Easy Banana Cocoa Cookies with a healthy twist are soft on the inside, lightly crisp on the outside, and absolutely delicious!
These easy double chocolate banana cookies are made with the perfect amount of banana and cocoa, with chia instead of egg, and olive oil instead of butter, and you'd never know!
When I was updating my list of top recipes with overripe bananas, I realized that I was missing banana cookies! So, I got to work and created this Banana Cocoa Cookie recipe. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe Make these banana chocolate chip cookies without cracking an egg or getting out your stand or hand mixer!
- Dairy-Free, Egg-Free That's right! These cookies are made with chia instead of egg and olive oil instead of butter. It's so good!
- Kid-Approved If your kids like banana and chocolate, they will LOVE these cookies!
- Simple Ingredients Banana, cocoa powder, flour, quick oats, baking soda, salt, vanilla, olive oil, sugar, and chia seeds. Chia seeds can be found in most grocery stores, including Trader Joe's and Costco.
Dietitian Tip
Chia eggs (chia seeds mixed with water long enough to form a gel) are not actual eggs, but they can replace eggs in some baked goods.
Chia seeds are high in fiber, omega 3 fatty acids., and other important nutrients.
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients for making these banana cocoa cookies.
- Banana Use overripe bananas (yellow bananas with brown spots). Bananas are an excellent source of potassium and fiber. Overripe bananas also act as a natural sweetener for baked goods. Don't use brown bananas for this cookie recipe.
- Chia Seeds A chia egg (chia seeds mixed with water) serves as an egg replacement in this cookie recipe. Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
- Quick Oats Help give substance to these cookies. Oats are a good source of fiber and protein.
- Golden Wheat Flour King Arthur, changed the name of their white whole wheat flour to Golden Wheat Flour. It's an unbleached whole grain flour that can be found in the flour section of many grocery stores or purchased online. All-purpose flour can be used instead.
- Olive Oil Use extra virgin olive oil. It is high in monounsaturated fats, contains no saturated fats, and has many other promising health promoting properties. Of course, I'm sure you could always use melted butter or melted coconut oil instead.
How to Make Banana Cocoa Cookies
- Make a chia egg: Mix chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Set it aside to let it set for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the overripe bananas to a large mixing bowl. Mash the bananas with the back side of a fork or a food masher.
- Whisk sugar, brown sugar, wet ingredients (olive oil and vanilla extract), and the chia egg in with the mashed banana. Then add the dry ingredients and whisk again. Stir in the chocolate chips
- Evenly distribute cookie dough forming 12 cookies on a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes.
Helpful Tips
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (grease it) before spooning the cookie dough.
- Stir the chia and water mixture after a minute or two. Then let it set for another 3-5 minutes, while you measure out the rest of the ingredients.
- These Banana Cocoa Cookies are light and soft (almost cakelike) on the inside. If you want a crispy edge, bake them for 13-14 minutes.
- The banana is noticeable in these cookies.
- Reserve some of the chocolate chips to place on the tops of the cookies right before baking.
- This recipe makes just enough for 12 cookies. Use a rubber spatula to get all of the cookie dough off of the sides of the large bowl.
- Store cooled cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Questions You May Have
I think so! As a Registered Dietitian, I always hesitate to label any food as 'healthy' because it can mean something different to everyone.
And, although these cookies are made sugar, they are also made with oats, whole grain flour, chia seeds, and olive oil.
Yes, absolutely. I've added 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (the kind made with only peanuts and salt) to this cookie dough. They turned out great but were even less sweet (they didn't taste sweet at all).
I don't recommend it. I really tried to cut back on the amount of added sugar in this recipe. I also made these with maple syrup instead.
When I did, they turned out more like balls of unsweetened cake.
More Dessert Recipes
- Meals for After Wisdom Teeth Removal (Ideas from a Dietitian)
- Easy Roasted Peaches
- Favorite Fruit on a Stick
- Chocolate Covered Pineapple (So Easy!)
Did you make these Banana Cocoa Cookies and love them as much as I do? Please let me know by leaving a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. A 5-star rating is the best compliment!
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📖 Recipe
Banana Cocoa Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Chia egg
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 tablespoon water
Banana Cocoa Cookies
- ¾ cup golden wheat flour also known as white whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup quick oats
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar I used dark brown sugar. Can use light brown sugar or coconut sugar instead.
- ¼ cup sugar I used raw cane sugar (unrefined cane sugar).
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup mashed banana two small or one very large overripe banana
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 3 tablespoon chocolate chips semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Mix chia seeds and water together in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 5 minutes to form a gel. This is known as a chia egg. Set it aside1 tablespoon chia seeds, 3 tablespoon water
- Add all dry ingredients to a small or medium bowl. set aside¾ cup golden wheat flour, ¼ cup quick oats, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Mash banana in a separate large bowl.½ cup mashed banana
- Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and olive oil to the mashed banana. Mix well., then stir in the chia egg.¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ¼ cup olive oil
- Stir in chocolate chips.3 tablespoon chocolate chips
- scoop and drop 2 tablespoons of the batter per cookie onto the a greased or lined baking sheet, keeping at least one inch of space between cookies. The batter will spread as they cook.
Notes
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it with avocado oil, butter, or coconut oil.
- Stir the chia and water mixture after a minute or two. Then let it set for another 3-5 minutes, while you measure out the rest of the ingredients.
- The banana flavor is noticeable.
- These Banana Cocoa Cookies are light and soft (almost cakelike) on the inside. If you want a crispy edge, bake them for 13-14 minutes.
- Reserve some of the chocolate chips to place on the tops of the cookies right before baking.
- Once completely cooled, cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days (up to 2-3 days).
- Don't move these cookies to a cooling rack right away or they may fall apart.
Lindsi Marsh says
So good! Loved this one and kids scarfed it up!
Kristi Ruth RD says
That's the best compliment! 🙌