Description
These Almond Flour Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are irresistibly soft, tender, and bursting with sweet banana bread flavor. Made with nutty browned butter, pure maple syrup, ripe banana, and finely ground almond flour, these naturally gluten-free cookies feature delicately golden edges, moist centers, and plenty of rich, melty chocolate chips. A light sprinkle of flaky sea salt perfectly balances the sweet maple syrup and warm, caramel-like brown butter notes. Perfect for gluten-free baking, afternoon snacks, homemade treats, or using up ripe bananas in a deliciously simple dessert!
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Soft Almond Flour Banana Cookies:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick / 113 g) salted butter
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 medium ripe banana, thoroughly mashed (approximately 1/3 cup / 80 g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups (196 g) finely ground blanched almond flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- Heaping 2/3 cup (120 g) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- For the Topping and Finish:
- 2 tbsp extra chocolate chips (for pressing on top)
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for final sprinkling
Instructions
- Brown the Butter and Cool: Place the salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously for 5–8 minutes as the butter melts, foams, and gradually turns golden brown with toasted milk solids forming at the bottom. Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately and allow the browned butter to cool for approximately 20 minutes until warm but no longer hot.
- Mash the Ripe Banana: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe banana thoroughly with a fork until completely smooth with minimal lumps remaining. Use approximately 1/3 cup (80 g) of mashed banana.
- Combine Brown Butter and Maple Syrup: Pour the cooled browned butter and pure maple syrup into the mashed banana. Whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes smooth, glossy, and well combined.
- Add Egg and Vanilla Extract: Add the room-temperature egg and pure vanilla extract to the wet banana mixture. Whisk until completely incorporated and smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Almond Flour Base: Add the finely ground blanched almond flour, baking soda, and fine salt to the wet ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula for approximately 1 minute until evenly combined and the almond flour begins absorbing the liquid. The mixture should resemble a thick, wet banana bread batter.
- Chill Dough and Preheat Oven: Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate the almond flour cookie dough for 15 minutes while preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). This chilling step allows the almond flour to absorb moisture and the browned butter to firm up, helping the cookies maintain their shape during baking.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Remove the chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator and gently fold in the heaping 2/3 cup (120 g) of semisweet or dark chocolate chips using a rubber spatula until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Portion and Top Dough Mounds: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the cookie dough into 12 equal portions, approximately 45 g each, leaving about 2 inches of space between the mounds. Gently press a few of the extra chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie for a beautiful bakery-style finish.
- Bake Until Edges Are Golden: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 9–12 minutes, or until the outer edges are golden brown while the centers remain soft and slightly pale. Avoid overbaking to preserve the delicate, tender banana cookie texture.
- Cool, Set, and Finish: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the warm pan for at least 15 minutes. These almond flour cookies are delicate when hot and need time to firm up as they cool. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt before serving and enjoy their soft centers, nutty brown butter flavor, and deliciously melty chocolate chips!
Notes
- Watch the Butter Closely: Keep a close eye on the salted butter while browning. Once the foaming begins to subside and golden brown specks appear at the bottom of the saucepan, remove it from the heat immediately to prevent the milk solids from burning and developing a bitter flavor.
- Mandatory 15-Minute Rest After Baking: Gluten-free cookies made with almond flour and mashed banana rely on cooling to set their delicate structure. Do not transfer the hot cookies directly to a wire rack. Let them rest on the warm baking sheet for at least 15 minutes to firm up without breaking.
- Refined Sugar-Free Option: Use dark chocolate chips sweetened with coconut sugar or stevia instead of conventional chocolate chips to make these maple-sweetened banana cookies without refined sugar. Check the ingredients of your chosen chocolate chips to ensure they meet your dietary preferences.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 45mg