What I’m Making: Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I was at the thrift store the other day.  They often have church cookbooks there and I am often tempted by them.  For me, church cookbooks are more the tried and true recipes.  They have more of the old fashion comfort food.  It’s so hard for me not to buy one.

I know I’m a little odd but I read recipe books like most people read books.  I love trying anything that I don’t normally try.  I often end up with recipes that are a flop…but more often I end up with a recipe that I really like.

Anyway, there were three church cookbooks there.  They ranged from $3 to $4.  I ended up caving and I bought one.


When I got to the counter the lady said, “All books are on sale today for 10 cents.”  It was all I could do not to run back and get the other two that I had been eyeing…but one was enough.  I seriously, already have a cabinet full.

I settled on this one as it had the recipe books from 1951 and 1979 included in this large edition.

Once I was home I paged through it a few nights while I was eating supper.  There were so many recipes I thought about trying and then one day…on the counter in front of me were some bananas that were way past their prime.  I thought I remembered seeing a recipe in the book for banana cookies.  I looked and YES..there was one.  This one.


I decided to mix them up right away.  I used butter in my version.


It is a thick dough.


I only had 1/2 of a bag of chocolate chips and the cookies really needed more chips. (The recipe only called for 1 cup but I put in more) So I dug in the cabinet and found some Reese’s Pieces.


I put them on top…here is how they looked coming out of the oven.

Here they were cooling on the rack.

So what did we all think of them??


We all liked them.  They were good and my oldest childcare kiddos said, “I think they taste like muffin tops.”  I think that was the perfect way to describe them.

We all gave them a thumbs up and I will for sure make these another day when we have bananas that need to get used up.  I know I’m fooling mysel

10 thoughts on “What I’m Making: Banana Oatmeal Cookies”

  1. I too enjoy cookbooks – and still have my 4-H books from YEARS ago that had recipes! I only have 2 shelves of them – plus at least 2 notebooks with recipes torn out of magazines or printed from the internet… several of mine are church cookbooks too. And of course there is the recipe box with cards containing old family favorites that we love.
    One never can tell when there will be a great recipe in one of those book, online, or in a magazine. And if nothing strikes my fancy, at least I had a good time reading!

  2. I, too, enjoy reading cookbooks and have way more than my share. I also have a few notebooks with recipes that I’ve gotten online – and like here on your blog! I sometimes think I gain weight just reading the recipes. I really enjoy trying new recipes, and like you said some are better than others. These cookies sound very good and may need to try them. Thanks for sharing!

  3. Judith Fairchild

    those cookies look yummy i would only nuts to them i like nuts in my banana concoctions. I had a stash of cook books lost most of them in a move so now I’m collecting on line recipes like your goodies. Thank you

    1. Sharon Loveless

      I used to buy butter flavored Crisco. It’s solid of course, not liquid. Should be sold alongside regular Crisco at your grocery.

  4. I love reading cookbooks as well. I came home from our church yard sale with The Best of Beta Sigma Phi. It includes recipes from all over the country. This one looks interesting.
    Sniffles ANd Peas ( an old German recipe)
    3 eggs beaten
    2 C all purpose flour
    Salt and pepper to taste
    2 C fresh or frozen peas
    milk
    Mix eggs, flour and S and P in small bowl until stiff dough for dumplings.
    Simmer peas in milk to cover in saucepan until peas are tender. Drop small pieces of dough into peas. Cook until dumplings are done. 4 servings. From Julie in South Dakota.

    I hope you try this Jo. Sounds interesting. Of course you have to like peas but you could sub blackeyes peas and add cheese and chopped ham bits to the dumplings.

  5. PS, try this. 3 soft bananas mashed. 1/4 c peanut butter, smooth. 1 cup oats, mix. Add raisins and chopped nuts. Bake cookies at 350 for 18 min. These have no flour or sugar but are super yummy for breakfast, especiallly when warm. Makes about 6 large cookies or 12 small ones.
    No flour and no sugar.

  6. Diana in Des Moines

    So I made these yesterday. Looks like yours spread a bit, mine stayed in a ball. I didn’t add as much cloves as I thought it too much. They were okay, but I think they needed brown sugar and more butter. Next time, I will do 1/2 brown sugar, 1/2 white sugar, 1/2 C. butter shortening, 1/2 butter. and maybe a little nutmeg.

    My grandson and my husband loved them, I’m much more of a tough sell. Keep giving us the recipes, I always need new ideas!

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