams) mashed very ripe bananas

1 In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in oats and nuts.

2 In large bowl with electric hand mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Use a wooden spoon if you need to; mixture must be smooth and well creamed. Beat in eggs and vanilla, then the mashed banana. Stir in the flour-oat mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to a few days. (Very cold dough will need to sit at room temperature for a bit to become more scoopable.)

3 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Drop #40 scoops* (0.8 ounces or approximately 1.5 tablespoons) of dough 3 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. With a glass (I use a 2 1/4-inch diameter flat-bottomed 1/3-cup from my stainless steel measuring cup sets), press each scoop into a 2 1/4-inch round. Bake for about 13 to 15 minutes, or until brown around the edges but still a little soft in the center.

Banana Nut Cookies - Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies / www.delightfulrepast.com

4 Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container. I use these Pyrex 11-cup rectangular storage dishes with lids as cookie jars, among other things. One holds half a batch of these cookies.

* If you don't have one of these #40 scoops, you need to get one now! How do people make cookies without it!

To freeze dough: Drop scoops of dough on foil-lined cookie sheet and flatten slightly, as directed above. Freeze, then wrap.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

55 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

I baked something quite similar many years ago...almost forget how much I loved these chewy cookies. These look so good that I could have some for the breakfast! Thanks for sharing,Jean.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Angie, thank you. I've actually had one of these for breakfast on more than one occasion! :D

April J Harris said...

Jean, your Banana Nut Cookies look absolutely delicious! As you say, they would be perfect with a cup of tea. I also like the way you store bananas in the freezer. I had been using ZipLock bags but wasn't happy because it wasn't very sustainable. Thank you for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party Community! Take care!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, April. I freeze everything in glass, either canning jars or Pyrex lidded storage containers. And bananas freeze very well.

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Mea culpa! It’s a genetic defect. Don’t like anything with bananas in them except bananas. I s’pose this means I’ll be banned from the primate exhibit at the zoo henceforth. Unless…anyone know where I can buy some plastic bananas?

Gemma said...

These cookies look so delicious. They look as if they have a lovely texture to them too. You can't beat a gooey, chewy cookie! xx

Ellen Hawley said...

It's moments like this that make me wish my partner hadn't given up sweets.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sully, I'm not surprised! You're like the little kid, Mikey, in the old Life cereal commercials--you don't like anything! :D

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Gemma. They *are* a lovely soft, chewy texture!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Ellen. But maybe you can bake some and hide them away on a day when you have the house to yourself! :D

Lowcarb team member said...

They do look good Jean, many thanks for sharing the recipe.

All the best Jan

Margie said...

Banana is one of my favourite fruits so this is definitely up my alley. Naturally, I'd enjoy these cookies with a cup of tea (even in this hot weather!)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Jan. Husband is wanting me to make another batch right away!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Margie. And, yes, I agree--with hot tea, even in this hot weather!

My name is Erika. said...

YUmmy! I made banana nut chocolate chip bread today!

Louca por porcelana said...

Look yummy!Love your painting too.Best wishes!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Erika. And that sounds good, too!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Maristella, thank you. AND thank you for noticing my painting!

Tamago said...

Oooh I love everything with bananas! And I love oatmeal, too! Your cookies look so delicious. Great way to use ripening bananas :-)

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Love the watercolour! I always take notice of paintings because I used to paint. Your banana oatmeal cookies look wonderful, Jean! But I can't have nuts. I wonder if one could substitute chopped dates for the nuts? Mmm, I can almost smell them!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Tamago! I hope you'll try them soon.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sandi, thank you. I'm having a lot of fun with the painting. Gets me out of the kitchen for a while! :D And I'm sure the dates would work beautifully--love dates.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

What beautiful cookies, Jean. Thank you for another way to use up those bananas that always seem to ripen so quickly. Nice to know you also put them in the freezer--very clever. Your watercolor bananas would be a nice piece to frame for the kitchen.

Pauline Wiles said...

How lovely to see you painting again!
I really like eating bananas, but rarely choose them in baked goods... but then again, if Mr. Delightful says they're *that* good, please sign me up!

ellen b. said...

Can't go wrong with those ingredients! Another good recipe for those ripe bananas!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Martha, thanks so much. My husband wants to frame my fruits and vegetables for that purpose. We'll see; I'm a little shy! I like having things like mashed bananas in the freezer so then when I'm ready to bake something, I don't have to wait till the fruit is ready OR have to rush to use it before it goes bad.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Pauline. I need to make more time for painting; it's good for my soul. And this recipe is one you should definitely try. It doesn't take too much time. I know how busy you are.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Ellen. I feel like with all those healthy ingredients, I can even have them for breakfast!

Gerlinde de Broekert said...

I have to try this recipe and see if my husband likes it as much as yours. I know I would enjoy several of them.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Gerlinde, thank you. I hope he does!

Richard Sheppard said...

Mmmmm, yummy! First off, I wanna say I love your banana watercolor, what fun! And second, I'll say yummy again because I'm going to have to make these and real soon. If I wasn't making cheese cake for guests tomorrow these would do the trick. Now to make you cringe...I'd probably want to add some chocolate chunks to it, just for fun. I knew that would get you, ha! :-)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Richard, ha ha! Yes, that got me! Maybe make half a batch as directed and add chocolate chunks to the other half? See, I'm willing to compromise! I did have a lot of fun painting the bananas.

Sherry's Pickings said...

i'm not a banana fan at all but i can take them if they're well hidden:) i can actually drink a smoothie with banana in it, funnily enough. i like the sound of the flavours you have used so i bet it would be a goer for me:-)
cheers
sherry

Sherry's Pickings said...

oh yes i meant to say i love your banana watercolour. it's just lovely! i like to do a doodle too!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Sherry. You just might like these. My husband does not like bananas at all, never eats them, and this is his favorite cookie. And thanks for noticing my little painting!

Phil in the Kitchen said...

During the lockdown panic supermarket buying a lot of people seemed to buy vast numbers of bananas, far too many to eat in fact. As a result there's been a lot of banana bread baking and sharing going on. Now I don't actually dislike banana bread but, to be honest and with no offence intended to my baking neighbours, I would have really welcomed these cookies as an alternative. Just perfect for an afternoon break. I don't think I've ever thought about freezing bananas (other than in ice cream) and that's an excellent notion for a quick bit of cookie baking.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Phil, that's funny! I had heard that banana bread was the most searched recipe on the internet there for a while. I do like it, but sounds like you'll like these better! I hope you'll try them soon and start a new trend amongst your neighbors (refer them to my blog, of course!).

Jeanie said...

Yum, this would be a very nice alternative to banana bread!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Jeanie. They both have their place, but I think I like these a little better!

TONY said...

Wow!! Your watrcolour sketch of babnas is something!! Well done, Jean. Have you thought of doing botanical illustrations? I am reading a book called The Multifarious Mr Banks by Toby Musgrave, at the mment. Joseph Banks was one of the worlds greatest Botanist. As the Britich Empire exapnded he went on trips as far north as Newfoundalnd and Labrador and travelled with James Cook to Australia. He discovered many new species of plants which he recorded. Botanicla illustrators drew and painted what he discovered. He was the founder of Kew Gardens the greatst collection of botanical exhbits in the world. Kew is a few miles from me in Richmond. An amazing place. I'm writng a review of the book for Vic
Anyway, back to baking.Love your banana nut cookies. Tony

Kitchen Riffs said...

Mmm, cookies. With bananas! This sounds delightful. Great snack. Or lunch. :-)

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tony, thanks so much! I'm glad you like it. I love botanical illustrations--would love to do that. I've always wanted to visit Kew Gardens, but had no idea who founded it. Will have to look up Joseph Banks and will be looking forward to reading your review of the book.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, John. I don't know about lunch, but I can tell you they make a great breakfast!

Cocoa and Lavender said...

What a fun change from banana nut bread! Love this - and your watercolor, too!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, David. My interest in painting is cutting into my cooking/baking time now!

Dee | GrammysGrid.com said...

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Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Dee! Much appreciated!

R's Rue said...

Yum.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

TY, R!

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

Your husband's comment that they were the best cookies he's ever had in his whole life...say no more.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Aaaw. Thanks, Karen!

Karen Reekie said...

These look yummy, I might have to see if I can make them gluten free for my crew.
#pocolo from last week. Sorry for late catch up comments

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Karen! To make them gluten-free, just use 1/2 cup each sorghum flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour, and 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum.

Victoria Zigler said...

These sound tasty. I made some simpler vegan friendly ones just using a vegan friendly peanut butter, mashed banana, and oats, which also tasted fantastic (if I do say so myself).

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Victoria. That sounds good too!