These Almond Flour Banana Cookies are so good, you can’t eat just one.
They’re soft and chewy and taste almost like banana bread in cookie form.
And they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan and Paleo friendly.
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Why this recipe works
For some reason, banana cookies don’t seem as popular as other kinds of cookies.
Which makes no sense, because we love bananas in so many other forms: bread, muffins, cake, waffles, pancakes, etc.
So I wanted to create an easy recipe for banana cookies, but I wanted to make sure people who are gluten-free or Paleo can enjoy them too.
So instead of regular flour, we’re using superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal). This adds a flour-like texture plus the natural protein, fiber and fats you find in almonds.
Instead of butter, this recipe uses a bit of coconut oil to give the cookies a buttery texture. But don’t worry, you can’t taste the coconut!
And I also use coconut sugar instead of regular white sugar. It’s less refined and adds a great, brown sugar-y flavor.
These banana cookies with almond flour are quick and easy to make. And this recipe is easy to double if you need to make a big batch for a party.
And you can customize them by adding chocolate chips, nuts and more (see FAQ below).
What you need
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup mashed bananas, from about 2 large bananas that are ripe (yellow with lots of black) – you can mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher; they’ll still be a bit lumpy
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3/4 cup superfine blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon – this is just enough to round out the flavor without making the cookies too cinnamon-y
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt – yep, even desserts need a bit of salt to bring out the flavor!
- optional mix-ins:
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free, if necessary, like Enjoy Life!, or Paleo chocolate chips such as Hu)
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews or hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup dried fruit such as raisins, golden raisins or dried cherries
- 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
Equipment:
- a large mixing bowl
- a small, microwave safe bowl (for melting the coconut oil)
- a whisk
- a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- a fork or potato masher for mashing the bananas
- a fine-mesh sieve (optional, for sifting the almond flour if it’s lumpy)
- two stainless steel baking sheets
- parchment paper
- a small cookie scoop/ice cream scoop (I use this one with a 2 tablespoon capacity)
How to make Almond Flour Banana Cookies
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°.
Step 2
Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 3
In a large bowl, whisk the mashed banana, coconut sugar, melted and cooled coconut oil and vanilla until blended.
Step 4
Add the almond flour (sifting it into the bowl with a fine-mesh sieve if it’s lumpy), cinnamon and salt and stir until everything is combined. Stir in any mix-ins, if using.
Step 5
Scoop the dough into approx. 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Get the palm of your hands slightly damp and gently press the balls down until they’re about 1/4″ thick.
Step 6
Bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown around the edges (this might seem like a long time but the cookies are very moist), swapping and rotating the pans once halfway through baking.
Let the banana almond flour cookies cool completely and enjoy!
FAQ
You can use regular sugar or brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar (but then it won’t be refined sugar-free/Paleo).
To make it nut-free, you can try sunflower seed flour in place of the almond flour. I have not tried this substitution so I can’t guarantee the results. If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
You can add more cinnamon and/or other spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, etc.
You can add almond extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla extract. Almond extract is stronger so you only need 1/4 teaspoon.
For a more tropical flavor, you can add the zest of 1 lime to the dough.
Yep. The cookies can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They do get softer the longer they sit.
Yep. Place the cookies in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer until the cookies are frozen, about 2-3 hours. Transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer-safe container or baggie and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Yep! After your stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stir 1/4 cup chocolate chips into the dough. If you need the cookies to be dairy-free, use chocolate chips from Enjoy Life! or Hu.
Yep. The ingredients as listed are all Paleo friendly.
Yep. The ingredients as listed are all gluten-free.
Yep! These cookies contain no eggs, butter or other animal products, making them completely vegan.
Other recipes you might like:
- Almond Flour Banana Bread (Paleo, gluten-free)
- Chunky Monkey Muffins (Paleo, gluten-free)
- Almond Flour Pumpkin Cookies (Paleo, gluten-free, vegan)
- Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Paleo, gluten-free)
- “Peanut” Butter Cookies (nut-free, Paleo, gluten-free)
Almond Flour Banana Cookies (Paleo, gluten-free)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mashed bananas from about 2 large, ripe bananas (yellow with lots of black spots)
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted and cooled
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cup superfine blanched almond flour not almond meal
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Optional mix-ins
- ¼ cup chocolate chips dairy-free, if necessary (such as Enjoy Life!)
- ¼ cup chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews or hazelnuts
- ¼ cup dried fruit such as raisins, golden raisins or dried cherries
- 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the mashed banana, coconut sugar, melted and cooled coconut oil, and vanilla until blended.
- Add the almond flour (sifting it into the bowl with a fine-mesh sieve if it's lumpy), cinnamon and salt and stir until everything is combined. Stir in any mix-ins, if using.
- Scoop the dough into approx. 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Get the palm of your hands slightly damp and gently press the balls down until they're about 1/4" thick.
- Bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown around the edges (this might seem like a long time but the cookies are very moist), swapping and rotating the pans once halfway through baking. Let cool completely and enjoy!
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