Banoffee Inspired Cookies - Banana Cookies with Vanilla Banana Cream Filling and Dulce de Leche Frosting
Any banoffee pie fans out there? How about banana cream pie? Yum...
If you don't know what banoffee pie is, let me fill you in! It's a British dessert with a crushed cookie crust, bananas, dulce de leche and lots of cream. I only discovered it last year while on my honeymoon. We went to Sandals in St. Lucia and they had a British style pub that served banoffee pie. I actually had to ask the server what it was...now I see it all over the food blogging world!
These cookies offer the flavors of banoffee pie in cute portable bites. I feel like I say this a lot, but this recipe may be one of my favorites. The texture reminds me of Little Debbie's Oatmeal Cream Pies, which is funny because there is no oatmeal in these! The cookies are moist and banana filled with lots of crushed vanilla wafers incorporated into the batter. The cream filling has a hint of banana and a nice vanilla flavor. The creamy, dulce de leche frosting is the perfect finale to the rest of bite.
Banoffee Inspired Cookies - Banana Cookies with Vanilla Banana Cream Filling and Dulce de Leche Frosting
Makes approximately 13 stuffed cookies
Banana Cookies
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (187.5 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tablespoon banana extract
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups vanilla wafers (approximately 40)
Vanilla Banana Cream Filling
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons banana extract
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups confectioners sugar
Dulce de Leche Frosting
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
13.4 ounce can dulce de leche
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the vanilla wafers in a food processor and process until they become fine crumbs, almost like sand. Set aside. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Add the butter and sugars to a large bowl attached to a mixer. Beat on medium-low speed until creamed, approximately 5 minutes. Add the mashed bananas and extracts. Mix until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Now add the crushed vanilla wafers and mix until combined. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, place the dough on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 14 minutes.
To make the vanilla banana cream frosting, add all the ingredients to a large bowl attached to a mixer. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
To make the dulce de leche frosting, add all the ingredients to a large bowl attached to a mixer. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
When the cookies are completely cool, spread a layer of banana cream filling on the flat side of a cookie and top with another cookie. Spread the dulce le leche frosting over the top. Decorate with crushed vanilla wafers if desired.
