This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Got ripe bananas? Then why not make a batch of 2-ingredient peanut butter banana cookies! They are vegan, grain-free, gluten-free, added sugar-free & oil-free. You can also make them with any other nut or seed butter.
Table of Contents
- 2-Ingredient Vegan Cookies
- Recipe Benefits
- Ingredients for the Cookies
- Step by Step Instructions
- Step One: Preheat the Oven & Prep a Baking Sheet
- Step Two: Mash the banana until smooth
- Step Three: Add the Peanut Butter
- Step Four: Shape the Cookies
- Step Five: Flatten the Dough Balls
- Step Six: Bake the Cookies
- Step Seven: Cool the Cookies
- Step Eight: Eat!
- FAQ
- What is the texture of the cookies?
- How should the cookies be stored?
- Can I use almond butter or sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter?
- Can I use applesauce in place of the banana?
- Related Recipes:
- 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Cookies (V, GF, oil-free) Recipe
2-Ingredient Vegan Cookies
I know the face you are making. I recently saw it on both my husband and son. 2 ingredient cookies? Come on.
They have since eaten all of these cookies.
So instead of come on, COME ON! Make these cookies! It will take 5 minutes of work, give or take. Once you try these sweet treats, you will turn to this recipe whenever a banana turns over-ripe on your counter.
Recipe Benefits
A cookie made with two ingredients is intriguing on its own. With this complete list qualifications, they are must-makes:
- Quick & easy to make
- Only 2 ingredients
- Vegan (egg-free & dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- Oil-free
- Added sugar-free
Ingredients for the Cookies
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
To make the cookies, you will need the following:
- Natural peanut butter
- Very ripe banana
Other natural nut or seed butters can be used in place of the peanut butter. For example, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter. I do not recommend regular-style, traditional peanut butter for these particular cookies.
Step by Step Instructions
Step One: Preheat the Oven & Prep a Baking Sheet
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) before mixing the cookie dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step Two: Mash the banana until smooth
In a small or medium bowl, mash the banana until it is very fine (i.e., smush all of the big lumps).
Step Three: Add the Peanut Butter
Add the peanut butter to the bowl of mashed banana and stir until completely combined into a dough. If you want any extras in the dough (I have some suggestions in the recipe notes. For example, chocolate chips, vanilla, spices), add them now
Step Four: Shape the Cookies
Roll ten equal portions of the dough into balls (about 2 to 3 teaspoons per ball). Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
Step Five: Flatten the Dough Balls
Use the tines of a fork to flatten the dough and make criss cross markings on the top. Alternatively, use your fingertips, or the flat bottom of a glass, to flatten the dough into an even circle.
Step Six: Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until just set and the edges of the cookies appear somewhat dry.
Step Seven: Cool the Cookies
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will look somewhat oily when they first emerge from the oven. As they cool, this oiliness will disappear.
Step Eight: Eat!
Time to enjoy the fruits of your (very minimal) labor!
FAQ
What is the texture of the cookies?
The cookies are tender and soft. They will have a slight crispness at the edges when first baked, but will become entirely soft as they are stored.
How should the cookies be stored?
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 1 day, the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Can I use almond butter or sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter?
Yes! You can use any other natural nut or seed butter in place of the peanut butter.
Can I use applesauce in place of the banana?
I do not recommend it.
Happy baking, friends!
Related Recipes:
2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Cookies (V, GF, oil-free)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup 60 mL mashed very ripe banana
- 1/2 cup 128 g natural peanut butter (see notes for options)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small or medium bowl, finely mash the banana (so that no large lumps remain)
- Add the peanut butter. Stir until completely blended into a dough.
Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and roll each into a ball (about 1 inch/2.5 cm each). - Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten with the tines of a fork (making cris-cross hatch marks). Alternatively, flatten with fingers, spatula, or a flat-bottom-glass until the cookie dough balls are about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden brown and the edges of the cookies appears dry (the cookies will look somewhat oily while warm).
- Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
I think my bananas weren’t ripe enough because they were not very sweet, plus maybe I made them too thick because they were not very cooked in the middle, but I froze them after baking and they were pretty good straight from the freezer, no defrosting needed! Will be making again with riper bananas 🙂
We enjoyed this. Added 1 tsp. cinnamon and a half tsp. Vanilla. It definitely doesn’t have the sweetness level of cookies though, so I told my kids they were “nutty little pancakes” to set expectations. They loved them and ate 2 each. Perfect addition to lunchboxes for added protein and something a little sweet but healthy.
Delicious! Warning to others: don;t do what I did the first time and use a not too ripe banana. I whizzed it up in my Bullet cuz it want soft enough to mash. The cookies were not sweet enough and came out sort of rubbery. I followeed the directions second time and used a very ripe squishy banana. Came out perfect! Sweet and crispy at the edges. Thank you, I will make these again with other butter and maybe add a few chocolate bits, too.
I am so glad that you gave them a second try with the ripe banana, Sami, and that you liked them!
Loved these – as I have a really sweet tooth I added some sultanas – I made two separate batches as my air fryer isn’t big delish
Lee-Ann, I LOVE your addition of sultanas (I love all raisins :))— I am going to try that! So glad you like the cookies
Well, my assessment is they are not sweet at all. Not enough to be a cookie. I will use them as an accouterment to a hiking lunch for some extra fat and calories! Perhaps my pallet is still too used to sweets and hasn’t been retrained lately….
Hi Annette,
Sorry they did not meet expectations! These are really dependent on a super-ripe (lots of dark spots for max sweetness). You can always add a touch of sweetener (even a teaspoon can really bring out the natural sweetness). 🙂
I made these with cashew butter and some really gooey ripe banas I had in the freezer (I defrosted them). So good! I added a tiny bit of cinnamon and pressed them thinner than your photo, tok (I like thinner cookies). I’ll be making these often!
That sounds delicious, Ivanna! So glad you like them.
So my dough was very sticky and difficult to roll like that. Would you think refrigerating would help?
Hi Jodi-Wan,
So sorry you had a sticky dough! I am guessing it is most likely due to differences in the consistency of nut butters and/or how runny the peanut butter was at room temp. But, yes, you guessed it, refrigerating the dough (or placing in the freezer for a short while if you do not want to wait as long) will firm it up quickly by helping to solidify the oils in the peanut butter. 🙂
Made these cookies for the game tonight and they were delicious! I don’t tolerate banana very well so I used a ripe plantain and cashew butter. They were so easy and delicious…and no added sugar!
Camilla, thank you for sharing your great recipes!
How clever to use a plantain in place of a banana, June! So happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂