BANANA SPICE COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Banana Spice Cookies eaten right out of the oven is just like warm banana bread! These spice cookies are a perfect treat for a cool Fall day!

Banana bread, at least for me, goes hand and hand with Fall! 

There is just something about walking into a kitchen and having that delicious aroma tempt your taste buds!  Other scents that go perfectly with Fall are cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla.  That combination in itself is perfect for Fall, however, if you add in warm banana bread, then it’s heaven to me!

I was looking for a recipe recently for Banana Spice Cookies.  I came across one on Two Sisters Crafting that I thought resonated pretty well with my family.

After making a few adjustments to the recipe to fit my family’s taste, I think we have another yummy cookie recipe to add to our collection!

Now, if you have a sweet tooth as I do, top the cookies with this decadent frosting and you will be needing to change into comfy pants!  LOL!  They are just THAT good!   At first bite, you will taste the lovely cream cheese frosting, then as you enjoy more of the cookie, the spice notes will hit you in the back of the throat.  It’s sheer goodness!

Another reason I think you will love these Banana Spice Cookies is that you probably already have all of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry!

Before you get started on the recipe, here are a few tips.

HOW DO YOU USE UP OLD BANANAS?

You can use up old bananas in a smoothie, in banana bread or these cookies, banana pudding, or these easy Banana Apple Muffins. 

WHAT SHOULD THE BANANAS LOOK LIKE FOR BAKING?

The banana should be mostly brown.  I’ve read that if they are almost black then they will be perfect for baking.  I’ve never let ours get that ripe. 

Here is the recipe for Banana Spiced Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients for the Banana Spice Cookies:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

4 medium mashed bananas

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 1/2 cups flour (all purpose)

Fall sprinkles (optional)

Walnuts (optional)

Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese (softened to room temp)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temp)
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons of Vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Directions for the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 375.  Line the cooking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar (approximately 5 – 10 minutes) until smooth and creamy.  Next slowly incorporate the eggs and vanilla on slow speed.  Then turn the mixer up to allow the ingredients to get mixed together thoroughly.

Mash the bananas together in a medium-sized bowl and then add them into the sugar mixture.  With the mixer on low, add in the baking soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon until everything is combined.

Then turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time.  After the flour is mixed into the batter, turn off the mixer, scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula and then turn the mixer back on and let the ingredients thoroughly incorporated together (approximately 3 – 4 minutes).

Using an ice cream scoop, place a scoop full of batter onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookie are brown.

*Remember these will be denser cookies.

Place the cookies on a cooling rack to cool.  Due to the scoop I used, these cookies come out larger and it resulted in 24 cookies.

Directions for the frosting:

Add the softened cream cheese, vanilla, brown sugar, and butter into a large mixing bowl and mix together until you achieve a creamy mixture.  Put the mixer on the lowest speed and slowly incorporate the powdered sugar into the mixture.  Once all of the powdered sugar is mixed in, turn the mixer up to a medium-high speed and mix together until the ingredients until it’s well incorporated.

Once the cookies are cool, top with the frosting and fall sprinkles!