Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. This is an essential step that ensures your cookies bake evenly and come out perfectly golden brown.
Next, take the ripe bananas and mash them in a mixing bowl using the back of a fork. Aim for a creamy consistency; the riper the bananas, the better they’ll mash!
Once mashed, add the applesauce to the bowl. Stir in the mashed bananas, vanilla, and cinnamon until everything is well combined.
Now, it’s time to fold in the remaining ingredients. Add the oats, raisins, and walnuts to the mix. Gently stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed, and let the mixture set for about 10 minutes.
Prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Using a spoon, drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls onto the sheet. Flatten each dollop into rounds to form your cookies. The batter should yield about 16 regular-size cookies or 12 larger ones.
Place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Keep an eye on them; they’re ready when they turn a lovely golden brown and are cooked through.
Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the sheet for about 5 minutes. This resting period helps them firm up before transferring them to a wire rack.
After they’ve cooled slightly, move your cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Enjoy them warm or store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.