Banana Chocolate Drop Cookies

Soft, Cake-Like Banana Cookies With Two Kinds of Chocolate

Got bananas turning black on the counter? This banana cookie recipe was made for them. The mashed banana folded into the dough does double duty: it adds moisture for that signature soft, cake-like texture and brings natural sweetness that lets the recipe get away with just one cup of sugar (light by drop-cookie standards).

The double-chocolate treatment is the move that sells these. Melted chocolate gets blended into the dough itself for deep, even cocoa flavor, while a full bag of chocolate chips folded in at the end gives you those classic chocolate pockets in every bite. The result is something between a cookie and a tiny cake, with banana bread vibes in handheld form.

These spread less than a typical drop cookie because of the banana’s moisture, so they keep their shape and bake up plump.

Pro Tips

• Use bananas that are heavily speckled, even black. Underripe bananas don’t have enough sugar or banana flavor to work here.
• Cool the melted chocolate completely before adding to the creamed shortening. Hot chocolate seizes the fat and makes a grainy dough.
• Drop by rounded tablespoons, not heaping. These don’t spread much, so what you scoop is what you get on the plate.
• Pull at the 12-minute mark when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. The cookies firm up dramatically as they cool.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread to keep them soft for up to 3 days.

Variations

• Stir in 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch and banana-bread vibes.
• Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a spiced version.
• Sub white chocolate chips for half the semi-sweet for a banana-and-cream version.