Banana Bread Cookie Sandwiches with Honey Cream Cheese

 

This past weekend, I was straightening out a few things on the kitchen counter when I realized I had a giant pile of ripe bananas that absolutely-positively-definitely needed to be used up THAT VERY DAY.

It's a common thing around here. We buy the bananas for Eugene's post-gym protein shakes, but he can only go through them so quickly. I don't really like to eat bananas in non-cake-or-dessert form, and while Hudson would eat them all if we gave him the chance...we will not be giving him that chance. (Sorry, doggy!)

And so, there was baking to do.

I put out a call on Facebook asking people what they recommended I make with them (and got some pretty fantastic ideas!), but the truth is that I already knew even before I asked.

I wanted to make banana bread cookies!

I was picturing a soft cookie--somewhere in between chewy and cake-y--studded with walnuts and filled with whipped honey cream cheese.

NOT cream cheese frosting, mind you...just real cream cheese, lightly sweetened with honey and a bit of cinnamon for that perfect combination of sweet banana and salty-sweet cheese.

Basically, I wanted a dessert version of one of my favorite breakfast treats (that would be toasted banana bread with cream cheese...oh yes!)

And so, that's what I made, and I couldn't be happier with the results!

This recipe makes some pretty giant banana bread cookies, which then become giant banana bread cookie sandwiches.

You could make them smaller, but I think the giant-ness is part of the charm here, wouldn't you agree?

And...I think it goes without saying that these are TOTALLY acceptable breakfast cookies.

Happy baking!

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Banana Bread Cookie Sandwiches with Honey Cream Cheese
Yields about 8 giant cookies sandwiches

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup walnuts (optional)

For the filling
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together butter and both sugars for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, mashed banana, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg for 1 minute.

Add the flour mixture and mix well until evenly combined. Fold in the walnuts, if using.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out about 1/4-cup sized spoonfuls of dough and arrange 2-3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or cookies have spread, puffed slightly in the center and are golden brown.

Let cool on pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

While the cookies cool, prepare the filling by using an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese with the honey and cinnamon.

Once the cookies are cool, spread half of them with the filling and sandwich. Serve immediately, or wrap each one in plastic wrap to store.