Banana Protein Cookies 2 Ingredients 14G Protein

If you buy more bananas than you can eat, do not put them in the (compost) bin! I have dozens of recipes that I have developed specifically for these ripe to overripe bananas because I hate wasting them! I’ve made 3-Ingredient Banana Cookies, 3-Ingredient Banana Bread, or 2-Ingredient Banana Donut Holes, which are my favorite way of salvaging them. Until now. These banana protein cookies are my new default banana-saving option, just because of how ridiculously easy they are to make so the deliciousness to effort ratio is through the roof! And since they are bite-sized, they’re perfect to grab one after a work out and recharge with their 14g of plant-based protein.

Why You Need To Use Your Ripe Bananas

Bananas are such a great ingredient. They can replace half a dozen classic ingredients because they provide:

Sweetness – and you can adjust it by playing with the ripeness of your bananas. Green bananas are bitter, not sweet at all. On the other end of the spectrum, black-skinned super-ripe bananas are full of sweetness. If you pick anything in the middle, you can make your baked treats not-so-sweet to very sweet. Moisture – Banana puree is naturally quite wet. Is it a dry or a wet ingredient? I don’t know. Should we say both? Thickening – In many of my recipes, bananas are here to replace the eggs that are present in classic recipes. The texture of mashed bananas works as a thickening agent when baking. Nutrition – Banana are surprisingly nutritious. Granted they contain quite a few carbs (but to be fair, good ones) but also fiber (3g), potassium (450mg), protein (1g), Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C (source) so they are quite useful on a balanced diet.

Ingredients and Subs

It doesn’t get any easier than a 2-ingredient cookie, right? All it takes for these cookies are 2 simple ingredients:

Chocolate Protein Powder – There are many kinds of plant-based protein powder and I’ve tried a few to make sure you’ll get this recipe right every time. The very, very best is MacroMike’s Almond Protein Powder (I’m not one of their affiliates, this is a real, honest recommendation for what we use all the time, and we buy it with our own money, no freebies here!). The recipe also works with pea protein powder but the texture is not as fudgy and moist. It works fine with peanut-based protein powder. Bananas – The bananas bring texture and sweetness to this recipe (read more about that just above this). The riper the bananas, the sweeter the cookies. So you can make them to your taste by changing to older or younger bananas.

These are the base, crucial, and necessary ingredients. But I have more for you, this recipe can be supercharged with add-ons:

Chocolate Chips: I used dark, dairy-free chocolate chips. You can add some to make these cookies even more chocolatey, because again, chocolate makes everything better (arguably, try my Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Bread to see what I mean). Coconut Sugar: If your tooth is sweeter than your bananas, you can add up to a few tablespoons of coconut sugar without throwing the balance of the cookies off. Oat Flour: If you’re a fan of breadier and crunchier cookies, add a touch of oat flour. It still works. Not my favorite options, but I’m throwing it out there for fans of classics.

Pro Tips for Perfect Cookies (Every Time)

Measuring Protein Powder: make sure you pack the protein powder in the measuring cup. If you don’t use enough protein powder, the batter won’t firm up in the oven and you’ll have a goopy mess in the oven. Measure Mashed Bananas: The mashed banana must also be measured in a cup. So pack you measuring cup and level it. If you don’t have enough banana, the cookies will be a bit gritty. If you have too much of it, again, a goopy mess. Adjust for Texture: You will know you have the right balance by looking at the texture of your cookies. While measurements are crucial, the texture is the judge. You want the cookie batter to be soft and holding its shape, so not spreading when dropped on the baking sheet. Not sure what that is? Check out my video on Instagram! Test the batter before baking. After adding protein powder, the batter should be super soft, like a brownie batter, but not runny for you to get the perfect fudgy texture. So, if you drop a dollop on a plate, it won’t spread. If it spreads, the batter is too wet, add up to 2 extra tablespoons protein powder. Flavor with Protein Powder: These cookies can be made to many flavors just by changing the protein powder. Go for a vanilla one for vanilla cookies, strawberry one for strawberry cookies, etc. I prefer chocolate because everything is better with chocolate.

How To Make These Banana Protein Cookies

All the details are in the recipe card, so I’ll show you just below what needs to be illustrated with pictures to make sure you get these cookies right (I promise, it’s easy, you’ll see)!

Storage Information

Once the cookies are baked, let them cool down on a cooling rack before storing them anywhere. If you were to put them in a box immediately, they would sweat and turn very mushy. Once cooled, they can be kept for a day or two at room temperature in an airtight container and for another day if you keep them in the fridge. You can also easily freeze them in the same airtight container or in zipper bags. Once frozen, you can thaw them in the fridge or eat them as a frozen treat. You can also reheat them in the air fryer for a minute.