Brown Butter Banana Bread Cookies with Cinnamon Streusel

Description §

Soft, chewy banana bread cookies with nutty brown butter, warm spice, and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping.

---

Ingredients §

• 150 g very ripe banana, about 1½ medium bananas
• 42 g unsalted butter, softened
• 70 g light brown sugar
• 55 g all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of fine salt
• 170 g unsalted butter
• 200 g light brown sugar
• 25 g granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 75–80 g concentrated banana, cooled
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 75 g toasted chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

---

Method §

1. Mash the banana until mostly smooth.
2. Transfer to a small nonstick skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until darker, thicker, and almost jammy.
3. Continue cooking until the banana has reduced by half
4. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
5. Add the butter to a saucepan.
6. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and the milk solids at the bottom become deep golden brown and smell nutty.
7. Immediately pour the browned butter, including all the browned milk solids, into a mixing bowl.
8. Let cool, then refrigerate briefly until thickened to approximately the texture of softened butter. It should be creamy and pliable, not liquid.
9. Combine the softened butter and brown sugar in a small bowl
10. Mix until combined.
11. Add: 55 g all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, Pinch of fine salt
12. Mix until large, uneven crumbs form.
13. Place the streusel in the refrigerator while you prepare the cookie dough.
14. In a medium bowl, whisk together: 250 g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, 1½ tsp cornstarch, ½ tsp fine salt. Set aside.
15. Add the cooled brown butter to a large mixing bowl along with 200 g light brown sugar, 25 g granulated sugar
16. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for approximately 2 minutes, until creamy and slightly fluffy.
17. Add 2 large egg yolks, room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
18. Beat for approximately 1 minute, until well combined and slightly lighter in texture.
19. Add 75–80 g cooled concentrated banana
20. Mix just until evenly incorporated.
21. Add the prepared dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
22. Mix on low speed only until the flour is almost completely incorporated.
23. If using nuts, fold in 75 g toasted chopped walnuts or pecans
24. Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
25. Divide the dough into portions weighing approximately 50–55 g dough per cookie
26. Gently roll each portion into a ball.
27. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving several inches between each cookie.
28. Press each dough ball down very slightly with your palm.
29. Top each cookie with approximately 1 heaping tablespoon chilled cinnamon streusel
30. Gently press the streusel into the surface of the dough so the larger crumbs adhere.
31. Refrigerate the assembled cookies for 15–20 minutes
32. While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C
33. Bake approximately 6 cookies per sheet for 11–13 minutes
34. The cookies are done when the edges are set, the surface no longer looks wet, and the centers still appear soft and slightly underbaked.
35. Do not wait for the centers to become completely firm.
36. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, place a round cookie cutter or glass slightly larger than each cookie around it.
37. Move it gently in a circular motion to nudge the edges inward and create a thicker, rounder cookie.
38. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes
39. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

---

Notes §

• Use very ripe bananas for the strongest banana flavor. Heavily spotted or nearly black bananas are ideal.
• Reducing the banana is important. Removing excess moisture gives you banana flavor without turning the cookies cakey.
• Make sure the concentrated banana is completely cool before adding it to the dough.
• For the most classic banana-bread flavor, use toasted walnuts.