You will love these easy and super soft pecan banana bread cookies! These cakey cookies are full of cinnamon-spiced banana flavor and taste like your favorite banana bread with a sweet pecan crunch!
These delightful banana nut cookies are soft, cakey, and totally delicious, just like banana bread or a nutty version of the Crumbl banana bread cookies!
They are also so easy to make and come together quickly! Serve them with The Best Chocolate Bourbon Banana Bread, toasted coconut pecan cookies, or Bourbon Banana Cake with Caramel Frosting for a whole banana feast!
I am such a lover of banana bread, and I loved the idea of turning those flavors into a cookie! When Old Forester Bourbon asked me to develop a cookie that complimented their bourbon, I immediately thought of a pecan banoffee cookie! They turned out so good that I adjusted that recipe to make these banana bread cookies!
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⭐ Why I Love This Recipe:
- Pecans and bananas are a match made in cookie heaven. The creamy sweetness of bananas melds seamlessly with the rich nuttiness of pecans, resulting in a delicious blend of flavors.
- Perfect for banana bread lovers! These little cookies taste so much like banana bread and use the same spices and ingredients. These will satisfy your banana bread cravings!
- So easy, soft, with a satisfying crunch! They are so soft but laced with the satisfying crunch from the nuts.
🥘Key Ingredients
- Ripe Banana: The amount of banana flavor in these cookies ultimately comes down to how ripe your banana is. You want to use the ripest banana possible; if you use a fresh or even a lightly ripe banana, the flavor won't be there once the cookies have been baked.
- Flour: All-purpose flour adds structure to the cookies.
- Cinnamon: these cookies have such a cozy feel to them, and cinnamon gives them that fall warm and cozy taste!
- Pecans: This recipe has chopped pecan pieces mixed right into the batter, and then it's topped with additional pieces at the end, so each bite is bursting with banana pecan flavor!
🔪How to make this recipe:
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, mash the banana with the vanilla extract. Add it to the butter and sugar mixture.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix until just combined.
Step 4: Add the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Top with whole pecans and additional pecan pieces.
💭Expert Tips:
- For extra flavor, toast the pecans before chopping them. Simply spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Allow them to cool before using in the recipe.
- Experiment with different add-ins such as chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or shredded coconut to personalize the cookies to your taste.
- Ensure that the bananas are ripe for the best flavor and texture. Overripe bananas with brown spots are ideal, as they provide natural sweetness and moisture.
- If you prefer a softer texture, slightly underbake the cookies by reducing the baking time by a minute or two.
📋FAQ's
Yes! They are soft cookies and use the same spices as banana bread!
Yes! You can replace the chopped pecans with walnuts, almonds, or your favorite nut variety.
I recommend storing them in the fridge individually wrapped in plastic wrap. They can also be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days. If stored in the fridge, enjoy within 4-5 days!
Yes! It's best to scoop and roll the dough first, then place it on a baking tray covered tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough come to room temperature before baking, about 1 hour.
This usually means that your banana needs to be more ripe. The riper the banana, the more moisture and banana flavor.
They can also be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days. If stored in the fridge, enjoy within 4-5 days!
🎥 Here's a video showing how to make this recipe:
🥗 Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Soft Pecan Banana Bread Cookies
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
When it comes to homemade treats, nothing beats these pecan banana cookies! Pecans and bananas are a match made in heaven, and these cookies taste just like your favorite banana bread but in cookie form!
Ingredients
- 1 overripe banana, mashed
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup pecan pieces (or chopped pecans) plus more for topping
- Whole pecans for topping
Instructions
- heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg.
- In a separate bowl, mash the banana with the vanilla extract. Add it to the butter and sugar mixture.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing, as it can lead to tough cookies.
- Gently fold in the chopped pecans, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Drop 1 tablespoon of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Top with whole pecans and additional pecan pieces.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, store the Pecan Banana Cookies in an airtight container to maintain their freshness.
Notes
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can refrigerate or freeze the cookie dough balls, just bring them to room temperature before baking. This can take about 1 hour for refrigerated dough and 2 hours for frozen dough.
- *Measure your flour properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon.
- For extra flavor, toast the pecans before chopping them. Simply spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Allow them to cool before using in the recipe.
Elizabeth says
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Terri says
Made these and they were such a hit!