One of the first cookie recipes I wrote from scratch; I am so proud of these cookies. Have one overripe banana? This is the recipe for you. With chocolate, salty toffee, and hints of sweet, warm banana flavor, these cookies are like a hug in a cookie, while also being a huge crowd pleaser!
As with all cookie dough, I like to leave the dough in the fridge overnight to give time for flavors to develop, the ingredients to get to know each other, and to give the dough a good chill before baking. Make the toffee before you make the dough to give the toffee time to solidify and set as you make the cookie dough!
And yes, you may use a frozen banana; just microwave it first 🙂
Special Ingredients: Notes and Tips
Vegan Butter, browned: No, it's not mandatory to brown the butter. However, if you want an even deeper, nutty, warm flavor to pair with the banana and toffee, I recommend it. It's an extra step, but it's worth it!!
1 medium banana, ripe: I didn't weigh or measure my banana. It's just one banana; whatever size (as long as it's not super small) should work fine. All we're asking of this banana is a little extra sweetness, some moisture, and most importantly, a delicious warm, banana-y flavor.
Maple Syrup: Some toffees use glucose or corn syrup to get that shine and help with the structure of the toffee. However, I've found a liquid sweetener, like maple syrup, honey, or brown rice syrup, can help the toffee get that shine and texture.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips here because they are easily accessible, and a sweeter, milkier chocolate is often paired with banoffee flavors. However, use whatever chocolate you'd like; just make sure it's in small pieces so it will easily melt on top of the toffee.
Vegan Banoffee Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the toffee. Have a sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper ready next to you to pour the toffee onto. Also keep a spatula and oven mitts nearby, as things will move quickly once the toffee is ready to pour. Have your chocolate chips measured and ready to be spread on top.
- In a medium pot or saucepan, combine all the ingredients and heat over medium-high until boiling. Stir constantly. Once bubbling, drop the temperature to medium and continue to cook. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until the toffee turns a medium brown color. If you have a candy thermometer, you will want to take the toffee off the heat once it reaches 285 degrees F.Â
- Â Once the toffee is cooked, immediately pour it onto your prepared baking mat. Use a spatula to scrape out the rest of the toffee. Wait 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle your chocolate chips over the mixture. Using the spatula, spread the chocolate in an even layer over the toffee. Leave to set for about 20 minutes, then place in the fridge to harden completely.
- Once the toffee is completely cooled, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the toffee into smaller bits. I did mine no larger than the size of a nickel. However, this is based on preference and depends on what size of toffee you'd like.
- Brown the butter. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Stirring constantly, drop the heat to medium-low and continue to cook. The butter will continue to bubble, but it will also begin to brown. This will take 5-10 minutes, but be patient; it will brown. You don't want to heat the butter too high, or it will evaporate and cook down too quickly. Keep stirring. Check your butter by scraping away bubbles quickly to see the color and how browned it is. Once brown, take off the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes.
- As the butter cools, prepare the banana. In a small bowl, mash the banana until a few chunks remain. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt to the banana and continue to mix/ mash together.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter. Mix by hand or electric mixer until the sugar and butter have combined. The mixture will be pale and fluffy, as you have whipped air into the mixture.
- Add the banana mixture and whisk again.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough is just combined. Add the toffee bits and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until evenly distributed in the dough.
- Cover or store the dough in an airtight container. I left my dough in the fridge for 2 days before baking, but any amount of resting is good for the dough. I would recommend at least overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Leave your dough out at room temperature.
- The dough will make about 11 cookies if each is roughly 76 grams (1/4 cup) of dough. I made 6 cookies at 76 grams each and 7 cookies at 58 grams each (roughly 3 tbsps.). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2.5 inches apart. They don't spread very much, so they don't have to be placed too far apart.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then flip the tray. Bake for 5-8 more minutes, until the cookies have formed a matte crust on top. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, then enjoy.
