These sugar-free banana cookies are moist, soft and fluffy! Imagine banana bread turned into a cookie and you get the idea. My keto banana cookies use real banana, yet they are only 1.6g net carbs per cookie.
Do you like banana bread? Then you will love these cookies. Because they are bite-sized banana bread treats!
Regular readers of this blog will know my keto banana bread. I tweaked it a little and came up with these cookies. Seriously, I cannot wait for you to try them out.
When you google 'healthy banana cookies', you'll find recipes containing ingredients such as oats, dates, maple syrup and spelt flour.
Of course, in the scheme of things these are better options than white flour and sugar. But they will still raise your blood sugar levels.
I'm keeping this recipe low carb (and gluten-free!) by using almond flour and almond butter instead of flour. And I'm using erythritol for additional sweetness.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you'll need:
- Almond flour or ground almonds
- Banana - needs to be over ripe so it's sweeter
- Egg
- Butter - softened
- Almond butter
- Walnuts - optional
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Sweetener
I used ¼ cup (50g) of golden erythritol. It tastes a bit like brown sugar and I find it works well in any recipe that requires cinnamon. However, you can use regular (white) erythritol as well.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
1.) Mash the banana with a fork. Then blend all ingredients (except for the walnuts) in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
2.) Dollop the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Space them out on the baking sheet because the batter spreads. Top with the crushed walnuts.
3.) Bake until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before handling. The cookies are very soft when straight out of the oven. They firm up as they cool.
Recipe variations
You can replace the almond butter with peanut butter. Make sure it's nice and runny and not hard and crusty! As peanut butter tends to be firmer than almond butter, start with ¼ cup / 25g almond flour.
The recipe works without baking powder. However, your cookies will have a denser texture.
A pinch of salt works well in this recipe. Or consider adding ¼ spoon of ginger and / or nutmeg.
Instead of walnuts, you could add pecans or hazelnuts or even sugar free chocolate chips!
FAQ
It depends on the amount. Banana has a high sugar and carb content. According to Food Data Central, 100g of banana contains 23g of total carbs. We're only using 80 grams or â…“ cup of mashed banana in the entire recipe, about 1 small banana. This way we're getting all the banana taste without having to resort to extracts. And one cookie only contains 1.6g net carbs.
Absolutely. Replace the butter in the recipe with coconut oil or more almond butter.Â
Cool the cookie dough in the fridge for 20 minutes so the butter can solidify. Also, stir the almond butter before using. If your batter is soft because of the almond butter, add an additional tablespoon of almond flour. Though, cooling in the fridge will also help.
In addition to using coconut oil, use a flax egg in place of the egg. It may also help to add ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder as a binder.
Storage
Store sugar free banana cookies in a cookie jar or in an airtight container. They are fine on the kitchen counter for a couple of days. Or, store in the fridge for 5-6 days.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Related recipes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Sugar Free Banana Cookies
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- â…“ cup / 80g banana mashed, very ripe (1 small banana)
- ½ cup / 50g almond flour
- ½ cup / 50g almond butter unsalted
- ¼ cup / 50g butter softened!
- 1 egg large
- ¼ cup / 50g golden erythritol
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup / 20g crushed walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Mash the banana with a fork. Then blend all ingredients (except for the walnuts) in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Using a tablespoon, dollop the cookie batter onto the cookie sheet (1 tablespoon per cookie).
- Space the cookies out because the batter spreads. Top with the crushed walnuts if using.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. Remove from the oven and let cool COMPLETELY before handling.
Julie Ferguson
I’m considering making these as a base layer for a dessert square. Do you have any ideas for top layer(s)?
Julie Ferguson
Katrin Nürnberger
How about caramel, whipped cream and banana slices, like a banoffee pie. Or make a whipped mascarpone topping and add a chocolate drizzle on top.
Diana
These cookies turned out great! A special way to use up those bananas that are turning and I tried it with peanut butter. Oh yum! Thanks for sharing!
Molly
Making these now but forgot to add the sweetener
Katrin Nürnberger
Hope they'll still taste good!
Shari
I definitely want to try this because I have been doing keto for almost 3 years and I miss bananas. Was wondering if any one tried added coconut or chocolate chips?
Katrin Nürnberger
I think adding either would taste lovely.
Shari
I added some chocolate chips. Cookies are delicious but very soft. Maybe I need to leave them out longer. I wonder if adding a bit of Xanthan gum might help them be crispier
Katrin Nürnberger
If yours were super soft, I'd simply add a little more almond flour. 🙂 From my experience, xanthan gum does not make bakes crunchier, rather the opposite. Flax would make them crunchier.
TalieBuz
I tried these right away after seeing them on IG yesterday (@taliebuz) and they turned out so yummy! Even my picky daughter thinks they are really good! This will definitely be on the sweet rotation at my house. And thanks for saying it's ok to use real bananas, lol.
Susan
Better then I expected. Will definitely make again. Cookies are soft and moist. Will add nutmeg next time.
Debra
Hi there, just tried these and they’re really good. I missed the ‘nutmeg’ suggestion. I think that’ll take them over the top, so I can give them 5 stars. As always, great recipe, thanks!
Sarah, mom2sevenmakesdinner
I've been looking for healthier alternatives for sweets, not only for myself but for my 7 kids as well. I was really surprised just how fluffy these cookies came out! They were soft and chewy, similar to banana bread. The only change I made was not adding the erythritol. It's too hard on my stomach, so I added a small amount of splenda instead. Like you stated, it definitely needs that little boost of sweetness, but overall I was super happy with how these turned out! The older kids enjoyed them. The younger ones said they weren't sweet enough (Haha! That's the point!). I will DEFINITELY be making these again! Thanks for another great recipe, Katrin~
Patricia C Riippi
Will monk fruit sweetener work ok in this recipe?
Katrin Nürnberger
Any sweetener will work, of course!
Audrey
Can another fruit be used? No one in my house likes bananas, but love others like strawberries and pears.
Katrin Nürnberger
Of course! I think apples or pears would be a good option. It may be an idea to cook them into a puree first so you're losing some of the liquid. You could even try using my sugar free strawberry jam