Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies

These healthy gluten-free, vegan banana bread cookies are soft, chewy and so easy! Loaded with peanut butter and chocolate chips, these almond flour banana cookies are a must have recipe!

If you’re in need of a way to use up those brown bananas sitting on your counter, look no further than these delicious vegan banana bread cookies! By using only a handful of ingredients, it allows the banana flavour to really shine. 

I mean, you can’t have banana almond flour cookies without banana!  And you’ll never guess these are made without eggs.

Anyone can bake gluten-free banana bread, but how about combining the flavour of banana bread with the simplicity of a cookie? These gluten-free banana cookies are light and fluffy, moist and dare I say it… are so much better than banana bread. 

They truly taste like healthy banana bread with oats, but in cookie form (WIN).

These easy banana bread cookies are a regular treat around my house. When you make these moist vegan cookies, no one will ever know they are gluten-free.

I have been loving making a batch or two, tossing them in the freezer, and pulling them out when I feel like a sweet treat. Or when I just need a quick grab and go breakfast or healthy snack!

If you love cookie recipes you may also want to try my Healthy And Easy Protein Oatmeal Cookies or my Viral Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED FOR THE BANANA COOKIE RECIPE

You will need the following ingredients listed below to make the healthy banana cookies (the exact measurements, step-by-step instructions and full recipe are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post):

• Overripe bananas – the bananas with brown spots work best in this recipe.
• Creamy peanut butter
• Coconut oil – melted butter would also work here.
• Pure maple syrup
• Vanilla extract
• Almond flour
• Gluten-free oats
• Brown sugar – can substitute with coconut sugar however you may need more of it.
• Baking soda
• Ground flaxseed
• Ground cinnamon
• Sea salt
• Dark chocolate chips
• Optional – all purpose flour, pumpkin seeds, other nuts or seeds.

HOW TO MAKE THE DELICIOUS BANANA BREAD COOKIES

1. Mash a banana into a bowl on on a plate. TIP – the more ripe the banana is (or if it’s frozen and thawed), the sweeter and more moist the cookies will be!
2. In a large bowl combine the mashed banana, melted peanut butter, melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl combine the almond flour, gluten free oat flour, baking soda, ground flaxseed, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Then stir in chocolate chips. Chill dough for 10-15 minutes.
5. Using an cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough into 6 large cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down on cookies slightly with the palm of your hand to shape. The vegan banana cookies will not change shape much while cooking.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and quickly add banana slices to the middle of the cookies if you desire (optional but highly recommended). Put back in oven for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. I took mine out after 3 minutes as I love the inside of my healthy banana peanut butter cookies to be very soft and gooey.
7. Let cool on baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack and ENJOY!

WHY THESE ARE THE BEST VEGAN BANANA BREAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

• They’re the perfect treat to whip up with minimal ingredients.
• They are vegan, gluten-free and very healthy!
• These healthy banana bread cookies are so soft and chewy!
• They are lower in carbs and sugar than traditional banana bread and have lots of fibre.
• They can be made completely refined sugar free and are still a hearty cookie!
• They are perfect for meal prepping for snacks or a quick grab and go breakfast option.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE OTHER LIQUID SWEETENERS IN PLACE OF MAPLE SYRUP?

Yes, if you are not vegan you can also use honey! Agave syrup and brown rice syrup would also work great in this recipe. Other sugar free liquid sweeteners would also work.

CAN I MAKE THESE REFINED SUGAR FREE?

If you don’t want your cookies overly sweet, you do not need to add the brown sugar! I have made this recipe with and without the brown sugar and I do prefer them with it, but if you’re looking to keep this recipe lower in sugar you do not need to add it!

CAN I FREEZE THEM?

Yes, I actually bake these cookies and throw them in the freezer in an airtight container once they are cooled! You can pull them out in the mornings for an afternoon snack at work, or eat them straight out of the freezer. 

Either way, they are SO delicious! HOWEVER, if you are adding banana pieces to the top of the cookies, I wouldn’t recommend freezing them. When the banana thaws on the top of the cookie, it gets soft and mushy (no bueno).

DO I HAVE TO USE PEANUT BUTTER?

No, you can use any nut butter of your choosing! Cashew butter, pecan butter, or almond butter would all be delicious in this recipe as well! Alternatively, if you can’t do nuts I recommend trying sun butter or granola butter!

ARE THESE VEGAN BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES?

Yes, they are! They are made without dairy or eggs. They bind together with the flax seed and banana. And they are sweetened without honey.

ARE THESE GLUTEN-FREE AS WELL?

Yes! They are made with certified gluten free oats which we blend into flour, and almond flour. Baking with oats is amazing and gives them a nice fluffy texture, while the almond flour keeps them very soft and moist. 

Other Gluten Free Sweets You May Want To Try

• Gluten Free Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 4 Ingredient Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
• Gluten Free Morning Glory Muffins
• Vegan Rocky Road Brownies
• Chocolate Magic Shell Yogurt Cup

IF YOU TRIED THIS HEALTHIER TREAT PLEASE LEAVE IT A COMMENT AND STAR RATING. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN PIN THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING @basicswithbails and #basicswithbails