Salted Banana and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, first let me say this - I am not the biggest fan of bananas.

I detest banana flavored things (suckers, drinks, etc.) and can definitely take or leave banana bread. 

But these cookies?? To DIE for.

They are the perfect combination of salty and sweet and have a perfectly balanced banana flavor. 

The white chocolate chips add a smooth warm note that pairs so well with the recipe. 

These Salted Banana White Chocolate Chip Cookies really are the best cookies I (and I daresay anyone) have ever made. 

These are a flavor variation of my Salted Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip cookies and although those are ahhhmazing, these ones take the cake for their uniqueness - you’ve really never tasted anything like them. 

Bring these to church or your Easter gathering and they will be all anyone can talk about (and for good reason). 

Helpful Notes Before You Start

• Browned Butter This recipe calls for browned butter, and it’s worth every extra minute. If you’ve never done it before, this video taught me how. A light-colored pan or spatula is key so you can see those little golden brown flecks as they develop.

• Sourdough Starter Discard If you don’t already have a sourdough starter, it takes about a week to make one from scratch. This is my favorite resource — sign up for her Sourdough Starter Feeding Chart and have it emailed to you so you can print it and get started easily. I also love this book if you really want to get into sourdough.

• Chilling the Dough Is Crucial This is a wet, sticky dough, and it needs chill time. An overnight (or all-day) rest in the fridge makes all the difference and helps create that thick, chewy texture we love.

• Cookie Scoops Do you need cookie scoops? No. Did buying them change my life? Absolutely. No sticky hands, perfectly even cookies, and they’re great for muffins or even meatballs. These are the ones we use, and I grab the largest size for this recipe.

• Can’t eat a whole batch? Make and freeze most of the dough! Pull it out and bake when you’ve got a craving.  

Salted Banana and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

These have quickly become Chris' favorites

Yield: 24 cookies 

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ cups all purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt 

• 2 sticks unsalted butter 

• 1 c brown sugar

• ½ c granulated sugar

• 2 ripe bananas (mashed)

• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (this is important for texture!)

• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 

• ½ cup sourdough starter (discard or fed)

• 2 cups white chocolate chips 

• Flaky sea salt for garnish (you can also use table salt - don’t skip this!)

Instructions:

1. Brown the Butter 

In a small frying pan or saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. After about 5–8 minutes, you’ll see brown flecks form at the bottom and smell a warm, nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately and set aside to cool completely. (You can pop it in the fridge to speed this up.) Refer to this video if you want a visual — it’s a great resource.

2. Combine Dry Ingredients 

While you’re waiting for your browned butter to cool, combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. 

3. Cream Butters and Sugar

Add sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and add the room temperature browned butter. Turn the mixer on low-medium speed and beat until the mixture becomes a very light color and fluffy in texture (usually about 5 minutes). 

4. Add Wet Ingredients 

  Add the mashed banana, vanilla, egg + egg yolk, and sourdough discard to the sugar/butter mixture and mix until well combined.

5. Add dry ingredients  

   Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

6. Chill the Dough 

   Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least and 1 hour 

***Pro tip: I like to make these the night before and bake in the morning. The dough is pretty wet and sticky and the overnight chill really helps with texture. 

7. Prep to Bake

   Once your dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. Form Cookies

   Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion the dough into balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and place 12 of them onto each of the prepared baking sheets.

Pro tip: Don’t let the second batch get too warm while waiting to bake - either keep them in the fridge or wait until your first batch is baked before portioning your second set of dough on ot he 

9. Salt Cookies

Sprinkle coarse salt (or table salt) across the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking.

10. Bake

   Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly undercooked. 

11. Cool and Enjoy 

  Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely….then enjoy your new addiction - don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Sending you warm wishes from our farmhouse kitchen,