Crunchy toasted walnuts on the outside, and so soft in the middle, these vegan banana bread cookies are a must-try! This recipe is quick, easy, and a great way to use up your overripe bananas. Enjoy this tasty treat for breakfast, dessert, or even as a healthy snack!
-Special thanks to my daughter, Aubrey, for baking these cookies with me!-
Not too long ago, my brother and his sweet family came to our house for a visit. They ended up leaving us with a bunch of bananas that I didn’t want to see go to waste. That is how this recipe came about.
Our family now loves to have these in the morning for breakfast or later in the day as a healthy after-school snack because they are not too sweet.
So if you have rapidly browning bananas on your kitchen counter, this is the recipe for you!
I am a big fan of banana nut bread, especially when it’s in cookie form! These cookies are similar to the tops of banana bread or banana nut muffins, which in my opinion is the best part!
The outsides of the cookies have a nice crunchy texture with toasted walnuts while the insides have a melt-in-your-mouth softness.
Reasons You’ll Love this Recipe
- No need to chill the dough
- Fully vegan - no eggs & dairy-free
- Just the right amount of sweetness
- Easy to bake with a few ingredients
- Good for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or snack
- Ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Bananas - Use overripe bananas because they are full of flavor and sweetness. These are the bananas with peels that are spotted and browning.
Sugar - Vegan cane sugar like this one mixes into the dough very nicely. Cane Sugar
Butter - Plant-based butter that’s unsalted such as Earth Balance easily softens into the sugar. If your butter is salted, simply omit the salt later on in the recipe.
Applesauce - Unsweetened applesauce not only helps bind the ingredients together as an egg replacement but also serves as a tasty partner to activate the baking soda.
Flour - I use all-purpose flour here, but you can replace it with 1-to-1 gluten-free.
Nuts - Chopped walnuts are delicious in these banana bread cookies, but pecans, dried fruit, or even chocolate chips can be used as well.
Cinnamon & Vanilla - Ground cinnamon and pure vanilla extract add a delicious warmth and cozy flavor to the cookies.
Other Ingredients - This recipe also calls for baking soda (not baking powder) to help with the rise and just a pinch of salt.
How to Make Vegan Banana Bread Cookies
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick mat. Chop your walnuts if they aren’t already.
Add the vegan butter and cane sugar to a large bowl. Cream them together with a fork or mixer until it's crumbly.
Mash the bananas into this butter/sugar mixture until it's smooth.
Stir in the vanilla and applesauce.
Use a sifter to add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Gently stir everything together until it's combined.
Fold the walnuts into the dough.
Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized dollops of dough onto the lined baking sheets. You’ll want to use a scoop because the uncooked dough will be sticky. Keep them about 1 inch apart because the cookies will spread out in the oven.
Before placing them in the oven, press walnuts into the top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes. The tops and edges will start to turn a light golden color when they are done. The bottoms of the cookies will brown a lot faster than the tops so do not overbake them.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before enjoying them.
Recipe Variations
- Leave the nuts out if you’re not a fan.
- Fold in vegan chocolate chips or dried fruit.
Yes! Make these banana bread cookies ahead of time and enjoy them throughout the week or freeze them for later. They are good in a sealed container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze them by placing them in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Enjoy the cookies later on by letting them come to room temperature or after being heated for about 15 seconds in the microwave.
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Vegan Banana Bread Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted vegan butter
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 small bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt (omit if butter is salted)
- ⅔ cups chopped walnuts + more for toppings divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet. Chop the walnuts.
- Cream the vegan butter and sugar together with a fork or mixer until it's crumbly.
- Mash the bananas into this mixture until smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla and applesauce.
- Use a sifter to add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Gently stir the dough together until it's combined. Fold in the nuts.
- Scoop dollops of dough (2 tablespoon-sized) onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Press the walnuts onto the top of each cookie.
- Bake them for 14-16 minutes. The tops and edges will start to turn a light golden color when they are done.
Video
Notes
- There’s no need to chill the dough.
- Use a scoop for the dough because it will be sticky.
- Don’t bake them for too long because the bottoms brown a lot faster than the tops.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
These cookies are good in a sealed container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze them by placing them in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Enjoy the cookies later on by letting them come to room temperature or after being heated for about 15 seconds in the microwave.Nutrition
The nutrition information is estimated and can vary depending on brands and measurements used.
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