Banana Bread Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Banana Bread Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 ripe banana, mashed; 1 large egg; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 1½ cups all-purpose flour; ¾ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ cup buttermilk; 8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature; 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (Nocciolata or similar); ½ cup roasted hazelnuts

Recipe GLPR5f84f7003f3bfc

Dessert

32 min

273 cal

Servings: 18

Oven

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

Soft, cake-like banana cookies topped with a creamy chocolate hazelnut and cream cheese frosting, finished with toasted chopped hazelnuts. These indulgent treats combine the warmth of banana bread with the decadence of chocolate-hazelnut spread, creating a perfect balance of flavors and textures.

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Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup buttermilk

8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (Nocciolata or similar)

½ cup roasted hazelnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the room temperature butter and granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
Add the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
Alternately add the dry flour mixture and buttermilk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until a very soft dough forms.
Using a standard cookie scoop, drop equal portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cookies are set on the edges but still soft in the centers. The centers should spring back when lightly touched.
Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 25 minutes.
While the cookies cool, prepare the frosting by beating the room temperature cream cheese with the chocolate hazelnut spread until well combined and creamy. Refrigerate the frosting until the cookies are fully cooled.
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Chop the toasted hazelnuts into small pieces.
Spread or pipe the frosting generously onto the cooled cookies. Sprinkle the chopped toasted hazelnuts over the frosting.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.25

The 32-minute stated time omits the cooling period needed before frosting, realistically budgeting 50 minutes for an edible result. Ingredients are all standard Charlotte grocery finds—Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, and ALDI all stock chocolate hazelnut spread and chopped hazelnuts in their baking sections without a special trip. At roughly $0.65 per cookie, butter and cream cheese drive the cost, but the yield is strong. This is a fussy decorative item that demands attention during baking and frosting, and the cookies do not reheat well; they're a same-night or next-morning treat. The recipe lands comfortably between dessert novelty and weeknight feasibility.