Craving the comforting flavors of banana bread in a delightful cookie form? Look no further! These Banana Bread Nutmeg Cookies are anything but ordinary. Bursting with warm nutmeg and ripe banana flavor, they offer a soft and satisfying texture that melts in your mouth.
Forget your typical cookie routine – these special little treats are a delightful twist, capturing the essence of banana bread in every bite. Embrace the cozy flavors and indulge in a taste of pure comfort!
Why You’ll Love These Banana Bread Nutmeg Cookies:
A Nostalgic Twist on a Classic:
- Banana bread comfort: These cookies capture the warm and comforting flavors of banana bread, evoking feelings of nostalgia and homeyness.
- Unique and Unexpected: They offer a refreshing twist on the traditional cookie, providing a delightful surprise for your taste buds.
Flavor and Texture Delight:
- Burst of banana flavor: The cookies are packed with ripe banana flavor, delivering a sweetness that’s both familiar and satisfying.
- Warm nutmeg touch: The addition of nutmeg adds a touch of complexity and warmth, perfectly complementing the banana flavor.
- Soft and melt-in-your-mouth: The texture of these cookies is delightfully soft and melts in your mouth, providing a truly indulgent experience.
Perfect for Any Occasion:
- Easy to make: These cookies are generally simple to prepare, making them a great option for baking with kids or whipping up a quick treat.
- Versatile snack: They’re perfect for enjoying as an afternoon snack, after-dinner treat, or even a delightful addition to lunch boxes.
- Crowd-pleaser: The combination of familiar flavors and a unique twist is sure to be a hit with people of all ages.
Bonus Benefits:
- Use up ripe bananas: This recipe is a fantastic way to use up ripe bananas that may be browning on your counter.
- Cozy vibes: The warm spices and banana flavor create a sense of coziness and comfort, perfect for enjoying on a chilly day.
Overall, banana bread nutmeg cookies offer a delicious and unique way to enjoy the comforting flavors of banana bread in a convenient and delightful cookie form. Their ease of preparation, crowd-pleasing taste, and perfect texture make them a must-try for any cookie lover.
What Can I add to these Banana Bread Nutmeg Cookies
Here are some delicious additions you can incorporate into your banana bread nutmeg cookies for a personalized twist:
Mix-Ins:
- Chopped nuts: Walnuts, pecans, or even chopped almonds add a delightful crunch and complementary flavor to the soft cookies.
- Chocolate chips: Classic semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate chips offer a delicious contrast in texture and sweetness.
- Dried fruit: Chopped dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dried cherries add bursts of tartness and chewy texture.
- Coconut flakes: Unsweetened or toasted coconut flakes add a touch of tropical flair and textural interest.
- Miniature chocolate chunks: These offer a more intense chocolate flavor compared to regular chocolate chips.
- Butterscotch chips: These chips add a unique butterscotch sweetness that pairs well with the banana and nutmeg.
Flavor Boosters:
- Vanilla extract: A teaspoon of vanilla extract enhances the overall sweetness and complexity of the flavor profile.
- Cinnamon: A pinch of cinnamon alongside the nutmeg creates a classic warm spice combination reminiscent of fall baking.
- Ginger: A touch of ground ginger adds a subtle kick and warmth, complementing the banana flavor.
- Sea salt flakes: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the cookies before baking creates a delightful sweet and salty contrast.
Tips for Adding Mix-Ins:
- Fold them in gently: Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, gently fold in your chosen mix-ins to avoid overmixing the batter.
- Don’t overdo it: Start with a moderate amount of mix-ins and avoid overloading the batter, as this can affect the texture of the cookies.
- Chop larger mix-ins: If using larger mix-ins like nuts or dried fruit, chop them into smaller pieces for a more even distribution throughout the cookies.
Additional Ideas:
- Drizzle with melted chocolate: After baking, drizzle the top of the cookies with melted chocolate for a decadent touch.
- Frosting: For an extra layer of flavor and richness, frost the cooled cookies with a simple cream cheese frosting.
- Sprinkles: Top the cookies with festive sprinkles for a fun and colorful presentation, especially for holidays or gatherings.
With these creative additions, you can personalize your banana bread nutmeg cookies and explore a variety of delicious flavor combinations!
Storage Tips for Banana Bread Nutmeg Cookies
Here are some storage tips to keep your banana bread nutmeg cookies fresh and delicious:
Cooling:
- Cool completely: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing them. This prevents them from becoming soggy or sticking together as they cool.
Storage methods:
- Room temperature (short-term): For short-term storage (1-2 days), you can store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. This is a good option if you plan to enjoy them within a couple of days.
- Refrigerator (longer-term): For longer storage (up to a week), store your cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cooler temperature will help them stay fresh and prevent them from drying out.
Freezing (optional):
- Baked cookies: If you want to store them for even longer, you can freeze baked cookies. Let them cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about 1-2 hours. Once frozen solid, transfer them to a labeled freezer-safe bag or airtight container. Frozen banana bread nutmeg cookies will generally last for 2-3 months in the freezer.
Reheating:
- Room temperature cookies: If stored at room temperature, you can enjoy your cookies as is.
- Refrigerated cookies: To enjoy refrigerated cookies, bring them to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Alternatively, you can warm them gently in a low oven (around 300°F or 150°C) for a few minutes until slightly softened.
- Frozen cookies: Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature for a few hours or overnight before serving. You can also reheat them directly from frozen in a low oven (around 300°F or 150°C) for a few minutes until warmed through.
Additional tips:
- Labeling: When storing your cookies, label the container with the date they were baked. This helps you track freshness.
- Quality: While cookies are generally safe to store, the texture and flavor may deteriorate slightly over time, especially after freezing.
- Freshness is best: For the best texture and flavor, it’s recommended to enjoy your banana bread nutmeg cookies within a few days of baking.
By following these storage tips, you can ensure your delicious banana bread nutmeg cookies stay fresh and flavorful for longer, allowing you to enjoy them throughout the week or share them with friends and family.
Making The Recipe
Banana Bread Nutmeg Cookies
Ingredients
- â…“ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- â…“ cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 bananas they were pretty average sized
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- In your stand mixer or a bowl, combine the butter and the sugar until it gets fluffy.
- Add in the shortening and mix together well.
- Add the eggs in one at a time and mix well between additions.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, nutmeg and the salt.
- Mash the banana in a bowl. Once you have the banana mashed, add the vanilla.
- Pour the flour and the banana mixture into the butter/sugar mixture alternating and mixing well between each addition.
- Stir in the walnuts.
- The batter will seem loose and quite sticky.
- Use a mini ice cream scoop to scoop the banana cookie dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, or until bottoms are getting golden. They might not appear done, but if you touch them, they will feel a little like cake and not be sticky.
Yes, you are totally participating, Nicole! It’s great to have you with us. And those cookies! What a great idea. They sound fabulous. My kids would adore them.
What great looking cookies! I love that they are so fluffy (must be the banana bread aspect?). Great addition to the Improv Challenge! I made fried bananas with a brown sugar sauce.
Nicole, they are so pillowy. I love them. I bet the white chocolate and macadamia nuts put them over the top.
These look fantastic~fluffy, banany, and yummy! I love recipes with so many variations!
Mmmmm I can just imagine now wonderful these taste! Love the idea of banana + nutmeg!
LOL, Nicole…I’m glad I’m not the only one whose life is chaotic! But it looks like you made the cut with your wonderful cookies! I hope you shared one with all walnuts for me 🙂
I’m so glad you decided to add these cookies…they look fabulous!
I love banana bread, and your cookies look great! I’m totally going to try them with some chocolate chips!
Little pillow clouds of banana! They look delicious!
Ooooh…the texture of these cookies looks so tantalizing! I bet there’s an amazing buttery crumble when you take a bite. I’ve never had banana in a cookie before so I can’t wait to try this recipe, with all the delicious variations you suggest.
Nicole, these sound wonderful. I’m pinning these. Will be giving them a try ASAP!
Your cookies look and sound delicious and welcome back to participating in the ICC.
My Improv Cooking Challenge entry this month: Baked Bananas, hope that you’ll stop over and check the recipe out.
Lisa~~
The cookies sound great! How were the ones with the banana chips? Did that give them a crunch? I am really intrigued by that idea. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
For the challenge this month I made banana daquiri muffins. I hope you can stop over and check them out.