Age group(s) for this recipe:
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Estimated time:
1 hour 15 minutes

Number of servings:
yield 4-5 dozen

Ingredients: (Hit your return key to start a new line)
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 medium)
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
3 cups quick oats
6-12 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together butter, shortening, sugar(s), egg, and vanilla. Mash the banana (potato masher is fun!) in separate bowl, measure, then add to the first bowl; stir in remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until edges are light brown and no imprint remains at center when touched with finger.

Remove from baking sheet; cool completely before storing in tightly covered container.

Other suggestions and comments:
It is often a good idea to separate layers of banana cookies with waxed paper, to prevent them from smooshing together.

It's possible to leave the chocolate chips out; some people prefer nuts, some like vanilla or cream cheese frosting. I generally make these just for family, because our community seems very chocaholic where baked sales are concerned. Perhaps they see enough bananas at home? ;-)

Coconut, chopped apricots or other snipped dried fruit would likely be very good additions.

My 6 year old son loves to help measure ingredients for these cookies, and after the first couple of hard squishes, he will mash bananas with enthusiasm. He is also the number one consumer of these cookies.