There’s something about fall and the holiday season that makes a warm, homemade cookie taste even better. 🍪 

But between school schedules, holiday parties, shopping, wrapping gifts and everything else happening this time of year, most moms don’t have hours to spend baking. 

These Brown Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect middle ground. They feel special enough for the holidays but are still simple enough to make with the kids on a weeknight. 

They’re soft, full of chocolate and have just the right amount of banana flavor. The brown butter adds a warm, rich flavor that makes them a little different from your everyday chocolate chip cookie. 

And they give you something to do with those overripe bananas sitting on the counter! 

Brown Butter  

If you’ve never browned butter before, it’s much easier than it sounds. 

Melt your butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. As it cooks, it will begin to foam and eventually turn golden brown. Once you start to see little brown bits at the bottom and smell a slightly nutty aroma, remove it from the heat and let it cool. 

Keep an eye on it toward the end because it can brown quickly! 

Let’s Bake! 

Start by browning your butter and setting it aside to cool slightly. 

While the butter cools, mash your ripe banana until mostly smooth. Combine the brown butter, banana, sugars, eggs and vanilla and mix until everything is well combined. 

In a separate bowl, combine the bread flour and flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. 

Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks. If you want, save a few to press into the tops before baking.

Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden, and the centers are still slightly soft. 

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. For a little something extra, sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt while they’re still warm. The sweet and salty combination is so good! 

An Easy Holiday Treat to Share 

These are a great option to keep in your back pocket throughout the holiday season. Make a batch for Thanksgiving, bring them to a Christmas party or cookie exchange, or package a few up for teachers, neighbors and friends.

They’re also easy enough to let the kids help. Little ones can mash the banana, pour in ingredients or, of course, handle the very important job of adding the chocolate chips. 

Serve them warm with a glass of milk for the kids and a cup of coffee for Mom, and you have a simple holiday treat the whole family can enjoy. 

Sometimes the best holiday recipes are the ones that don’t require an entire afternoon in the kitchen. 💗 

Want more easy recipes and family-friendly ideas? Keep following along with Rhea Lana’s for more ways to make the busy seasons of motherhood a little easier…and a little sweeter.  

Ingredients 

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter 

• ½ cup (1 banana) of ripe banana, mashed 

• ¾ cup of dark brown sugar 

• ¼ cup of granulated sugar 

• 1 egg 

• 1 egg yolk 

• 1 tbsp of vanilla extract 

• 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour 

• ¾ cup of bread flour 

• 1 tsp of baking soda 

• 1/2 tsp of kosher salt 

• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon 

• Pinch of ground nutmeg 

• 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips 

• Flaky sea salt, for topping