Chunky Monkey Cookies
Chunky monkey cookies combine bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate chips into one fabulous cookie. You’ll love how this cookie balances delicious flavors and healthy ingredients in one recipe.
The flavors of chocolate, peanut butter, and banana combine in these chunky monkey cookies, with lots of deliciousness in every bite!
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Removing cookies from the oven while they are still soft makes for chewier cookies with lots of melty chocolate chips
- Reserving chocolate chips and walnuts to press into the top of cookie dough balls right before baking ensures that you have beautiful cookies (good enough for a bakery shop!)
- Mashed bananas added to the dough means these cookies are perfectly sweet and ensures that they bake into chewy cookies
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Lemon — We’ll use both the zest and the juice of the lemon.
- Oats — I used rolled oats for this recipe, but you can substitute instant oats.
- Chia — We’ll add some ground chia seeds to create a thicker texture. You can use whole chia seeds; I just prefer ground because it creates a smoother finished texture.
- Syrup — I used maple syrup, but you can substitute agave nectar.
- Milk — We’ll use almond milk for the best overnight oats! Substitute your favorite plant-based milk.
- Yogurt — I love adding some plant-based yogurt (plain, unsweetened) for an even more tangy flavor.
- Protein Powder — I add some vanilla protein powder for increased flavor and nutrients. If your protein powder is not sweetened, you may want to add an extra teaspoon or two of sweetener.
- Cornstarch — We’ll use cornstarch to thicken the lemon curd topping.
- Turmeric — A pinch of turmeric makes that lemon curd sunny yellow.
- Flour — I’m recommending whole wheat pastry flour (different than whole wheat flour) or you can substitute all-purpose flour or high-quality gluten-free flour.
- Baking soda — Make sure your baking soda is fresh by adding a drop of it to some vinegar. If it bubbles, you’re good to go.
- Salt — A little bit of salt added to cookie dough gives it more depth of flavor.
- Vegan Butter — You can use store-bought Earth Balance or Miyokos or make your own vegan butter. It helps to soften the butter, so I leave it sitting out for 30 minutes or so.
- Peanut Butter — One of the signature flavors of this cookie is peanut butter. I prefer creamy, but use whatever kind you prefer.
- Sugar — I used a simple raw granulated sugar, or you can substitute coconut sugar, or even brown sugar.
- Bananas — You’ll need 2 medium ripe bananas, which will serve as an egg replacer, sweetener, and flavor enricher.
- Chocolate chips — There are so many dairy-free chocolate chips and chocolate chunks to choose from these days!
- Walnuts — There’s nothing like the flavor of walnuts with bananas and chocolate. This recipe has it all!
This recipe is perfect for using ripe bananas. You’ll want to select yellow bananas with brown spots because they’re the most flavorful.
If you don’t have ripe bananas, you can cook them first! Simply place peeled bananas on a plate and cook them in the microwave for a minute until they’re soft and tender. Then mash them and let this cool completely before adding to the butter mixture.
- Stir together dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, and salt) in a mixing bowl.
- Cream together vegan butter and peanut butter. Then add sugar and cream until fluffy.
- Mash bananas on a plate with a fork. Then add bananas to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Make the batter by pouring peanut butter/banana mixture into the flour mixture and add chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir until combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet. Add chocolate chips and walnuts to the top of cookie dough balls.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Storage Tips
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. They can be frozen in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months.
It’s easy to make cookies without eggs by using egg substitutes like flax eggs or chia eggs. These chunky monkey cookies don’t need eggs because bananas make a great egg substitute. Bananas change the flavor of a recipe, so you don’t want to add them to every recipe. Check out my Vegan Baking Guide for more egg replacement tips.
Marly’s Tips
- Try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon for a different twist
- Add more chocolate chips and nuts to the top of cookie dough balls before you bake them
More Chunky Monkey Recipes
If you love chocolate with peanut butter and bananas, these recipes will be just what you’re looking for:
That’s it for these chunky monkey cookies!
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Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan butter , softened
- ½ cup peanut butter , creamy
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (flours, baking soda and salt). Stir to combine.
- Cream together vegan butter and peanut butter. Add sugar and continuing mixing until fluffy.
- Add bananas to a plate and use a fork to mash into small bits. Add to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Pour peanut butter/banana mixture into the flour mixture and add chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir until combined. Use a cookie scoop to drop by rounded spoonful onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2010 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
These Chunky monkies sounded so yummy…I just had to come pick up your recipe.
I’ll probably make them very soon ;o)
Ciao for now, Claudia
I hope you like it! Our family had them gone in no time at all. Bananas, peanut butter and walnuts are too hard to pass up.
Oh my! Have to try these…:)
My Boys LOVED the cookies and no wasted bananas .. win, win!
Oh wow, yum! Love all these ingredients – totally a must make!
xxMK
Delightful Bitefuls
Malin – first of all, great name! Thanks for commenting. I agree this recipe is a great use of bananas.
Mary – These are a must make because they have enough healthy ingredients in them that if you squint your eyes while eating them, you can convince yourself that they’re healthy. I think they are definitely less unhealthy than most cookies. Hope you enjoy!
I do believe you – they look and sound equally delicious!
Nice way to use up those those bananas!
I’ve just made these … I replaced 1/2 the flour with 2 cups of oats to them to make them chunkier … added some spices (ginger and cinnamon) … really yummy!! Since mine were chunkier they took longer to cook. I think next time I will replace the walnuts with peanuts to make it peanut-nuttier! (also used regular buttermilk and butter). Thanks for a yummy recipe to use up bananas that wasn’t banana bread!
What a great idea to add oatmeal. I’m going to have to try that next time too. I think we have a similar trait – I love to adapt recipes. It’s so much fun! You never know what you’re going to come up with. The funny thing is, I’m exactly the opposite when we go out to eat. I find something I like and I order it almost every time!
Oh Dear, this cookie would be a huge success with my hubby, he luuuuuuvs peanut butter.It looks yummy I’m bookmarking it now, and surprise him. 🙂
We buy our peanut butter in bulk from Costco because we use it so much here. I hope he likes the surprise!
I am with everyone…I love the combo of these flavors. Your picture is so pretty too! After a long day of traveling, I would love to dip one of these into a warm glass of chocolate almond milk. Yum!
These cookies would be especially good dipped in chocolate almond milk. Next step? Make some chocolate almond milk!
You’re a genius! I love this combo of flavors in a cookie! And they are so thick and…chunky! Such a fitting name.
Well, I’m glad you think so. Could you tell my husband? I think he still has some doubts!
Oh my heavens – my heart LITERALLY skipped a beat when I came to this post. Why? Because Chunky Monkey is my all-time FAVORITE ice cream!! And now you’ve made it into cookie form – I love you Marly!!
I love this combination of flavors too! But I realized as I was out and about today that I forgot the peanut butter in this recipe. The second I got home I reposted the recipe. I’ll send it to you by email to make sure you have the right one.