Brown Butter Banana Cookies
These Brown Butter Banana Cookies are chewy in the center, golden at the edges, and packed with dark chocolate in every bite! Nutty brown butter, a ripe banana, and two types of sugar create a depth of flavor that standard chocolate chip cookies cannot match. Best of all, the recipe is completely gluten free without any compromise in texture or taste!
If you have a ripe banana and a stick of butter, you are already most of the way there. Furthermore, a built-in coconut sugar option makes this one of the few brown butter banana cookie recipes that works for multiple dietary needs at once!
What Makes Brown Butter Banana Cookies Different?
These cookies combine three flavor-building techniques: brown butter for nutty depth, ripe banana for natural sweetness and a chewy crumb, and a two-sugar blend for crispy edges and a soft center.
The brown butter really elevates the overall flavor of these brown butter banana cookies! It adds a caramel like flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, browned
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup mashed banana
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten free flour, see note
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
What Each Ingredient Does
Brown butter
Browning butter caramelizes the milk solids, producing nutty, toasty, toffee-like flavors that plain melted butter cannot provide. Allow the browned butter to cool for at least 10 minutes before mixing, since hot butter melts the sugars prematurely and produces flat, greasy dough.
Two types of sugar
Granulated sugar promotes spread and creates crispier edges. Brown sugar adds moisture, chewiness, and deeper caramel flavor through its molasses content. Using both produces the ideal texture: crispy edges and a soft center. For a refined sugar-free version, replace both with the same total amount of coconut sugar.
Ripe banana
Use a banana with visible brown spots. As it ripens, its starches convert to simple sugars, making it sweeter and softer. The mashed banana adds natural sweetness, moisture, and a subtle fruity note that pairs beautifully with the brown butter and dark chocolate.
Gluten free flour
A 1:1 gluten free baking blend works best. If you are not gluten free, all-purpose flour works as a direct 1:1 substitute. Either way, avoid overmixing once the flour is added.
Egg and vanilla
One whole egg binds the dough and adds richness. Vanilla extract amplifies the banana and brown butter without contributing a flavor of its own.
How to Make Brown Butter Banana Cookies: Step-by-Step
First, brown your butter. Cook the butter in a skillet over low medium heat until bubbly and light brown. Remove from the heat. Allow the butter to cool for 10 minutes.
Then, add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Pour the cooled butter in. Then, add in the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla. Stir together.
Add in the gluten free flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto a parchment lined pan.
Place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Finally, remove from the oven. If desired, garnish with slices of fresh banana.
Why Chilling the Dough Matters
When cookie dough rests in the refrigerator, the butter solidifies and slows spreading in the oven. As a result, the cookies puff upward before spreading outward, producing a thicker, chewier center.
Additionally, the rest period allows the flour to fully hydrate and the flavors of brown butter, banana, and vanilla to meld together. Cookies made from chilled dough consistently taste more complex and bake more evenly than cookies baked immediately.
Tips for the Best Cookies
Use the ripest banana you can find
A banana with brown spotting produces a sweeter, more flavorful cookie. The riper it is, the more its starch has converted to sugar. If your bananas are still yellow, leave them on the counter for two to three more days.
Cool the butter before mixing
Hot brown butter melts the sugars and produces flat dough. After browning, cool for a full 10 minutes before mixing. It should feel warm but not steaming.
Do not overbake
The centers will look underdone when you pull the cookies out. That is correct. Cookies set on the hot pan after baking, so a center that looks slightly raw at 11 minutes will be perfectly chewy once cooled.
Add flaky sea salt on top
A small pinch of flaky sea salt on each cookie contrasts with the banana sweetness and dark chocolate, making both taste bolder. Optional, but hard to skip once you try it.
Substitutions
| Original ingredient | Substitute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten free flour | All-purpose flour (1:1) | Same amount, same result |
| Granulated and brown sugar | Coconut sugar (same total amount) | Refined sugar free, similar caramel flavor |
| Dark chocolate chips | Chopped dark chocolate bar | Larger, irregular pools of melted chocolate |
| Unsalted butter | Vegan butter | Can be browned. Makes cookies dairy free. |
Storage
Room temperature: Store Brown Butter Banana Cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The banana keeps them soft and moist longer than most cookies.
Freezer: Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Alternatively, freeze portioned dough balls and bake from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
Frequently Asked Questions
The banana flavor is present but subtle. It reads more as a background sweetness than a pronounced taste, similar to banana bread where brown butter and chocolate dominate. A very ripe banana produces a slightly stronger note, while a less ripe one keeps the flavor nearly undetectable.
Yes. All-purpose flour works as a direct 1:1 substitute. The cookies bake and taste identically either way. The dough may feel slightly stiffer with all-purpose flour, which is normal.
The most common cause is skipping or shortening the dough chilling step. Cold dough spreads more slowly, giving the cookies time to set before flattening. A second cause is using butter that was too warm when mixed. Make sure it cools for a full 10 minutes first.
You May Also Like
- Banana Bread Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Banana Cake
If you make this Brown Butter Banana Cookies recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Join my exclusive Facebook Group for a behind the scenes look. I would love for you to follow along! For more ideas, check out these Dessert Recipes
Get the Recipe: Brown Butter Banana Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, browned
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup mashed banana
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten free flour, see note
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- First, brown your butter. Cook the butter in a skillet over low medium heat until bubbly and light brown. Remove from the heat. Allow the butter to cool for 10 minutes.
- Then, add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Pour the cooled butter in. Then, add in the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla. Stir together.
- Add in the gluten free flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the dark chocolate chips.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto a parchment lined pan.
- Place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Finally, remove from the oven. If desired, garnish with slices of fresh banana.
Notes
- If you are not gluten free, feel free to use all purpose flour.
- For a refined sugar free option, replace the white sugar and brown sugar with coconut sugar.
- Use a ripe brown spotted banana.
- Do not skip the dough chilling step. The cookies will spread too thin otherwise.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.