Let’s be honest, what is there not to like about the title of this post? This past weekend I needed to bring some food to a cookout, and since I haven’t done much baking this summer, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to put my new kitchen to work. This is officially the inaugural batch of cookies in my new apartment.

As you may or may not know, I eat bananas quite regularly, and I’m always worried about keeping a ripe supply at all times for my morning smoothies. Last week, however, I got a little overzealous and I ended up with some extras that got ripe real fast. And thus: cookies with bananas.

I quickly searched some of my favorite food blogs and ended up with this great recipe from How Sweet It Is. I love that blog!  Let me tell you something. These are the best cookies I’ve made in a while. They are a great chewy texture that make them soft but not too light and cakey. Plus, I feel like the peanut butter and banana add some healthy components to a typical chocolate chip cookie, without making it a full on granola bar.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from How Sweet It Is, yields 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 2 Tbs AP Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 Tbs Butter, melted and cooled
• 6 Tbs Peanut, Butter melted and cooled
• 1 egg yolk, room temp
• 1 cup brown sugar loosely packed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 medium ripe bananas mashed
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 (How Sweet It Is recommends 325, but my oven needed to be hotter).
2. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl: flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

   

3. Combine melted and cooled butter and peanut butter in a different bowl. Wisk it together with the sugars and egg yolk. Then wisk in the mashed banana and vanilla extract. The mixture will not be smooth. 
4. Slowly add the dry to the wet and use a wooden spoon to mix it (no hand mixer needed). And finally fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Portion out the cookies onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 (again, my oven was way off from what the original recipe suggested so use your judgement). Cookies should be a light golden brown.
6. Allow to cool, and enjoy!