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Thick and chewy banana oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips - the best oatmeal cookies!
I am very particular about oatmeal cookies. I only like them if they have a really chewy texture; and I am not too fond of cakey oatmeal cookies. Luckily, I found a great recipe that, with some of my changes, delivered exactly what I was looking for! Not only did I get my thick and chewy banana oatmeal cookies, they also turned out to be low fat. I use only 2 tablespoons of oil for 30 cookies, with banana and yogurt substituting for the rest of the fat. As though that was not good enough, I also added in some chocolate chips!
So, please meet these most wonderful, very thick and chewy banana oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips! They are so thick, they look super tall when I stack them up, one on top of the other:
How to properly measure flour using measuring cups
The proper way to measure flour using measuring cups (as opposed to weighing the flour using the scale) is to aerate it first. This is done using one of the two methods:
- Sift the flour using a strainer. Sifted flour is lighter than unsifted flour.
or
- Aerate the flour by fluffing it up and whisking it well. Then spooning the flour into the measuring cup, carefully removing any excess flour with a knife. If you just stick that measuring cup in the bag of flour and scoop some out, you will get a lot more flour than what the recipe calls for. Do aerate the flour, or you will end up with dry cookie dough!
Recipe notes
- What makes these cookies so chewy and thick? First of all, I am using old-fashioned (or rolled) oats, and NOT quick or instant oats. Using old-fashioned oats will always produce a chewier texture, while if you use quick or instant oats, your oatmeal cookies will be too soft, almost cake-lake, and flat.
- I am also using banana and yogurt to substitute for what otherwise would have to be butter or oil, and that also adds some chewiness and creates this nice sticky texture. The cookies taste like there is a touch of honey in them!
- It's also important to chill the cookie dough for about an hour before you bake the cookies, as that will also help the cookies to remain thick as they bake.
Stuffed with chocolate chips, these banana oatmeal cookies are quickly becoming my new favorite! Overall, this is a very successful cookie recipe, and I am very happy with it! If you like thick and chewy oatmeal cookies - this is the recipe for you!
Other cookie recipes
Banana oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour , sifted or aerated (see important note below!)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 banana , ripe
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Important note about properly measuring flour using measuring cups:
- The proper way to measure flour using measuring cups is to aerate it first. This is done either by sifting flour, or aerating it by fluffing it up and whisking it well, then spooning it into the measuring cup, then carefully removing any excess flour with a knife. If you just stick that measuring cup in the bag of flour and scoop some out, you will get a lot more flour than what the recipe calls for. Do aerate the flour, or you will end up with dry dough! 🙂
How to make banana oatmeal chocolate cookies:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mash the banana. Add the egg, oil, brown and granulated sugars, yogurt, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add the banana-egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the oats, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take a tablespoon of dough, form a ball and drop the cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, spacing the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart. At this point, I would refrigerate baking sheets with cookie dough balls for about an hour to chill the dough. This will ensure that cookies, when baked, will not flatten out, and that they will remain tall, so that we end up with thick and chewy cookies!
- Bake for 12 minutes until cookies are slightly golden brown. Let the oatmeal cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
These look awesome, do u think I could cut the sugar a little without making a huge difference?
You forgot to include the vanilla in the ingredients list.
But these are quite delicious - they smell like banana bread while they're baking!
Yes, I did forget to include vanilla in the ingredients list! Thanks for catching! Corrected the recipe. Oh yes, these cookies are very tasty: they are quite crunchy and sticky, which is how I like oatmeal cookies to be.
Made these today and they are fabulous! I did put them in the fridge first as suggested.The only thing is that in the instructions there is vanilla added to the banana mixture but I do not see it in the ingredients list. No prob - I just put in a splash but would like to know what the recipe calls for. I will be making these often. Thanks Julia!
Yes, there should be vanilla in the ingredients list! I updated the recipe to reflect vanilla. Glad you liked the cookies! 🙂
Can I just say... ohhhh yeeeeeeah. Melted chocolate, gooey centres... these are calling my name. Delicious!
Thanks, Laura. 🙂
These are amazing! Banana, oatmeal, and chocolate. I'm totally in! I'm with you - chewy is better! Pinned!
Yes, chewy is so much better than soft oatmeal cookie! 🙂
Love fruit in cookies, and this is no exception. Ooey gooey deliciousness 😀
these look incredible! love the idea of banana in oatmeal cookies. 🙂
Wow, they look amazing Julia, and certainly not low-fat. I'm so impressed! But I think I'd be even more impressed if you put a few in a package and sent them my way 🙂
OMG!! That melted chocolate!! Give me!! Seriously, these look amazing.
I like my oatmeal cookies chewy, too. Yours look perfect - love the inclusion of banana. Good stuff - thanks.
Look how melty those chocolate chips are! I feel the same way about oatmeal cookies--I like them chewy, not cakey or crispy.
Love the first shot! You create wonderful baking photos!