Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies

I love a good bargain at the grocery store, and lately I've been racking up savings at our local commissary.  One running special that I've been taking advantage of is a sale on ripe bananas.  Our commissary bags bananas that have ripened past market quality and sells them at a fraction of the cost.  Works for me!  Those banana bags mean that I don't have to wait for my bananas to ripen if I want to bake with them.  So with those bargain bananas, I started experimenting with new recipes and what I came up with turned out to be a complete surprise.  What was supposed to be a banana molasses oat cookie, turned out to be a cookie that tasted just like banana bread.  A cookie that could be mistaken for banana bread?  Sounds weird, but this cookie has a taste and texture that is unmistakably similar to banana bread.

The most surprising characteristic of this cookie is the texture.  I was expecting a chewy oat texture, but instead, was surprised to bite into a soft, bread-y cookie.  Not only is this cookie soft, but it is also very moist.  Besides comparing the texture to banana bread, I can say these also remind me of muffin tops.  These are exactly like banana bread muffin tops, so if you're one of those people who tears off the top of a muffin and saves that best piece for the last bite, these cookies are definitely for you.

I think the picture above perfectly explains the complexity of textures in this little cookie.  You can practically see how moist and muffin top-like the cookie is.  Add chewy oats and gooey chocolate to the mix, and you've got a diverse profile of textures that keep your tastebuds interested and so, so happy.

I've got to say that my favorite part of this cookie is how much it tastes just like banana bread.  This cookie has notes of cinnamon and vanilla that perfectly complement the full banana flavor.  Add chocolate chips to the mix, and you've got the perfect little bite of chocolate chip banana bread.  Now doesn't that sound amazing?  Trust me, it is.

Can I come up with another positive about this recipe?  Easy.  And by that, I mean how easy it is to make!  This is a one bowl wonder recipe, and can all be mixed by hand with a spoon.  Can it get easier than that with a cookie recipe?  I don't think soooo...

Let me put it this way: Harrison helped me make these, and when we were done making the cookie dough, he said, "Wait, that's it?"  Yes, even my husband thought the work involved (or lack of it) was too good to be true.

Just looking at that beautiful stack of chocolate chip banana bread cookies should have your mouth watering.  Time to make those yummy little treats!  Happy baking!