Gordon Ramsay’s banana bread cookies use the same base as his banana bread recipe, but you scoop the dough onto a tray instead of pouring it into a loaf tin. You get the same brown sugar and banana flavour in 12 minutes instead of 50, which is why I make these every time I have overripe bananas and no patience for a full loaf.
Gordon’s banana bread base already has the right ratio of butter, sugar, and flour, so all I changed was adding more flour and a teaspoon of cinnamon to hold the cookie shape. This is the simplest banana bread cookies recipe I know, and they taste like warm banana bread straight from the oven.
Try More Cookie Recipes:
- Gordon Ramsay Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Gordon Ramsay Shortbread Cookies Recipe
- Gordon Ramsay PB&J Cookies Recipe
Why Turn Banana Bread Into Cookies?
Because a loaf takes 50 minutes and cookies take 12. The flavour is the same: mashed banana, brown sugar, vanilla, and warm cinnamon, but in a soft, scoopable size you can eat with one hand.
I started doing this when I had two bananas going brown on the counter but did not want to wait an hour for bread. Now I make banana bread cookies more often than the actual loaf.
Banana Bread Cookies Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 115g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 150g (¾ cup) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 280g (2¼ cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 150g (1 cup) chocolate chips or chopped walnuts
How To Make Gordon Ramsay Banana Bread Cookies
- Heat the oven: Set it to 175°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Mash the bananas: Mash them with a fork until mostly smooth but still a bit chunky, the same way Gordon does for his banana bread.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, vanilla, and mashed banana until combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl, then fold into the wet mix until the flour just disappears.
- Fold in mix-ins: Stir through the chocolate chips or walnuts with a spatula.
- Scoop and bake: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the trays about 5cm (2 inches) apart and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden but the centres still look soft.
- Cool: Leave on the tray for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
Should I Add Chocolate Chips Or Walnuts?
Gordon uses walnuts in his banana bread, and they work well here too because the crunch breaks up the soft banana texture. Chocolate chips melt into the cookie and make them sweeter, which I prefer when I am making these as a dessert.
You can also skip both and make plain banana bread cookies. They are still good on their own, just softer and more like a scone than a cookie.
Are Banana Bread Cookies Healthy?
Healthier than most cookies because the banana adds natural sweetness, so there is less sugar than a standard recipe. But there is still butter and brown sugar in the dough, so I would not call them a health food.
If you want to push them further, swap half the plain flour for rolled oats. The oatmeal cookies use a similar method and adding oats to this dough works well.
What Do You Eat Banana Bread Cookies With?
Coffee is the best match because the bitterness balances the sweet banana. I also like them warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, which turns them into a proper dessert.
They sit well on a plate with the chocolate mousse or next to the apple crumble. The banana flavour does not fight with chocolate or fruit, it just adds warmth.
Can I Make These Ahead?
Baked cookies keep for 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. They are softer than most cookies because of the banana, so do not stack them until fully cool or the bottoms stick together.
The raw dough freezes for up to 2 months. Scoop it onto a tray, freeze until solid, then bag the frozen balls and bake from frozen with 2 extra minutes.
FAQs
- How ripe should the bananas be? The browner the better. If the skin is mostly black, that is perfect because the sugars have fully developed and you get more flavour without adding extra sugar.
- Why are my banana bread cookies flat? Too much banana or too-soft butter. Use exactly 2 bananas and make sure the butter is softened, not melted, or the dough will be too wet to hold shape.
- Can I use the full banana bread recipe as cookies? The loaf batter is too wet to scoop. This recipe uses more flour and softened butter instead of melted, which gives the dough enough structure to hold its shape on the tray.
More Cookie Recipes:
- Gordon Ramsay Cowboy Cookies Recipe
- Gordon Ramsay Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
- All 8 Gordon Ramsay Cookie Recipes
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 165 kcal
- Total Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Cholesterol: 22mg
- Sodium: 120mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 24g
- Protein: 2g
Gordon Ramsay Banana Bread Cookies Recipe
20
servings15
minutes12
minutes27
minutesGordon Ramsay’s banana bread cookies use the same base as his banana bread recipe, but you scoop the dough onto a tray instead of pouring it into a loaf tin. You get the same brown sugar and banana flavour in 12 minutes instead of 50, which is why I make these every time I have overripe bananas and no patience for a full loaf.
Gordon’s banana bread base already has the right ratio of butter, sugar, and flour, so all I changed was adding more flour and a teaspoon of cinnamon to hold the cookie shape. This is the simplest banana bread cookies recipe I know, and they taste like warm banana bread straight from the oven.
Ingredients
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
115g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
150g (¾ cup) light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
280g (2¼ cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
150g (1 cup) chocolate chips or chopped walnuts
Directions
- Heat the oven: Set it to 175°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Mash the bananas: Mash them with a fork until mostly smooth but still a bit chunky.
- Cream the butter and sugar: Beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, vanilla, and mashed banana until combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl, then fold into the wet mix until the flour just disappears.
- Fold in mix-ins: Stir through the chocolate chips or walnuts with a spatula.
- Scoop and bake: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the trays about 5cm (2 inches) apart and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden but the centres still look soft.
- Cool: Leave on the tray for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
