Gluten-free Chocolate Banana Cookies

These gluten-free chocolate banana cookies are a yummy cookie jar staple. This gluten-free cookie recipe is a yummy way to use up one overripe banana. Thanks to Enjoy Life for sponsoring this recipe as part of my ongoing partnership with them. 

While some of my recipes are brand new creations, many of them are adaptations of recipes I’ve made for years. Some, like this one, are ones that I made many years ago and am just now getting around to trying gluten-free. 

I found this chocolate banana cookie recipe written out in my handwriting from my college years, with a note saying I’d made them in November of 1998 and gave the a smiley face. 🙂  I figured if I liked them then, I’d likely like them now and so would my family. I was right!

These gluten-free banana cookies are soft, cake-like cookies that are perfect for slipping in the lunchbox or cookie jar. They are not crunchy cookies. They have a somewhat similar texture and flavor of my gluten-free monkey cookies that I’ve been making for years too. Except these are even more chocolatey!

 

Unlike many chocolate cookies, these don’t use any cocoa powder. Instead, the chocolate flavor comes from melted semi-sweet chips. I like to use Enjoy Life baking chocolate, and since I knew I was going to want to stir in mini chips at the end, I used mini chips for the melted chocolate too. All Enjoy Life baking chocolate is certified gluten-free, as well as being dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free. And it tastes so good!

These have 1/2 cup of Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips melted for the dough. Then at the end, I stir in another 1/3 cup of mini chips. You can buy Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips directly from Enjoy Life’s store here, or from Amazon here. 

Notes on ingredients and substitutions for these gluten-free chocolate banana cookies:

• Chocolate: While I used Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips, you could instead use their Mega Chunks. They’d melt the same. I’d suggest chopping them up for the 1/3 cup that you stir in. If you’re a dark chocolate fan, opt for the Enjoy Life dark chocolate morsels for both the melted chocolate and the stir in. 
• Sugar: While I use regular cane sugar, I think coconut sugar would work well as a 1 for 1 sub in these too. You also might be able to swap in honey, but I haven’t tried that yet. If you do, let me know!
• Non-dairy butter alternative: I tested these with Melt Buttery Sticks. Other stick options like Earth Balance would work well. I think coconut oil would work well also.
• Flour: Use your favorite quality gluten-free flour blend that doesn’t have bean flours. If your flour blend already contains xanthan gum or guar gum, then omit the xanthan gum listed in the recipe. 

Have another ripe banana to use up? I suggest making these gluten-free banana oatmeal cookies too. Or you could make these grain-free banana everything bars from Gluten-free Palate. Also, I’ve always wanted to make my friend Jeanine’s gluten-free banana bread donuts!

If you have a couple more overripe bananas, make these gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins! My kids love them! Or make my gluten-free chocolate banana bread. It’s rich and chocolatey like these cookies are!

I hope your family enjoys these cookies and my other gluten-free recipes as much as my family did!

 

Gluten-free Chocolate Banana Cookies Recipe:

Yield: 21 cookies

Gluten-free Chocolate Banana Cookies

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These gluten-free banana cookies are soft, cake-like cookies that are perfect for slipping in the lunchbox or cookie jar.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate mini chips
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp. non-dairy butter alternative or butter (cold)
• 1 medium/large overripe banana, mashed
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum*
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate mini chips

Instructions

1. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate mini chips in a bowl in the microwave. I do this in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
2. Add melted chocolate to your mixing bowl
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the melted chocolate, sugar, non-dairy butter alternative, mashed banana and egg for 3 minutes on medium speed, stopping partway through to scrape the sides of bowl.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. With mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix for 1 minute.
6. Stir in the remaining 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate mini chips.
7. Use a #40 cookie scoop to scoop large cookies onto parchment paper lined sheets, leaving a couple inches between each cookie for spreading.
8. Bake at 400° for 8-9 minutes, or until cookies are set and puffy.
9. Remove from oven to a cooling rack. If desired, sprinkle additional mini chips in the center of each cookie if you'd like them to look like my photos.
10. Once cooled, enjoy! Store leftover cookies in a cookie jar or airtight container. Or stack and freeze in a Ziploc freezer bag.

Notes

See blog post for specific product recommendations.

If your flour blend has xanthan gum or guar gum already, then omit the xanthan gum called for in the recipe. °

Recommended Products

• 
  Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Vegan Mini Chocolate Chips
• 
  Namaste Foods Xanthan Gum, 8 Ounce
• 
  OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

While there is a banana in these cookies, they’re definitely still a treat! They definitely brighten anyone’s lunchbox!

Pin these to your gluten-free cookies board on Pinterest:

Looking for more cookie recipes? Check out my Gluten-free Cookies Pinterest Board. Lots of ideas there!

This sponsored post was created through my partnership with Enjoy Life Foods. As always, all opinions are my own. Collaborating with brands I love allows me to keep bringing you new and varied recipes! Thanks for your support!