Chocolate Banana Pecan Cookies (Ottolenghi-Inspired)

Quick Summary: Chocolate banana pecan cookies are fudgy, chocolaty cookies made from one easy batter with mashed banana, chocolate chips, and pecans. Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi, they need about 3 hours of chilling, then bake in minutes for a soft, slightly underbaked center.

What are chocolate banana pecan cookies?

Chocolate banana pecan cookies are soft, cocoa-based cookies studded with chocolate chips and pecans, with mashed banana folded into the dough for moisture and a mild fruity note. Inspired by pastry chef Yotam Ottolenghi, the chilled dough bakes into cookies with a fudgy, slightly underbaked center.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Simple ingredients: the batter comes together with everyday pantry staples.
• Extra moist: mashed banana adds moisture and flavor to every cookie.
• Fun to make: an easy recipe to bake with kids.
• Freezer-friendly: freeze the dough balls and bake fresh cookies anytime.
• Great for gifting: perfect for a Christmas cookie box or a treat bag tied with a bow.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter softened at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before you start. If desired, use salted butter; the salt balances the sweetness in the cookies. But omit salt in this case.

• Sugar: Use granulated sugar or caster sugar interchangeably. You can replace it with golden brown sugar for a deeper flavor.

• Egg: The recipe calls for one large egg at room temperature.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make these cookies. You can replace ⅓ of the flour with whole wheat flour if desired.

• Baking powder is used as a leavening agent. Use fresh aluminum-free baking powder. Please don't confuse it with baking soda.

• Cocoa powder: Use Valrhona raw cocoa powder.

• Ground cinnamon brings a warm note to these cookies.

• Salt enhances the flavors.

• Chocolate chips: Use dark chocolate chips, or replace them with milk chocolate chips or chopped Valrhona dark chocolate.

Pro tip: One of the best chocolate chips to make cookies is Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips with a good balance of bitterness and sweetness. But Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips perfectly work to make these cookies as well.

• Banana: For the best flavor, use overripe bananas with brown spots. You will need to mash about ½ small banana.

Pro tip: To ripe bananas, place the unpeeled banana on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F (120°C) for 20 minutes.

• Pecan: Use unsalted raw or roasted pecans. They add rich flavor and texture. You can replace pecans with walnuts if preferred. Buy halved or chopped nuts to save time.

• Icing sugar: Make it yourself with a coffee grinder or use store-bought confectioners' sugar.

Equipment

You need only a few basic tools to make these chocolate banana pecan cookies:

• Stand mixer
• Flour sifter
• Rubber spatula
• Potato masher
• Small cookie scoop
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

How to make chocolate banana cookies

Step 1. To make the cookie dough, place softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until fluffy.

Step 2. Add the egg to the bowl and whisk until the mixture becomes homogeneous (photo 1).

Step 3. Use a flour sifter to sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt into a separate mixing bowl.

Step 4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed for 15 seconds until just combined (photo 2).

Step 5. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Mash bananas in a small bowl using a potato masher or a fork.

Step 6. Add the chocolate chips and banana mixture to the main mixture (photo 3) and mix with a rubber spatula (photo 4).

Step 7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Step 8. Use your hands to roll the dough into one-inch (2.5 cm) balls, about 0.7 oz (20 g) each. Wash your hands to make it easier to roll the dough into balls.

Step 9. Place the chopped pecans in a small bowl and roll each ball in the pecans to coat. Press the pecans so that the dough balls are entirely covered with nuts (photo 5).

Step 10. Place cookie balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The distance between them does not matter, and refrigerate again for at least an hour (photo 6).

Step 11. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place icing sugar in a bowl and generously roll each cookie ball in the sugar.

Step 12. Place balls on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart; flatten cookies to 0.4 inches (1 cm) thick (photo 7), and bake for 10 minutes.

Step 13. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking trays for 10 minutes (photo 8).

Gently transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Expert tips

1. Respect the chilling times to prevent the cookies from spreading.
2. Use a small cookie scoop to form the dough into equal-sized balls.
3. Preheat the oven before baking to help the cookies cook evenly.
4. Do not overbake cookies: they should be slightly underbaked for a fudgy center. Once the cookies cool, the center will finish cooking but remain soft.
5. Serve cookies the day you bake them: they taste best.
6. Make-ahead option: Make the dough, cover cookie balls with chopped pecans, wrap the baking sheet with plastic film, and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Recipe variations

• Roast pecans instead of using raw ones. Roasted nuts bring a rich nutty flavor.

• Replace pecans with raw or roasted walnuts.

• Use light brown sugar instead of white sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses and has a more complex flavor.

Storing & freezing

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.

It is not recommended to refrigerate cookies because the fridge's uneven moisture levels can change the cookie's texture.

Can you freeze chocolate banana cookies? These cookies freeze very well. Store them in a Ziploc bag for up to 1 month to preserve freshness.

You can also freeze the unbaked dough as dough balls wrapped in chopped pecans for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies in the fridge overnight and bake the next day.

Recipe FAQ

What are chocolate banana pecan cookies?
They are cocoa-based cookies with chocolate chips and pecans, made with mashed banana for a soft, fudgy texture.

Who created this recipe?
The recipe is inspired by pastry chef Yotam Ottolenghi and uses one easy chocolate cookie dough.

What bananas work best?
Use overripe bananas with brown spots. To ripen them fast, bake unpeeled bananas at 250°F (120°C) for 20 minutes.

Why chill the dough?
Chilling for at least 2 to 3 hours firms the dough so the cookies hold their shape and do not spread while baking.

How to serve chocolate banana cookies?
Serve them warm or fully cooled, ideally on the day of baking with tea, coffee, or a glass of milk.

Can you make these cookies in advance?
Yes. Shape the dough balls, coat them with chopped pecans, refrigerate for up to 2 days, then bake.

How many calories are in chocolate banana pecan cookies?
Each cookie has about 152 calories. See the recipe card for full nutrition details.

Love banana recipes? Try these next!

• Banana bread with streusel
• Banana Nutella crepes
• Banana bread mini muffins
• Christmas banana bread
• Sugar-free banana bread

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://ottolenghi.co.uk/. It was initially published on September 27, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.