Peanut butter banana cookies — soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chunks

Let me tell you about the three overripe bananas that changed my cookie game forever. They were sitting on my counter looking sad and deeply unappetizing, and I was about two hours away from throwing them in the trash. I'd already made banana bread twice that month and honestly wasn't feeling it again. So I did what any reasonable person who spends too much time thinking about food would do — I started experimenting.

I had peanut butter in the pantry, a bag of chocolate chunks that was dangerously close to being eaten straight, and those three sorry-looking bananas.

What came out of the oven about 25 minutes later were the softest, chewiest, most deeply satisfying cookies I have ever made in my kitchen. The banana keeps them moist without making them taste like banana bread.

The peanut butter adds this rich, nutty depth that you can't quite put your finger on but absolutely cannot stop eating. And the chocolate chunks? Those are just doing what chocolate chunks do best.

I've made these cookies more times than I can count since that first batch and they never last more than a day in my house. They're the kind of cookies that make people stop mid-conversation and say "wait, what is in these?" That's when you know you've got something worth sharing. So here we are.

Why you'll love this recipe

• They use up overripe bananas brilliantly. No more guilt about bananas going brown on your counter. This recipe is literally the best possible use for them and the riper they are the better these cookies taste.
• Soft and chewy every single time. The combination of ripe banana, peanut butter, and brown sugar creates a cookie that stays soft and chewy for days — not the kind that turns rock hard overnight.
• They come together in under 30 minutes. No chilling the dough, no complicated steps, no special equipment. Mix, scoop, bake, done. That's genuinely all this takes.
• The flavor combination is unreal. Peanut butter, banana, and chocolate is one of those flavor trios that just belongs together. Every bite has something going on and it is absolutely addictive.
• They're beginner friendly. If you've never baked cookies from scratch before, this is a great place to start. The recipe is forgiving, straightforward, and delivers impressive results without requiring any baking expertise.
• Kids absolutely love them. These cookies are a massive hit with kids — the sweetness, the chocolate, the soft texture. They also make a great lunchbox treat since they hold up really well.

Ingredients with key notes

• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed — The riper the better here. You want bananas that are heavily spotted or almost fully brown. They're sweeter, softer, and much easier to mash into a smooth consistency. Under-ripe bananas won't give you the same moisture or sweetness in the final cookie.
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter — Use a regular commercial peanut butter like Jif or Skippy rather than natural peanut butter. Natural peanut butter has too much oil separation and can affect the texture of the dough. Creamy gives a smoother cookie but crunchy works if you want extra texture.
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened — Make sure your butter is properly softened to room temperature before you start. Cold butter won't cream properly and melted butter will make the dough too greasy. Leave it out on the counter for about an hour before baking.
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar — For sweetness and structure.
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed — Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel depth that makes these cookies taste richer. Don't skip it or substitute it with more white sugar.
• 1 large egg — Binds everything together and adds richness. Make sure it's at room temperature — it incorporates into the dough much more smoothly.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract — Pure vanilla extract, not imitation. It makes a difference in the overall flavor.
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour — Spooned and leveled, not scooped directly from the bag. Scooping packs the flour and can lead to dry, dense cookies.
• 1/2 tsp baking soda — Gives the cookies a little lift and helps them spread just the right amount.
• 1/2 tsp baking powder — Works alongside the baking soda for the perfect texture.
• 1/2 tsp salt — Don't skip the salt. It balances the sweetness and actually makes the peanut butter and chocolate flavors more pronounced.
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon — Optional but highly recommended. A touch of cinnamon brings a warmth that complements the banana beautifully.
• 1 cup chocolate chunks — Chocolate chunks give you those big pockets of melted chocolate that make these cookies so irresistible. You can use a mix of chocolate chunks and chocolate chips if you like variety in every bite.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Parchment paper prevents sticking and ensures even browning on the bottom of the cookies.

Step 2: Mash the bananas Peel your ripe bananas and place them in a small bowl. Mash them thoroughly with a fork until you have a smooth, lump-free puree. A few small lumps are fine but you want it mostly smooth so it incorporates evenly into the dough. Set aside.

Step 3: Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed. Beat for about 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is important — properly creamed butter and sugar gives you a better cookie texture so don't rush it.

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Then add the mashed banana and mix again until everything is well combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled at this point — that's completely normal. It will come together once the dry ingredients are added.

Step 5: Mix in the dry ingredients In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed just until combined after each addition. Do not overmix — overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and will make your cookies tough instead of tender.

Step 6: Fold in the chocolate chunks Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the chocolate chunks by hand. This gives you more control and prevents the chunks from breaking up. Make sure the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Step 7: Scoop the dough Use a medium cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart to give them room to spread. If you want thicker cookies, chill the dough for 30 minutes before scooping. Press a few extra chocolate chunks on top of each cookie before baking for that bakery-style look.

Step 8: Bake Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone. This is the key to a soft and chewy cookie — they continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after you pull them out of the oven. Do not wait until they look fully done in the oven or they will overbake.

Step 9: Cool Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. They will be very soft straight out of the oven and need a few minutes to set up. Once cooled they firm up slightly on the outside while staying perfectly soft and chewy in the center.

Serving suggestions

These peanut butter banana cookies are honestly perfect on their own but here are a few ways to take them even further.

• With a cold glass of milk — This is the classic pairing for a reason. The cold milk cuts through the richness of the peanut butter and chocolate in the best possible way. Don't overthink it.
• Warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream — Slightly warm a cookie in the microwave for about 10 seconds and serve it alongside a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The contrast of warm cookie and cold ice cream with melting chocolate chunks is genuinely one of life's better moments.
• As a lunchbox treat — These cookies hold up really well at room temperature and are the perfect size for a lunchbox. Kids love them and honestly so do adults who are pretending the cookies are for their kids.
• Crumbled over yogurt or oatmeal — If you want to feel slightly better about eating cookies for breakfast, crumble one over a bowl of Greek yogurt or oatmeal. The peanut butter and banana flavors work incredibly well in that context and it feels almost virtuous. Almost.
• As a base for ice cream sandwiches — Sandwich a generous scoop of chocolate or peanut butter ice cream between two of these cookies and freeze for an hour. You're welcome.

Storage tips

Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies — it sounds strange but the bread releases moisture that keeps the cookies soft and chewy for longer.

Refrigerator: These cookies can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Let them come to room temperature before eating or warm them briefly in the microwave for 10 seconds to bring back that fresh-baked softness.

Freezer — baked cookies: Let the baked cookies cool completely then freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe bag or container. They keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour or warm in the microwave from frozen for 20 to 30 seconds.

Freezer — cookie dough: This dough freezes beautifully. Scoop the dough into individual balls, freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 350 degrees Fahrenheit adding 2 to 3 extra minutes to the bake time. Fresh cookies on demand is genuinely one of the best things in life.

Make-ahead tip: The dough can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored covered in the fridge. Chilled dough actually produces thicker, slightly chewier cookies so this is never a bad idea.

A quick note before you go

These peanut butter banana cookies started as a happy accident and turned into one of the most loved recipes I've ever put on this site. There's something almost poetic about taking three sad overripe bananas and turning them into something that makes people genuinely stop and ask what they're eating. That's the kind of cooking I live for — simple ingredients, a little creativity, and a result that feels way bigger than the effort it took.

Make these the next time your bananas go spotty. Make them when you need something comforting and quick. Make them just because it's a Tuesday and you deserve a good cookie. Whatever the reason, I promise they'll deliver every single time.

As always, leave a comment below and let me know how yours turned out. Share them on Pinterest, tag me, or just quietly enjoy them with a cold glass of milk and zero regrets. Either way, I'm glad you're here.

With love from my kitchen, Kip