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3-Ingredient Banana Almond Flour Cookies {Vegan, Oil-Free}

Blissful 3-Ingredient Banana Almond Flour Cookies made with nothing more than almond flour, bananas & baking powder. They are vegan, grain-free, oil-free, & Paleo.
3-ingedient banana almond flour cookies n a blue and white plate

I have been having fun stretching the possibilities of super-minimalist almond flour cookies in recent months. It started with my 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Cookies, but has expanded to include my Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies, Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies, and 4-Ingredient Almond Flour Biscotti.

It’s time to add another to the list. Like its predecessors, this new recipe is easy, delicious, and versatile, yet still very healthy. In other words, a perfectly paradoxical cookie: equally ideal for holiday baking and for the healthy New Year to come.

Introducing my 3-Ingredient Banana Almond Flour Cookies!

vegan banana almond flour cookies on a wire cooling rack

What is the Taste & Texture of These Cookies?

Here are the essential stats for these cookies:

Texture: Soft and tender, with a bit of crispness at the edges. Homey and refined in one fell swoop, they do not taste like “special diet” cookies in any way.

Flavor: The banana flavor is subtle, balanced out by the nuttiness of the almond flour.

Sweetness: Perfectly sweet! The almond flour amplifies the sweetness from the bananas. Truly no need to add extra sweetener.

Nutritional Highlights of 3-Ingredient Banana Almond Flour Cookies

The cookies are also:

  • Vegan
  • Paleo
  • Grain-Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Oil-Free
  • Added Sugar-Free
close up of a vegan grain-free banana almond flour cookie on a cooling rack

Ingredients for the Cookies

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

The basic recipe is nothing more than

I like to add a bit of salt, too, to enhance the sweetness of the cookies (plus optional salt).

Add Your Favorite Flavors and Stir-Ins 

Beyond the basic three ingredients, the options for variation are vast!

For example, you can add flavorings (e.g., extracts, zests, spices), chopped nuts or seeds, chopped dried fruit, flake coconut, or miniature chocolate chips. I’ve included some ideas in the recipe below to get your creative juices flowing.

overhead shot of 3-ingedient banana almond flour cookies with various toppings

Important Tips for Making the Almond Flour Banana Cookies a Success

As simple as these cookies are to prepare. there is one critical ingredient and step I need to emphasize in order to ensure your success.

It is the mashed banana.

Tip One: Use Overripe Bananas

It is essential that you use a very ripe banana, i.e., one with ample brown spots on the peel, but not one that is so far gone that it is starting to ooze/weep in any way.

Under-ripe or just-ripe bananas are still fairly starchy, which will work against success in two ways: (1) the dough will be too dry (because the banana is stiff), and (2) the cookies will not be sweet enough (the stiff starch has not converted to sugar).

Tip Two: Man the Bananas Until Almost Liquid

It is very important to give the banana a vigorous mashing with a fork. I mean it. Work it with the fork until it is almost liquid, like so:

These two tips are the only fussy parts of the recipe. Otherwise, it will be smooth–and oh so delicious–sailing, each and every time you make these!

How to Make the Cookies

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step Two: Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a small to medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking powder and optional salt.

Step Three: Add the Wet Ingredients

Add the banana, stirring until completely blended.

Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop the cookie dough in mounds, spacing 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart, onto the prepared baking sheet.

Step Five: Bake the Cookies

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 13 to 16 minutes until golden brown at edges and the centers of the cookies feel firm to the touch.

Step Six: Cool the Cookies

Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.

In case it needs mentioning: although these taste decadent enough for dessert, they are more than healthy enough to savor as snacks and breakfast, too. That’s my kind of cookie!

Happy baking, everyone!

close up of a banana almond flour cookie on a piece of parchment paper

Happy baking, everyone!

FAQ

How Should I Store the Cookies?

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 5 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months.

The bananas were not ripe enough. In order for this recipe to work well, it is important to (1) use a very ripe banana to create the mash (softer, higher sugar content than less ripe bananas); and (2) very finely mash the banana with a fork so that it is almost liquid (see photo above).

What are Some Ways I Can Vary the Cookies?

Simple Additions: Add 1 teaspoon of lime zest, vanilla extract or almond extract to dough, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, allspice or pumpkin pie spice.

Sugar Sparkle: Gently roll dough into equal balls. Gently press the top of each dough ball in a shallow dish of turbinado (raw) sugar.

Coconut: Gently roll the dough into equal balls, Gently press the top of each dough ball in a shallow dish of finely chopped unsweetened flake coconut.

Peanut Butter Thumbprints: After scooping the portioned dough onto cookie sheet, make a shallow indentation in each dough mound and fill with about 1/4 teaspoon peanut butter before baking.

Cinnamon: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the dough along with the mashed banana.

Chocolate Chip: Add 2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips to the dough. Alternatively, prepare dough as directed and press the chocolate chips into surfaces of scooped dough.

More Grain-Free & Vegan Almond Flour Cookies to Try

  1. Almond Flour Graham Crackers
  2. 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Cookies {Vegan, Oil-Free, Keto Option}
  3. 4-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies
  4. 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
  5. Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies
  6. Sweet Potato Almond Flour Cookies
  7. 3-Ingredient Fresh Apple Almond Flour Cookies
3-Ingredient Almond Flour Banana Cookies {Vegan, Grain-Free}

3-Ingredient Almond Flour Banana Cookies {Vegan, Grain-Free}

Yield: 10 cookies
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes

Blissful almond & banana cookies, made with 3 ingredients: almond flour, bananas & baking powder (salt is optional). Sweet, tender and crispy at the edges, they are oil-free, Paleo & vegan.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (104 g) blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt (optional, but recommended)
  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) finely mashed very ripe banana

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking powder and optional salt. Add the banana, stirring until completely blended.
  3. Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough in mounds, spacing 2 inches apart, on prepared cookie sheet.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 16 minutes until golden brown at edges and centers of cookies feel firm to the touch. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 5 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months.

Banana Tips: In order for this recipe to work well, it is important to (1) use a very ripe banana to create the mash (softer, higher sugar content than less ripe bananas); and (2) very finely mash the banana with a fork so that it is almost liquid (see photo above).

Variation Ideas:

Simple Additions: Add 1 teaspoon of lime zest, vanilla extract or almond extract to dough, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, allspice or pumpkin pie spice.

Sugar Sparkle: Gently roll dough into 10 balls. Gently press top of each dough ball in a shallow dish of turbinado (raw) sugar.

Coconut: Gently roll dough into 10 balls, Gently press top of each dough ball in a shallow dish of finely chopped unsweetened flake coconut.

Peanut Butter Thumbprints: After scooping dough onto cookie sheet, make a shallow indentation in each dough mound and fill with about 1/4 teaspoon peanut butter before baking.

Cinnamon: dd 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the dough along with the banana.

Chocolate Chip: Add 2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips to the dough. Alternatively, prepare dough as directed and press the chocolate chips into surfaces of scooped dough.

Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving Calories 71Total Fat 5.6gSaturated Fat 0.4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 24.5mgCarbohydrates 4.2gFiber 1.4gSugar 1.3gProtein 2.5g

Did you make this recipe?

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Mia

Tuesday 27th of February 2024

I love these cookies! I added a little bit of cinnamon and vanilla. I used super ripe, gooey bananas.

Caz

Friday 2nd of February 2024

Hi there, is this dough recipe freezable?

Camilla

Sunday 4th of February 2024

Hi Caz,

I have not tried it, but potentially, yes. My one concern is that, with such basic ingredients, the texture might be different.

Megan

Tuesday 23rd of January 2024

Thank you for this recipe! It is amazing! I can’t eat chocolate chips so I used cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips and threw some hemp hearts in and a light drizzle of homemade salted caramel date syrup….i don’t know who gobbled them up faster me or my 10yr old

Camilla

Monday 5th of February 2024

You are so very welcome, Megan! Thank YOU for taking the time to write a comment. I love that your 10 yer old enjoyed them too :)

Marta

Thursday 30th of November 2023

I am new to almond flour. Will this work ok with one that is labeled as Almond Meal Flour and underneath it says Blanched Almond Meal. Are there different types?

Camilla

Thursday 30th of November 2023

hi Marta! Yes, so long as to looks very finely ground. There are so many more brands of almond flour than there were a few years ago. There used to be more distinction between almond meal and almond flour, so that it was really important to specify finely ground blanched almond flour (as opposed to what more often was coarsely ground almond meal). But now there are more brands that have both flour and meal combined (like your package). So long as it is not exclusively labeled meal, and looks finely (not roughly) ground, it should work great.

Ro

Thursday 11th of May 2023

I haven't made the recipe but look simple enough. Can you use an egg in this recipe? Would you know how that would change it?

Camilla

Friday 12th of May 2023

Hi Ro! I have not tried the recipe with egg, but you could experiment by adding a little bit less banana and perhaps a small amount more almond flour. A large egg is typically about 1/4 cup of liquid. It would be a different recipe/result, but I am sure you could make it work to your liking.

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