Brown Butter Banana Bread Cookies with Frosting

Soft and chewy Brown Butter Banana Bread Cookies with Frosting taste just like a slice of classic banana loaf. Brown butter packs in a nutty flavor and sour cream and overripe bananas add moisture. Made with basic ingredients and minimal baking equipment, you’ll love this quick and easy recipe.

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These Banana Bread Cookies with Frosting redefine classic banana bread. Brown butter (who doesn’t love it?) adds a dreamy flavor, and simple cream cheese frosting adds the perfect final touch. And the best part is they’re in a cookie form!

As a busy mom, I love making these easy frosted banana bread cookies. They’re a go-to quick and easy breakfast treat (I serve them with yogurt and fruit!). They’re even a fun menu addition for hosting brunch, just like baked banana donuts and banana muffins.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Brown butter. It’s true, brown butter makes everything better! It adds a rich, nutty, and slightly caramelized flavor. It takes these banana cookies to the next level!
• Soft and chewy. These cookies have a perfectly soft and chewy texture. You could even say they’re borderline cakey. They’re just like biting into banana bread but in cookie form.
• No mixer. We love easy! This cookie dough is hand-mixed and comes together in no time!

Ingredients You'll Need

Cookie Ingredients

• All-purpose flour. Gives the right amount of tenderness to the cookies (not too dense and not too cakey.)
• Baking powder and baking soda. The leavening agents that contribute to the dough spreading and puffing up for a light and chewy texture.
• Salt. Enhances the sweetness of the cookies. Just a little bit goes a long way.
• Butter. Browning the butter adds a rich and nutty flavor to the cookies. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the cookie dough.
• Bananas. Use very ripe bananas for this recipe. They are sweeter and easier to mash into a smooth consistency.
• Light brown sugar. Adds sweetness to the cookies. Brown sugar adds a slightly caramelized flavor plus moisture.
• Egg. Helps bind the cookie ingredients together and add moisture and richness to the cookies.
• Sour cream. Moistens the cookie dough and adds richness. Use full-fat sour cream and bring to room temperature.

Note: To quickly ripen bananas, place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a preheated 300°F/150°C oven. Bake them for 15-20 minutes until the skins are black.

Frosting Ingredients

• Cream cheese. Use block cream cheese.  It has a dense, firm texture that is perfect for making frosting. Bring to room temperature to create a smooth and creamy mixture.
• Butter. Just a bit adds some creaminess and richness to the frosting.
• Powdered sugar. Adds sweetness to the cream cheese frosting. The fine texture creates a smooth and creamy consistency.
• Vanilla. Flavors the frosting. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Cinnamon. Add a pinch to the frosting for a complimentary flavor to the brown butter cookies.

Recipe Substitutions

• Greek yogurt. You can replace the sour cream with an equal amount of Greek yogurt.
• Spices. Substitute nutmeg or cardamom for the cinnamon in the frosting. Both pair well with banana-flavored desserts. You can even add one of these spices to the cookie dough.

Equipment & Tools

• Digital kitchen scale or measuring cups. Using a scale will give you the most accurate measurements.
• Measuring spoons.
• Large baking sheet. This recipe will need two sheet pans, but you can use the same one if you prefer.  Allow it to cool before baking the second batch of cookies.
• Parchment paper will prevent your cookies from sticking to the baking sheet. You could also use a silicone baking mat.
• You’ll need a medium and large bowl to mix the dry and wet ingredients before combining them together.
• Before refrigerating the dough, wrap it with plastic wrap.
• A cookie dough scoop takes the guesswork out and creates consistent-sized cookies.
• Use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to mix the frosting.
• Rubber spatula.
• A knife or small off-set spatula is helpful for spreading the cream cheese frosting.

No kitchen scale? No problem. Use a spoon to fill your measuring cup with flour, enough so there’s a mound of flour over the top of the cup. Then level it with the back of a knife.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Brown butter. Melt and brown the butter over medium-high heat.

Mix dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Mix wet ingredients. Whisk brown butter, banana, brown sugar, egg, and sour cream.

Combine ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Cover and refridgerate dough.

Divide dough. Scoop dough onto baking sheets, slightly flatten the balls and bake. Once completely cooled, frost the cookies.

Note: Don’t skip the step of refrigerating the cookie dough. It will allow the consistency of the dough to firm up so the cookies do not overspread during baking. The chilling process also helps to develop the flavors for extra delicious cookies!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

As a trained pastry chef, I’ve made my share of cookies over the years and love sharing my favorite tips to ensure the perfect cookies every time!

• Weigh your ingredients. For consistent results, weighing your ingredients using a scale is best.
• Use room temperature ingredients. Why bring the ingredients to room temperature if we refrigerate the dough anyway? Room temperature ingredients combine much more evenly. Don’t skip this step!
• Don’t over mix the dough. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined, and no streaks of flour are visible. Continuing to mix will result in dense cookies.
• Slightly flatten the dough. After scooping your cookie dough onto the baking sheet, slightly wet your fingers and press down on each cookie to flatten (just a bit!).
• Cool completely. For perfectly iced cookies, spread the frosting over completely cooled cookies (or else you will have a soupy mess!).

Recipe Variations

• Mix-ins. Chopped toasted nuts (like pecans or walnuts) or mini chocolate chips make a fun addition to these banana bread cookies. Add up to ⅓ cup of either mix-in into the batter and sprinkle extra over the iced cookies.
• Chocolate glaze. Love chocolate? Pour a chocolate glaze over these cakey cookies like the one from these pop tarts.

Storage & Freezing Tips

Refrigerated. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving (I prefer this, but you can also enjoy them cold!).

Freezer. Store completely cooled unfrosted or frosted cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Allow the cookies to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Make ahead. Bake these soft banana cookies and store them covered at room temperature overnight. Make the frosting up to 1 week in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before frosting the cookies.

Note: If you prefer to stack your cookies in a freezer-safe container for storing, place a layer of parchment or wax paper between each cookie so they don’t stick together.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Brown Butter Cookies

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Brown Butter Banana Bread Cookies with Frosting

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Maria
• Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
• Yield: 30 cookies 1x

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Description

Soft and chewy Brown Butter Banana Bread Cookies with Frosting taste just like a slice of classic banana loaf. Brown butter packs in a nutty flavor, and sour cream and overripe bananas add moisture. Made with basic ingredients and minimal baking equipment, you'll love this quick and easy recipe.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cookies

• 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
• 280 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 147 g (⅔ cup) light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 45 g (3 tablespoons) sour cream, at room temperature

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 113 g (½ cup) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 90 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of ground cinnamon

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Instructions

Cookies

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook, while occasionally stirring, until the butter has brown specks throughout. Careful not to burn the butter. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside to cool, but not thicken.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown butter, banana, brown sugar, egg, and sour cream.
4. Gently fold in the flour mixture until evenly combined.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
6. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Line two large baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
8. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough balls, and line them on your prepared sheet pan, allowing for about 2-inches between each cookie. Slightly flatten each cookie.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-12 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool 5 minutes on the hot sheet pan. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In a medium bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until powdered sugar is mostly incorporated.
3. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for 3 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Frost the completely cooled cookies.

Notes

Make-Ahead:  Bake and store covered at room temperature overnight. Make the frosting up to 1 wee in advance and store it in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before frosting the cookies.

Storing:  Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Chill Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Cookies
• Method: Baking