Soft, Healthy Banana Cookies (grain & gluten-free!)
I originally posted these healthy banana cookies as I was prepping for my first maternity leave with Sidney, and you all fell in LOVE (just like I did). They’re gluten-free, grain-free, easily dairy-free, and have that wonderful, nostalgic, Lofthouse softness.
OH, and they only require one ripe banana, so if you have one of those lurking on your counter, it’s time to put it to good use. I’m almost convinced I should have called them freezer banana fudge cookies, because they’re even delicious straight from the freezer. Bake up a batch or two this week and watch them disappear.
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Ingredients you’ll need for these healthy banana cookies
These deliciously soft cookies are made with simple ingredients that give them a true banana bread flavor:
- Flour: we’re using both almond flour and coconut flour to keep them grain and gluten-free! These flours are lower in carbs, higher in fiber, and have a natural sweetness to them compared to regular flour.
- Coconut oil: I like using coconut oil in baked goods like this because it adds a delicious flavor. You can also use butter or vegan butter to get the right moisture we’re going for.
- Banana: make sure to use a ripe banana to get the natural sweetness and true banana flavor in these cookies.
- Sugar: I prefer to use organic cane sugar in these cookies to make them sugar cookie-like, but coconut sugar will work well, too. The coconut sugar will just bake up a bit darker.
- Egg: you’ll need 1 egg to help the cookies bake properly.
- Baking staples: add a hint of cinnamon for a warm flavor, and don’t forget the vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
- For the frosting: we’re making a simple cream cheese frosting with powdered sugar, cream cheese, a little butter, and vanilla.
- For topping: I LOVE the sprinkle of toasted walnuts on top of the cream cheese frosting. It reminds me of a true banana walnut bread. Optional, but amazing!
Can I make them dairy-free or vegan?
- To make dairy-free: you can either omit the frosting (they’re still delicious without it), or make the frosting dairy-free by using dairy-free cream cheese like Kite Hill, and dairy-free butter like Earth Balance.
- To make vegan: follow the dairy-free substitutes above, and then use a flax egg in place of the regular egg. I haven’t tested this egg substitute, but I think it should work well.
Can I use a different flour?
I’ve only tested these cookies using this combination of almond flour and coconut flour. You could try swapping the coconut flour for oat flour, but please note that I have not tested it!
If you experiment with different flours, leave a comment below to let me know how it went.
Choose your frosting or mix-ins
Feel free to customize these healthy banana cookies with a buttercream frosting or by mixing in chocolate chips!
- If you prefer to make a vanilla buttercream instead of a cream cheese frosting, simply replace the cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of softened butter. Vegan butter will work here, too!
- If you don’t want to do a frosting, feel free to stir in ½ cup of chocolate chips (dairy-free if desired) into the batter.
- You could also top these cookies with a little peanut butter if you love a peanut butter + banana combo!
Soft banana cookies in 5 steps
- Mix the wet ingredients. Start by whisking together all of the wet ingredients in a large bowl until they’re nice and smooth.
- Add the dry. Add in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms, then let it chill in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Roll, flatten & bake. Roll the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and use your palms to slightly flatten each ball to 1/4 inch thick. Then bake them up!
- Make the frosting. While the cookies bake, mix the frosting in a bowl or an electric mixer.
- Cool, frost & devour. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Frost the cooled cookies, top with nuts if you’d like, and enjoy!
Don’t forget these tips
- Do not use substitutes. Almond flour should not be replaced with any other flour, nor should you attempt to replace the coconut flour. The cookies are perfect as-is!
- Measure out the mashed banana. After mashing your banana, be sure to measure out 1/2 cup.
- Enjoy from the freezer. These cookies get softer as the days go on, so I recommend keeping them in the freezer. I know this seems weird, but I froze a bunch of these cookies, then tried one straight from the freezer, and they were incredible! Tasted like banana bread fudge.
Storing & freezing tips
These healthy banana bread cookies can easily be frozen with or without the frosting on them so that you can enjoy them whenever you’re looking for a sweet treat.
- To store: feel free to keep these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, then transfer to the fridge or freezer. As I mentioned, I recommend the freezer.
- To freeze: make sure the cookies are completely cooled, and then transfer them to an airtight container lined with wax or parchment paper or freezer-safe bag before storing them in the freezer for up to 2 months. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking.
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I hope you love these healthy banana cookies as much as we do. If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below! xo.
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Healthy Soft Banana Bread Cookies
by
Soft, healthy banana cookies made with a mix of almond and coconut flour to make them gluten and grain-free! These banana bread cookies taste like a slice of your favorite banana bread and are topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting for a delicious treat everyone loves.
Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil (or sub melted butter or vegan butter)
- ½ cup mashed ripe banana (from 1 medium ripe banana)
- ¼ cup (50 grams) organic cane sugar (or coconut sugar*)
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups (140 grams) packed fine blanched almond flour (do not use almond meal)
- ¼ cup (28 grams) coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the cream cheese frosting:
- ½ cup (57 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese or vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond milk, if necessary, to thin out frosting
- For the topping:
- ¼ cup (28 grams) chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, add the melted and cooled coconut oil, mashed banana, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined and smooth. Next add in almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms. Allow dough to chill in the fridge for 5 minutes while you preheat the oven.
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
-
Use your hands to roll dough into golf sized balls (it will be a softer dough but that’s okay.) Place on prepared cookie sheet then flatten each dough ball with the palm of your hand, but still keep the cookies nice and round. They should be about 1/4 inch thick before baking because we still want them to be nice, thick and fluffy. Bake for 9-12 minutes.
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Remove from oven, allow cookies to firm up on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow cookies to cool completely before frosting. Makes about 12-14 cookies.
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For the frosting: In a medium bowl or bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the powdered sugar, cream cheese, softened butter and vanilla extract. If frosting is too thick, you can add a teaspoon of milk to make it spreadable. Frost each cookie then top with chopped walnuts or pecans. Sprinkle top of frosting with a little cinnamon for a gorgeous look. Cookies will get softer each day. Cookies can be stored in a container at room temp for a day or two, then I recommend storing them in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for up to 2 months. Makes 12 cookies.
Recipe Notes
If you don’t want to do a frosting, feel free to stir in ½ cup chocolate chips (dairy free if desired) into the batter.
To make vegan: I haven’t tested this, but I think a flax egg would work well in this recipe (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water). Use a vegan cream cheese like Kite Hill and a vegan butter like Earth Balance as well.
*Please note that if you use coconut sugar in the recipe, your cookies may come out slightly darker, but will still taste the same!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie (with frosting)Calories: 191calCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 11g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on May 7, 2020, republished on August 16, 2021, republished on April 16th, 2024, and updated with new photos on July 21st, 2026.
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