Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Add a fun twist to oatmeal banana cookies by adding a full-size Reese's peanut butter cup to the top. This oatmeal cookie recipe is soft, chewy, and loaded with oats, bananas, and chocolate chips. 

Oatmeal Cookies with Banana and Peanut Butter

Bananas are the one thing that we always have on our counter. They are the perfect pre-workout snack when they are green or yellow, and they are awesome to bake with once they turn spotty and brown.

Some of my favorite things to bake when we have an abundance of ripe bananas are bread, muffins, and cakes.  Over the years, I have also started to include them in a few easy oatmeal cookie recipes.

If you are looking for something different to bake with your over-ripe bananas, try these oatmeal chocolate chip banana cookies ASAP. You will fall in love with this recipe because the cookies are soft and chewy.

Plus, they are loaded with oats and chocolate chips and topped with a full-size peanut butter cup. Peanut butter and banana is a classic combo that is so delicious together.

This oatmeal cookie recipe is actually one I developed 10 years ago. We work on so many different recipes each week that I had totally forgotten about this fun peanut butter cup cookie until I came across the old pictures.

Since we had ripe bananas, I just had to make it again. Boy, am I glad that I did. They were just as delicious and amazing as I remembered.

What You'll Need

To start with, make sure you are using ripe bananas. Spotty brown bananas are sweeter and perfect in things like these peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies.

• Tools - Baking sheet, Silpat or parchment paper, cookie scoop
• Butter - softened and unsalted 
• Sugar - a mixture of brown and granulated keeps the cookie soft and sweet
• Egg - binds the dough together
• Vanilla, Cinnamon, Salt - add flavor
• Banana - extra ripe bananas give the best flavor
• Flour and Quick Oats - add structure and texture
• Baking Soda - gives a little lift
• Chocolate Chips - use your favorite ones
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - full-size ones are best

How to make Oatmeal Banana Cookies

These banana oat cookies start with a basic cookie dough. Adding oats and bananas gives them a sweet banana bread flavor.

The best part about these banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is there is no chill time. Go from bowl to oven right away.

1. Preheat the oven and line a sheet pan with a Silpat or parchment paper.
2. Mix together the sugar and butter until creamy. Add banana, egg, and vanilla and mix again.
3. Stir in the dry ingredients until a dough forms. 
4. Add chocolate chips and stir in gently.
5. Use a cookie scoop to place dough balls on the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on pan for 2 minutes, then gently move to parchment paper.
7. Immediately press a peanut butter cup into the top of the hot banana oat cookies. Do not move until completely cooled and set.

BruCrew Tip: If the cookie cracks when you press the peanut butter cup into it, use your fingers to gently press it back into a cookie shape.

Storage Recommendations

• On the Counter - Keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
• In the Refrigerator - If you want to keep the cookies longer, place them in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Although, they are delicious cold too.
• In the Freezer - Wrap the cooled cookies individually in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter while still wrapped. FYI: The color on the peanut butter cup may discolor some once they thaw out.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure your bananas are ripe. The riper they are, the more banana flavor the cookies will have.
• If you do not have unsalted butter, use salted and adjust the salt in the recipe.
• Use a cookie scoop to measure out the dough evenly.
• Do not overbake the cookies. You want them to be soft enough to press the peanut butter cups into the tops. Plus, cookies always continue to bake after you take them out of the oven.

Banana Oat Cookie Variations

Chocolate chips are a classic to add to cookie dough, but there are so many other ingredients that are delicious in these banana oatmeal cookies.

• Nuts - add chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or peanuts
• Chocolate chips - change it up with white, milk, dark, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips
• Candy - Stir mini peanut butter cups into the dough instead of the one large one on top.
• Dried Fruits - raisins, cranberries, blueberries, bananas, or coconut
• Spices - add more cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or allspice
• Cocoa Powder - 2-3 tablespoons of dark cocoa powder will give these a rich chocolate flavor

FAQs

How long will banana oat cookies last?

These cookies stay soft and fresh for 3-4 days if you keep them in a tightly sealed container. Of course, if your family loves peanut butter cups like ours does, they will not last longer than 2 days.

What else can you add to oatmeal banana cookies?

You can add any kind of chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, or candies that you like. The sky is the limit, so get creative and have fun with it.

More Easy Recipes with Bananas

• Banana Waffles
• Banana Bread with sour cream
• Blueberry Banana Ice Cream
• Best Banana Cake
• Banana Cinnamon Rolls
• Banana Split Brownies

Other Simple Cookie Recipes

• Cookies and Cream Cookies
• Vanilla Pudding Cookies
• Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies
• Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
• Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
• Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

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(original photo from 2011)

This post was first published in July 2011. The photos and post were updated and republished in May 2021.