I love Banana Bread but sometimes I don't feel like baking an entire loaf (it's not the baking, it's the waiting for it to be completely cooled part) This is when these delicious Gluten Free Banana Bread Cookies with a muffin top texture come in handy. Picture a bite-sized version of classic chocolate chip banana bread, packed with banana flavor and chocolate chips, topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting.
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredient Notes
- How to make Banana Bread Cookie Dough
- How to bake Gluten Free Banana Bread Cookies
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Storage & Freezing
- FAQ - Banana Bread Cookies
- Note about Salt in my Recipes
- Baking in grams
- Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
- Substitutions and Modifications
- More Gluten Free Banana Recipes to try
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Flour: I tested this recipe for Banana Cookies with my own Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour Blend as well as Bob’s Red Mill 1 – to 1. Both flours worked very well in this recipe. This does not mean other brands will not work in this recipe. I just have not tested them in this application. Flour blends used to develop this cookie recipe do contain xanthan gum.
Corn Starch: Cornstarch is a tenderizing agent. It helps create a softer and more tender texture in cookies. It also help to retain moisture. This can prevent cookies from becoming overly dry and crumbly, resulting in a melt in your mouth texture.
Banana: for this recipe, you need just 125 grams of ripe but not mushy banana. I actually preferred using yellow bananas with a lot of brown spots in my recipes instead of overly ripe bananas.
Butter & Vegetable Oil: I use a combination of unsalted butter and oil. Like canola oil or grapeseed oil, even a mild olive oil would work here. The butter gives the banana bread cookies cake a lovely flavor while the oil keeps the crumb tender and moist.
Cream Cheese: I use full-fat cream cheese in the frosting.
How to make Banana Bread Cookie Dough
This recipe for Banana Bread Cookies is very simple and can be made in less than one hour. Please make sure your butter and your eggs are at room temperature. The dough does have to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge, but this mainly helps with scooping because otherwise the dough is very sticky.
Step 1: Start by sifting together the gluten-free multi purpose flour, corn starch, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a bowl and set aside.
Step 2: In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the room temperature butter, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract and mix for 3-4 minutes at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Halfway through, pause to scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula.
Step 3: Add the whole egg and egg yolk and mix until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides.
Step 4: With the mixer running on low, add your dry ingredients and mix until the wet ingredients are almost completely incorporated.
Step 5: Turn off your mixer and add the chopped banana and chocolate chips. Turn the mixer back on and at a low speed mix until the bananas and chocolate chips are blended in.
Step 6: Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and with a flexible spatula give the dough a quick stir to make sure all the mashed bananas are fully incorporated. The dough may appear loose and more like a cake/muffin batter. It seems tempting to add more flour but please don't.
Step 7: Place your mixing bowl in your refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the banana bread cookie dough to firm up.
How to bake Gluten Free Banana Bread Cookies
Depending on how ripe your bananas are, your dough may be on the softer side and can be frustrating to scoop. This is why it is important to allow your dough to rest at least 30 minutes. The longer the cookie dough is refrigerated, the less the cookies will spread.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2: With a medium cookie scoop (around 1.5-2 tablespoons), portion out the cookie dough between the two sheet trays. You should get around 16-18 cookie dough balls from this batch. I like to bake 8 cookies at once per tray.
Step 3: Bake the banana bread cookies one tray at a time at 350F for 13-15 minutes until they are lightly golden brown in color. Your cookies should be puffy and look like muffin tops.
Step 4: Allow the gluten free banana bread cookies to cool for a few minutes on the sheet tray and then transfer them to a cooling rack for them to cool completely. I recommend using an offset knife or butter knife to remove them from the parchment. The cookies can stick to the parchment paper. Repeat with the second tray of cookies.
Cream Cheese Frosting
To make the cream cheese frosting, combine the room temperature unsalted butter, cream cheese, salt, and a generous teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium bowl, and with an electric hand mixer mix to combine. You may also do this in your stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Mix until light and fluffy.
Carefully add the powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar) – I recommend doing this in two steps (powdered sugar has a mind on its own). Remember you can always add more sugar if the frosting is not sweet enough to your liking. Mix until light and fluffy.
To frost these Gluten Free Banana Cookies, drop a small scoop of frosting in the middle of their top and use a spoon or an offset knife to spread it out. Garnish with additional mini chocolate chips if you like. If you plan on eating them right away, feel free to top them with a thin slice of bananas. You can also decorate them with some nuts such as cinnamon spiced pecans or chopped walnuts or banana chips.
Storage & Freezing
The frosted cookies can be kept at room temperature for up to 4hrs but if your kitchen is on the warmer side, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. Unfrosted cookies can be stored at room temperature.
I have not frozen the unbaked cookie dough but have frozen the baked, unfrosted banana bread cookies. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer up to 2 months and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter.
FAQ - Banana Bread Cookies
While the butter can be replaced with a non dairy butter spread, I have not tested this recipe without eggs or with an egg replacement.
The longer the banana bread cookie dough is refrigerated, the less the cookies will spread when being baked.
Note about Salt in my Recipes
I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Be also prepared that the convection oven can cause your baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Be aware that it takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
More Gluten Free Banana Recipes to try
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Banana Bread Cookies
These Gluten Free Banana Cookies taste like a slice of your favorite banana bread and are topped with a delectable cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Gluten Free Banana Bread Cookies
- 215 grams gluten free multi purpose flour
- 20 grams cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
- 85 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 30 grams vegetable oil
- 80 grams light brown sugar
- 30 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 125 grams of ripe, chopped banana (not mashed)
- 50 grams mini chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 55 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 100 grams cream cheese, nearly at room temperature
- 65 grams powdered sugar
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Banana Bread Cookie Dough
- Start by sifting together the gluten-free flour, corn starch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the room-temperature butter, oil, brown sugar, granulated and vanilla extract and mix for 3-4 minutes at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Halfway through, pause to scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula.
- Add the whole egg and egg yolk and mix until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides.
- With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients and mix until the wet ingredients are almost fully incorporated.
- Turn off your mixer and add the chopped banana and chocolate chips. Turn the mixer back on and at a low speed mix until the bananas and chocolate chips are blended in.
- Turn off your mixer and remove the bowl from the mixer. With a flexible spatula fold in the chopped-up bananas until combined. The dough may appear loose and more like a cake/muffin batter. It seems tempting to add more flour but please don't.
- Place your mixing bowl in your refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow your dough to firm up.
How to bake Gluten Free Banana Bread Cookies
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350F and line two sheet trays with parchment paper.
- With a medium cookie scoop (around 1.5-2 tablespoons), portion out the cookie dough between the two sheet trays. You should get around 16-18 cookie dough balls from this batch. I like to bake 8 cookies at once per tray
- Bake the banana bread cookies one tray at a time at 350F for 13-15 minutes until they are lightly golden brown. Your cookies should be puffy and look like muffin tops.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the sheet tray and then transfer them to a cooling rack for them to cool completely.
- Repeat with the second tray of cookies.
- Once all the cookies are fully cooled, they are ready to be frosted.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine the room temperature unsalted butter, cream cheese, salt, and a generous teaspoon of vanilla extract in a medium bowl, and with an electric hand mixer mix to combine. You may also do this in your stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Carefully add the powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar) – I recommend doing this in two steps (powdered sugar has a mind on its own).
- To frost these Gluten Free Banana Cookies, drop a small scoop of frosting in the middle of their top and use a spoon or an offset knife to spread it out. Garnish with additional mini chocolate chips if you like. If you plan on eating them right away, feel free to top them with a thin slice of bananas. You can also decorate them with some cinnamon spiced pecans or banana chips.
Notes
Storage: The frosted cookies can be store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232
Calories are a guestimate and randomly generated.
Bianca
Seeing these appear I could not go past the whimsically full and fluffy appearance of these banana bread cookies. They were simple to prepare and had a wonderfully rich cinnamon aroma. I love a moorish cookie!
I feel that they could also be tweaked according to flavor preference; a warm ginger bread cookie for example.
As a novice baker the steps were clear and concise for me to follow & I appreciated the detailed ‘how to’ notes. Personally, I also prefer measurements to be given to the gram as well; if something does not turn out as expected knowing that the measurements were followed then gives idea of where else one may have been ‘off’ (oven temp etc).
Thank you for the recipe!
Megan
Somehow they melt in your mouth and crumble at the same time?! I absolutely love these and the recipe was super easy to follow. I probably should've chopped the banana into smaller pieces, but the bigger chunks are gooey and yummy! I made these mini (per usual) so I can share with classmates. (:
Lisa
I loved this recipe! The texture of these cookies is just an amazing fusion between crumbly cookie and fluffy cake!
As I am not gluten-free, I used the suggested amount of all-purpose flour and they turned out amazing. I cannot wait to make the pumpkin ones next!
Also they were already lovely without the cream cheese icing but adding it took them to the next level. 🤍
Daniela Weiner
I am so happy to hear they were a winner!
Kelley Palmatier
These are delicious. I made two batches in one week. I left the powdered sugar in the frosting just at 100g so it wasn’t as sweet!
Tina R.
These are so delicious! Due to some allergies we did make some substitutions, but the taste is on point! Instead of a milk powder, I added collagen peptides (next time I’ll leave it out to see if it makes a difference); subbed 4TBSP Aquafaba for the eggs, and used Earth Balance vegan butter (leaving out salt in the frosting because it’s not unsalted). The cream cheese frosting, next time I would half the recipe. I love things sweet, but we found it was too much frosting for the cookie, overpowering it a bit - which I would never think I would say! If you double the batch for the cookies, it’s probably perfect for that amount. The cookie was a bit crumbly, but that can be due to the substitutions and I’m not really sure what could have caused it without trying things differently next time. Either way, it’s soooo good and worth making! Highly recommend! Oh! Also, I did Daniela’s flour blend for this. So yeah, could be lots of factors. If you make it per the instructions exactly, you’ll likely have no issues, but if you need to sub things, this is just a heads up of a possibility. Still a huge hit in our house though!
Daniela
Thank you for your feedback. Collagen Peptides are not a recommended substitute for milk powder. As you mentioned, you changed many factors in the cookies and it's no surprise they did turn out a different texture.
Claire B
I've made these three times now and will definitely make them again because they are so good! Love how the recipe calls for chunks of banana instead of mashed.
Chanel
Can you give the measurement for regular all purpose flour? Thanks! C.
Daniela
I would probably reduce it to 205 grams
Mari
These were delicious but I couldn’t find the amount of cinnamon on the recipe. I just added a pinch. 🙂
Daniela
Thank you for catching this! I added the cinnamon to the ingredients
Jamie G
These were so good! I was expecting a more bready texture and was thrilled that is has a more cookie texture. Perfect balance of flavors and texture! Adding cream cheese frosting made it even better!
Daniela
Aren't these fun! SO glad you enjoyed them