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Banana Bread Cookies Stuffed with Walnut Caramel Center Recipe

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4.2 from 9 reviews

These Banana Bread Cookies are a delightful twist on classic banana bread, featuring a soft, cinnamon-spiced dough loaded with chocolate chunks and a luscious walnut caramel center. Perfectly baked to golden edges with a tender middle, they offer a delicious combination of fruity sweetness, warming spices, and rich, nutty caramel.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

  • 110g peeled ripe banana, mashed (about 1/4 cup)
  • 113g vegan butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
  • 75g granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
  • 65g light brown sugar, packed (1/4 cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 170g all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cup)
  • 2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 85g semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped (1 bar)

For the Walnut Caramel Filling

  • 65g light brown sugar, packed (1/4 cup)
  • 30g walnuts, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Whip Butter and Sugars: Add the vegan butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, whip the mixture until it becomes light, fluffy, and paler in color, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Mash Banana and Combine: Place the peeled banana on a cutting board and mash thoroughly with a fork. Transfer the mashed banana to the mixing bowl along with the vanilla bean paste. Mix again with the hand mixer until well incorporated.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, Ceylon cinnamon, baking soda, and kosher salt.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently fold using a rubber spatula just until mostly combined. Leaving a few streaks of flour is okay to avoid over mixing.
  5. Add Chocolate Chunks: Fold in the roughly chopped semi-sweet chocolate until evenly distributed and no visible pockets of flour remain. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 to 2 hours to firm up.
  6. Prepare Oven and Baking Tray: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  7. Make Walnut Caramel Filling: In a small bowl, combine light brown sugar, finely chopped walnuts, cardamom, and a pinch of kosher salt. Add the maple syrup and fold together until the mixture is evenly combined.
  8. Shape Dough Cups: Using a large cookie scoop (1.5 oz or 3 tbsp), portion dough into your hands. Flatten each portion into a disk, then curl edges up to form a small cup.
  9. Fill and Seal Cookies: Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of the walnut caramel filling into the center of each dough cup. Bring edges together over the filling, pinch to seal, and gently roll between your palms to form a smooth dough ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough.
  10. Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until edges turn golden and the tops lose their shiny appearance. Typically, 15 minutes yields the best result.
  11. Cool Before Serving: Allow cookies to cool on the baking tray for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack or serving. This helps them firm up and keeps the caramel center intact.

Notes

  • Be careful not to over mix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to maintain a tender texture.
  • Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and to help shape the dough cups easily.
  • Use ripe bananas for sweeter flavor and better moisture in the cookie dough.
  • If you prefer, substitute walnuts with pecans for a slightly different nutty aroma.
  • These cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or can be frozen for longer storage.

Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/banana-bread-cookies-stuffed-with-walnut-caramel-center-recipe/