Some of my favorite bakery-style cookie recipes started because someone asked me to make something I had never made before. These banana cream cookies are one of those recipes. When I was selling my cookies, I would occasionally get requests for flavors that weren’t already on my menu. I loved those requests because they gave me an excuse to head into the kitchen, pull out my mixing bowls, and see if I could turn someone’s favorite dessert or flavor into an extra-large bakery-style cookie.
Banana cream was one of those requests.
I knew right away that I didn’t want to simply make a banana-flavored cookie. I wanted it to remind you of banana cream pie, complete with creamy vanilla flavor, bananas, and that little bit of crunch you get from the crust.
That eventually led to these Banana Cream Crunch Cookies.
They have real ripe bananas in the dough, white chocolate chips for creaminess, chopped Nilla Wafers for crunch, and a banana cream white chocolate glaze drizzled over the top.
They are definitely not your ordinary banana cookies.
And that’s exactly what I wanted.
How These Banana Cream Cookies Came to Be
One of the things I enjoyed most when I was selling cookies was experimenting with new flavors.
Sometimes I had an idea I couldn’t get out of my head, and sometimes a customer gave me the idea.
This recipe came from a request.
Someone wanted a banana cream cookie, and once the idea was planted in my head, I started thinking about what would make a cookie actually taste like banana cream pie.
Obviously, I needed bananas.
But banana cream pie isn’t just about bananas. It has that wonderful creamy vanilla filling and a crust that gives the dessert some texture.
That’s where the white chocolate and Nilla Wafers came in.
The white chocolate gives these banana cream cookies that sweet, creamy flavor, while the crushed Nilla Wafers add little bits of crunch throughout the cookie.
Then I added the banana cream glaze.
That was the finishing touch.
The Riper the Bananas, the Better
Please don’t use your prettiest yellow bananas for this recipe.
Save those for breakfast.
For these cookies, you want the bananas sitting on your counter that are starting to look like they’ve seen better days.
You know the ones.
They’re covered in brown spots, nobody in the house wants to eat them anymore, and you’re beginning to wonder if you should throw them away.
Those are the bananas I want!
Very ripe bananas are softer and sweeter, and they have a much stronger banana flavor. I like mine to be mostly brown when I’m baking with them.
If I have ripe bananas but I’m not ready to make banana cream cookies, I’ll peel them and put them in the freezer. Then they’re waiting for me whenever I’m ready to bake.
If your bananas aren’t quite ready yet, King Arthur Baking has some helpful tips for ripening bananas for baking when you don’t want to wait several more days.
Why I Add Nilla Wafers to Banana Cream Cookies
The Nilla Wafers may be my favorite part of this recipe.
Without them, you have a really good banana and white chocolate cookie.
With them, you start getting that banana cream pie feeling I was trying to create.
I roughly chop the regular-sized Nilla Wafers before adding them to the dough. I don’t want them ground into crumbs because I like finding little pieces of cookie throughout each bite.
I also like using mini Nilla Wafers on top of the finished cookies.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, you can press a few extra white chocolate chips and a mini Nilla Wafer into the top. It’s completely optional, but it makes the finished cookies look so pretty.
It also gives everyone a little clue about what’s waiting inside.
Don’t Forget the Banana Cream Glaze
The glaze is what really turns these into banana cream cookies for me.
It’s made with white chocolate chips, heavy cream, and just a little banana extract.
That’s it.
Once the cookies have completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the tops and allow it to set.
You could certainly leave the glaze off if you want a simpler cookie, but if I’m making Banana Cream Crunch Cookies, I’m adding it.
It’s too good to leave out.
My Biggest Tip Before Baking Banana Cream Cookies
If you’ve read some of my other cookie recipes, you’ve probably heard me say this before.
Bake one cookie first.
I’ve been baking cookies for many years, and this is still one of the best pieces of advice I can give you.
There are so many things that can affect a cookie recipe. Your altitude, oven, flour measurement, size of your eggs, ripeness of your bananas, and even the weather can change the consistency of cookie dough.
This particular recipe can vary a little because bananas don’t come in perfectly measured packages.
Start with 8 cups of flour and gradually add more as needed. You want a thick dough that can hold its shape without being overly dry.
Then bake one test cookie.
If it spreads too much, add a little more flour. If it doesn’t spread enough, gently flatten the next cookie before baking.
I’d much rather adjust one cookie than discover I needed to make a change after baking an entire tray.
These tips are specifically for my Banana Cream Cookies, but you might also want to read through my more extensive list of tips for baking the perfect cookie. They’re all things I’ve learned over my many years of baking, testing, and figuring out what makes a really good cookie.
Banana Cream Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 cups packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 cup very ripe mashed bananas
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon banana extract
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 to 9 cups all-purpose flour, leveled (more if needed)
- 3 cups white chocolate chips
- 3 to 4 cups roughly chopped regular-sized Nilla Wafers
- 24 to 28 mini Nilla Wafers for topping
For the Banana Cream Glaze
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon banana extract
How to Make Banana Cream Cookies
Preheat your oven to 325°F to 350°F, depending on your oven and altitude.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the melted butter, mashed bananas, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined.
Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and banana extract. Mix until everything is fully incorporated.
Add the baking soda and salt.
Gradually mix in 8 cups of flour. Continue adding additional flour as needed until you have a thick cookie dough that holds its shape. Because the moisture content of bananas varies, you may need a little more or less flour from one batch to another.
Fold in the chopped Nilla Wafers and white chocolate chips.
For my extra-large bakery-style cookies, I use a large 4-tablespoon cookie scoop and combine two scoops of dough to make approximately a 5-ounce cookie.
Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of room between them.
Bake for approximately 15 to 18 minutes.
The cookies should be lightly golden around the edges while the centers still look soft. Be careful not to overbake them. They’ll continue setting as they cool.
Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, press additional white chocolate chips and a mini Nilla Wafer into the tops, if desired.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the glaze.
Making the Glaze for Your Banana Cream Cookies
Place the white chocolate chips, heavy cream, and banana extract in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 30 seconds and stir.
Continue heating in 30-second increments, stirring thoroughly each time, until the white chocolate has melted and the glaze is smooth.
Don’t try to rush this step by microwaving it for several minutes at once. White chocolate can be a little temperamental, and the short intervals help keep it from overheating.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.
Allow the glaze to set before storing.
Baking Smaller Banana Cream Cookies
You definitely don’t have to make these as enormous as I do.
I love a big bakery-style cookie, so mine are usually about 5 ounces each. This recipe will make approximately 2 dozen extra-large cookies.
If you’d rather make regular-sized cookies, portion the dough into approximately 2-ounce balls and bake for about 12 to 14 minutes.
You’ll get approximately 6 dozen smaller cookies from the recipe.
Again, I recommend starting with one test cookie before filling your baking sheet.
A Note About Altitude and Baking Time
I bake at just over 4,000 feet, and 325°F works well for my extra-large cookies.
If you’re baking at a lower altitude, you may find that 350°F works better.
Every oven is different too, which is another reason I don’t like giving one rigid baking time and telling you it will work perfectly for everyone.
Watch your cookies more than you watch the clock.
You’re looking for lightly golden edges and a soft center. That’s what gives you that wonderful combination of a slightly crisp outside and a soft, chewy middle.
If You Prefer Weighing Your Ingredients
I know some bakers prefer using a kitchen scale, especially when working with large cookie recipes.
Here are the measurements I use for the ingredients that I weigh:
- Brown sugar: 789 grams
- Granulated sugar: 189 grams
- Eggs: 253 grams
- All-purpose flour: 1,272 to 1,412 grams
The other ingredients are simple enough for me to measure that I don’t usually weigh them.
How I Store Banana Cream Cookies
Once the glaze has set, I recommend storing these cookies in the freezer.
Freezing is one of my favorite ways to keep homemade cookies fresh, especially when I’m making a large batch.
Place them in an airtight freezer-safe container, separating layers with parchment paper if needed.
When you’re ready for one, take it out and let it come to room temperature.
Or don’t.
I won’t judge you if you eat one while it’s still a little frozen.
A Customer Request That Became a Keeper
I think that’s one of the things I love most about creating recipes.
Sometimes you start with a very simple idea.
“Could you make a banana cream cookie?”
Then you start experimenting.
You add a little of this, change a little of that, bake a test cookie, taste it, and try again.
Eventually, that little idea becomes a recipe you make over and over.
That’s exactly what happened with these banana cream cookies.
What started as a customer’s request became one of those recipes I’m so glad I took the time to figure out. The combination of ripe bananas, white chocolate, crunchy Nilla Wafers, and creamy banana glaze makes them unlike any other cookie I make.
And if you’ve got a bunch of very brown bananas sitting on your kitchen counter right now, I think you’ve found a pretty delicious way to use them.
Another Dessert-Inspired Cookie to Try
If you like the idea of turning a favorite dessert into a giant cookie, try my Caramel Apple Pie Cookies next. They take another familiar dessert and turn it into a bakery-style cookie with apple, caramel, and a streusel topping.
Explore The Cookie Collection
These Banana Cream Cookies are just one of the fun flavor combinations I’ve created through the years. You can browse all of my bakery-style cookie recipes in The Cookie Collection for giant cookies, stuffed cookies, chocolate-loaded favorites, seasonal creations, and plenty of other cookies inspired by flavors I love.
Thank you for spending a little time in my kitchen today. I hope these Banana Cream Cookies give you one more delicious reason to hang on to those brown bananas nobody wants to eat. And who knows? They might just become one of those recipes your family starts asking you to make again and again.
Making every house feel a little more like home.
