Peanut Butter Banana Cookie Sandwiches
When I eat bananas I like them bright yellow, with a little bit of green even. As soon as they start to ripen, even just a smidge, I can’t eat them anymore. They’re ruined. And so when that happens, I just let them fully ripen on the counter and so that I can turn them into something. Whether it’s banana bread, muffins or even banana pudding, I’ll do anything not to eat them or throw them away. Sometimes I’ll even peel, slice and freeze them in an airtight container and I’ll use them in smoothies throughout the week.
This time around, I didn’t get around to eating my bananas fast enough and so unfortunately two of them got away from me. But maybe it was a good thing because I was able to make these Peanut Butter Banana Cookie Sandwiches with them. Crispy peanut butter cookies sandwiched with a delicious banana buttercream. You’ll want to eat the buttercream by the spoonful, trust me. It’s good on cakes, muffins, bars and of course cookie sandwiches! This just so happens to be a great weekend baking recipe and I think you should give it a try this weekend. Hint hint.
Peanut Butter Banana Cookie Sandwiches
Equipment
- Cookie scooper
- Baking sheet
- Pastry bag with tip
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Banana Buttercream:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana about 1 medium or 2 small
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar until creamy. Stir in the peanut butter, egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Shape into 1-inch balls and roll around in the remaining granulated sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Use a fork to press the cookies down lightly and create a criss cross pattern. Bake until lightly golden brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Continue baking off the cookies until the dough is all used up.
- To make the banana buttercream, beat the butter on medium speed just to get it going. Add in the mashed banana, vanilla and salt and mix until well combined. Add the sugar, a cup at a time, and beat on high until thick and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag with a plain circle tip.
- Once the cookies have cooled, pipe out frosting on half of them and then sandwich together with the remaining cookies. Allow to set about 10 minutes before eating, either in the fridge or at room temperature. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
