If you love banana bread, these Banana Bread Sandwich Cookies are about to become your new favorite treat. Soft, lightly spiced banana cookies are sandwiched together with a rich brown sugar frosting that tastes like the best part of a cinnamon roll. They are easy to make, incredibly soft, and the kind of cookie that disappears fast at any gathering.
Recipe Highlights
- All the flavor of banana bread in a cookie: These soft, lightly spiced cookies capture everything you love about banana bread in a handheld, snackable form.
- Brown sugar frosting: The filling is rich, buttery, and sweet with a deep caramel note that pairs perfectly with the banana cookies.
- Great use for ripe bananas: If you have bananas sitting on the counter that are past their prime, this is the perfect recipe for them.
- Soft and tender texture: These cookies bake up pillowy and soft, just like the inside of a fresh loaf of banana bread.
- Easy to make: No chilling the dough, no special equipment, and simple ingredients you likely already have on hand.
- Perfect for sharing: This recipe makes about 24 sandwich cookies, making it a great option for parties, bake sales, and gatherings.
Ingredients in Banana Bread Sandwich Cookies
Cookies
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter creams together with the sugars to create a light, tender cookie base.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: The combination of both sugars adds sweetness and a subtle molasses depth that complements the banana flavor.
- Egg: Adds structure and richness to the cookie dough.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor and enhances the warm, sweet notes in the cookie.
- Mashed ripe banana: The star of the cookie. Ripe bananas add natural sweetness, moisture, and that signature banana bread flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure that holds the cookies together without making them dense.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Work together to give the cookies a soft, slightly lifted texture.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances other flavors.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice that makes these cookies taste just like banana bread.
Frosting
- Butter: The base of the frosting, adding richness and a smooth, creamy texture.
- Brown sugar: Gives the frosting its signature deep, caramel-like sweetness that sets this frosting apart from a standard buttercream.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting to a spreadable consistency.
- Milk or cream: Adjusts the consistency of the frosting to make it smooth and easy to spread.
- Vanilla extract: Adds flavor and warmth to the frosting.
- Salt: A small pinch balances the sweetness and keeps the frosting from tasting one-dimensional.
Tips for the Best Banana Bread Sandwich Cookies
Full instructions are in the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful tips.
- Use very ripe bananas: The riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful your cookies will be. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots on the peel.
- Do not overmix the dough: Once you add the flour mixture, stir just until combined to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- The batter may look separated: When you add the mashed banana, the mixture can look a little curdled. This is completely normal and will bake out fine.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting: Spreading frosting on warm cookies will cause it to melt and slide off. Make sure the cookies are fully cooled first.
- Keep the cookies uniform in size: Using a cookie scoop helps ensure all your cookies are the same size, which makes for neater sandwich cookies and even baking.
- Beat the frosting well: Beating the butter and brown sugar together for a full two minutes before adding the powdered sugar gives the frosting a lighter, fluffier texture.
Storage Instructions
Store sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving for the best texture. Unfrosted cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
These cookies also freeze well. Freeze unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and assemble with fresh frosting before serving.
FAQs
Can I use frozen bananas? Yes. Thaw frozen bananas completely and drain any excess liquid before mashing. They work just as well as fresh ripe bananas and often have an even more concentrated flavor.
Why does my dough look separated when I add the banana? This is completely normal. The high moisture content of the mashed banana can make the mixture look a little curdled, but once the dry ingredients are added, everything comes together perfectly.
Can I make these without the frosting? Absolutely. The cookies are delicious on their own as a soft banana bread-style cookie. The frosting just takes them to the next level.
Can I add mix-ins to the cookie dough? Yes. Chopped walnuts or pecans, mini chocolate chips, or a handful of rolled oats all work well folded into the dough before baking.
How ripe should the bananas be? The riper the better. Bananas with lots of brown spots on the peel are ideal because they are sweeter, softer, and much easier to mash.
More banana cookie recipes to try:
- Banana Split Cookie Cups bring all the flavors of a classic banana split into one fun, handheld treat with banana cookies filled with pineapple cream and topped with chocolate and a cherry.
- Soft, chewy, and packed with flavor, Banana Oatmeal Cookies are made with banana pudding mix and fresh bananas for an easy cookie you will want to make again and again.
- With a pillowy soft texture and rich banana flavor from real ripe bananas and pudding mix, Banana Pudding Cookies with white chocolate chips are as delicious as they look.
- Soft and warmly spiced with cinnamon, Caramel Banana Cookies combine the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with a rich, buttery caramel frosting for a treat that is hard to resist.
- Loaded with peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, and banana pudding mix, Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Cookies are a soft, chewy, crowd-pleasing mashup of three of the best flavors around.
These Banana Bread Sandwich Cookies are the kind of treat that feels a little nostalgic and completely irresistible, with soft banana cookies and that rich brown sugar frosting making every bite worth savoring.
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