1-First step: mix the dry ingredients Start by whisking the flour, baking soda, corn starch, and fine sea salt together in a medium bowl. This helps spread the leavening and salt evenly through the dough, so every cookie bakes up with the same texture and flavor. A quick whisk also helps break up any little clumps in the flour or corn starch.

2-Second step: cream the butter, bananas, and sugars In a large bowl, add the softened butter, mashed bananas, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Stir or beat them together until they are combined and look smooth. Since this recipe does not require a mixer, you can use a sturdy spoon or spatula, which makes it simple for anyone to make.

3-Third step: add the vanilla Mix in the vanilla extract until it is fully blended into the banana mixture. Vanilla adds a soft, warm background flavor that ties the peanut butter and chocolate together. It may seem like a small amount, but it makes the cookies taste fuller and more rounded.

4-Fourth step: stir in the dry ingredients Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Try not to overmix, because too much stirring can make the cookies tougher. Once you stop seeing dry flour, you are ready for the next step.

5-Fifth step: fold in the chips Gently fold in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Folding instead of stirring hard helps keep the dough from getting overworked. It also keeps the chips from breaking apart.

6-Sixth step: chill the dough Cover the dough and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. This step helps the cookies spread less in the oven and gives the flavors time to settle together. Chilling is one of the best ways to get thicker, chewier peanut butter banana cookies with a better finish.

7-Seventh step: preheat the oven and prepare the pans While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper so the cookies release easily and bake more evenly. Parchment also helps keep the bottoms from getting too dark.

8-Eighth step: scoop the dough Scoop the dough onto the lined cookie sheets, leaving enough space between each cookie for spreading. A cookie scoop works really well here because it keeps the cookies the same size, which helps them bake evenly. Uniform cookies also look better on the tray and on the plate.

9-Ninth step: bake until lightly golden Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops turn light golden brown. Do not wait until they look deeply browned, because they will continue to firm up as they cool. A slightly underdone center is better than an overbaked cookie here.

10-Tenth step: cool completely on the sheets Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before moving them. This is important because the cookies are delicate when hot, and they need that time to finish setting. Cooling on the sheet helps them stay soft and chewy instead of breaking apart.