Easy peanut butter banana cookies that are just 2 ingredients. These cookies don’t contain any flour, eggs, butter, or added sugar. You don’t even need a mixer to make them. The cookies are full of peanut butter flavor with a hint of banana. They make a great snack or dessert.
I’ve shared a few easy peanut butter cookie recipes already like my 2 ingredient healthy peanut butter cookies and 2 ingredient soft peanut butter cookies, but this is the first one I’ve shared that doesn’t contain any added sugar. Instead, the cookies are sweetened naturally with bananas. This is a very simple cookie recipe but it definitely hits the spot for an easy and healthy snack.
Ingredients
- Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
- Bananas
Bananas are often used as an egg substitute and it plays a similar role in this recipe. Peanut butter can also behave like flour when mixed with eggs and baked. When the two ingredients are mixed together, they also thicken enough to form a cookie dough. I explain more about this in the next section below.
This recipe uses natural creamy peanut butter (just nuts and salt in the ingredient list). I have not tested it with regular peanut butter but I don’t think it will work based on my experience with my other peanut butter cookie recipes. It should also work with natural almond butter. For a nut-free substitute, I recommend trying SunButter. I have not tested it with this specific recipe but have used it as a substitute in similar peanut butter recipes with good results.
Peanut Butter Banana Cookie Dough
Earlier this year, I accidentally discovered that when peanut butter is mixed with maple syrup, it thickens the peanut butter until it becomes a dough consistency. Recently while I was making another recipe that used both peanut butter and banana, I noticed that when I was stirring the peanut butter with banana puree, the peanut butter was thickening in a similar way.
So I decided to try mixing the two together and baking to see what happened. I was happily surprised when the end result looked very much like a cookie. The taste wasn’t quite right for me on the first try so I did end up testing this recipe out several times until I got the right ratio.
Cookie Texture
These cookies are firm on the outside and give way to a soft center. The center has a strong peanut butter flavor mixed with banana. These cookies do not have the same texture as the other two peanut butter cookie recipes I mentioned above.
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes to Try
- 2 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (128 g) creamy natural peanut butter unsweetened
- 3-4 tbsp (45 g- 60 g) banana puree see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter and banana puree. Stir together with a spatula until banana is completely incorporated into the peanut butter. The mixture should thicken as you mix and you should be able to form a cookie dough with the mixture.
- Using a 1 tbsp measuring spoon, scoop out cookie dough. Use another spoon to help you release the cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet.
- Use the palm of your hand to flatten dough balls into thick round disks about 1/4 inch thick. If your disks are not perfectly round, you can use your hands to shape them as needed. If desired, add criss cross pattern to surface of cookies using the back of a fork. I did this for the version using 3 tbsp of banana but not for the version using 4 tbsp of banana because the dough was more wet and sticky.
- Bake cookies for about 12-13 minutes or until cookies are puffed up and the tops of the cookie are a golden brown. If you aren't sure if your cookies are done, you can also test one (only test one because the cookies are quite fragile) by trying to gently slide it from its space on the parchment paper. It should slide easily. If it leaves crumbs stuck to the botom of the parchment paper then it is not finished baking. Let cookies remain on baking sheet until fully cooled to let them set properly.
Notes
- Use a very ripe or overripe banana and make sure to mash the banana to a puree consistency. You can either do this by hand or in a food processor. You want to mash out all lumps and the banana should have a pourable consistency.
- Using 3 tbsp of banana will produce a less sticky cookie dough that should be easy to shape. The cookies will be lightly sweetened, have a firmer texture and a stronger peanut butter flavor. If you use 4 tbsp of banana, your cookie dough will be a little wetter and not quite as easy to shape. Your cookies will be sweeter and you will taste the banana. The inside of the cookie is also softer and slightly chewy from the extra banana.
- I made these cookies a little smaller than usual (1 tbsp instead of 1.5 tbsp of dough) because these cookies are so rich in peanut butter.
- If you prefer to use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough, I recommend using the smaller 2 tsp one instead of the medium 1.5 tbsp one. You should be able to get 10 cookies using a 2 tsp cookie scoop.
- I have only tested this recipe with natural-style peanut butter (only peanuts and salt in the ingredient list). I do not think it will work with regular peanut butter processed with oils based on my experience with my other peanut butter cookie recipes. If you have other questions regarding peanut butter substitutions, please see my post for more details.
- I have not tested this with another fruit puree other than banana.
- Estimated nutrition is calculated using 3 tbsp of banana puree.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
These cookies are great.
BUT I didn’t read the instructions right and I used a store bought non organic peanut butter and had to add a bit of flour to get a proper consistency.
Still turned out great will do again (maybe even with the right peanut butter)
Hi Emily! We’re so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
This was so yummy! I only had Jiffy peanut butter, and it still came out pretty well. I flipped them after 10 minutes and cooked them for another 5 minutes. I thought they were going to be too oily at first but were actually very moist on the inside and a bit crunchy on the edges. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Thank you Mary! We’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies!
These were terrible
We’re sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe – is there something in particular that didn’t work?
I don’t usually leave reviews but the integrity of these cookies are just so bad. They look perfect coming out of the oven and completely crumble into peanut butter crumbs with a bite. No hint of banana, just peanut butter dry crumbles
They won’t have the same texture as a regular peanut butter cookie, but they should be firm around the edges and softer in the center. If yours were very crumbly, you might not have added enough banana or they were overbaked. If they overbake they will dry out. Also, the flavor should be mostly peanut butter with just a hint of banana.
This recipe worked for me and yielded 12 small cookies. When pureeing the banana, I added a bunch of cinnamon and a pumpkin spice mix including nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. I think this added flavor complexity to the cookies and did not seem to affect their structural integrity.
I made 4 of the cookies as directed with the ratio of 3 tbsp puree to 1/2 cup peanut butter. After shaping those 4 into small balls and putting them on the sheet, I added a dry oatmeal mixture containing nut pieces to the remaining batter and added 1/2 tbsp more banana puree to the bowl since the addition of the oatmeal made the mixture less fluid.
Comparing the two cookies after baking them – the ones with no oatmeal had a drier crispier outside and overall a more grainy texture. The flavor is good and you get more of the crispy baked taste. The ones that I added the oatmeal mixture to had more texture and more flavor complexity due to the grains and nuts. Both ways, the cookies held together just fine and were tasty.
Next time I am going to try adding an even larger portion of spices to the banana puree because I want them to taste a little bit more like chai, rather than just peanut butter and banana.
Thanks for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe.
NEVER again! Such a waste of ingredients!
We’re sorry you didn’t enjoy – can you share more about what you didn’t like? We’d love to help troubleshoot.
Looks good when done but I did’t care for texture or flavor.
We’re sorry to hear that – you might like our 3 ingredient soft and chewy peanut butter cookies.
Does not work using peanut butter with very small peanut chunks. Thought I would give it a try since it was all I had. Worth a shot! I wish there was a picture or video on how the consistency should look. Unless I missed it!
Did you use natural chunky peanut butter?
Really? Did you try them? A lot of other readers disagree with you. Maybe you’d like our Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies.
These surpassed every expectation I had! Really good cookies and so very simple. Thanks!
You’re welcome! We’re so glad you loved the cookies.
I didn’t have natural pb, so I used a store brand. I used 2 cups of pb and 3 bananas. Yielded 40 and turned out with a great balance of flavor! Used convection oven at 325 for 12 minutes. Used a tbsp for the portion.
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Delicious ?
Thank you!
Do you have a banana substitute, allergic to them
Sorry, we don’t! We have lots of other peanut butter cookies you might like to try – check out our Cookie Recipes collection for ideas!
I wonder if fresh mango would work? If so that sounds delicious!!
I would double this recipe. Otherwise it’s hardly any cookies.
Can you use a frozen banana for this?
We’re not sure how that will work. Frozen banana has more moisture after it’s thawed compared to fresh bananas which could change how the recipe works.
I am diabetic and I really would like a recipe for diabetic diets. I am a total sugar fan but I have to get my sugar levels down! Please share any recipes that would help me please ?
We recommend working with your health provider to determine if recipes are suitable for your dietary needs.
Bananas and peanut butter are both okay for diabetics.
Can the raw cookie dough be eaten without refrigeration? If so, how does the raw cookie dough taste?
The raw dough for these cookies is safe to eat because it’s only made with peanut butter and bananas. If you don’t want to bake them, you should keep the dough in the refrigerator.
Awesome cooking ? No Cooking ? ?
I made these with a little bit of monk fruit sweetener and some cacao nibs for crunch. 2 little cookies and I feel I had enough for a snack. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your adjustments – we’re really glad you liked the cookies!
Nope. This is not a repeatable recipe. We love cookies of all kinds, these fail on flavor. I used All natural single ingredient peanut butter and really ripe bananas, added a pinch of salt.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy them.
Very easy to make. I’m going to try this recipe tonight.
Maybe …. Try Adding ( Walnuts- Cashews – OR Other Type Peanuts ) To THIS 2 Ingredients Recipe !!! Walnuts- ADD a Little crunch …. MORE Exciting !! & Touch of Honey … For some Sweetness !!! ( Just TRYING to Improve a Little ) ha. ha.
We love those suggestions!
Can i use wax paper for liner
For baking the cookies we recommend using parchment paper for the baking sheet.
I use freshly-ground peanut butter with no additives, like salt, oil, sweetener, etc. It is slightly crunchy.
Do you think if I beat it separately until it was smooth it might work?
We’ve only tried it with store-bought natural peanut butter, so we can’t say for sure. Please let us know how it works for you if you try it!
These 2 ingredient cookies are delicious! I’ve made two batches, used almond butter and the cookies were light and no guilt!
I’m so glad you like them!
An amazing cookie
I’m so glad you liked them!
I only post when I actually make a recipe and I’ve just made these. They are delicious and a great way to use up an overripe banana!
We’re so happy you liked the cookies!
Thank you for sharing these.
May we ask 3 quick questions? Which did you prefer…the 3 or 4 T. Version. Also, will these work with natural nut butter with NO salt? And last, inquiring minds would lime to know what sun butter is, and is it healthy? And or healthier than nut butter?
We are appreciative for your efforts!
We like both versions! Yes, an unsalted nut butter will work – as far as sun butter, it’s often used as a sub for nut butter. It’s made from sunflower seeds.
Delicious
Thanks!
I like the recipe cause its natural and healthy
So glad you like it!
I’ll try it this week end
We hope you enjoy it!
Cookie got to try
We hope you enjoy it!
I’m getting back into the swing of eating plant based foods. This recipe will is my reward! Yum!
Enjoy!
I love the versatility of your recipes!! Would another nut butter (almond or hazelnut) work as well as peanut butter? Also, do you have pecan and walnut recipes?
It should also work with natural almond butter.
A total waste of half a cup of cashew butter. Inedible garbage.
Did you use all-natural cashew butter? Also, what about them was inedible? There’s only two ingredients.