These super simple banana oatmeal peanut butter cookies are so easy to make. Delicious as a snack or naturally fruit-sweetened dessert. Just 4 ingredients, they're vegan, whole food plant-based and you don't need any flour, eggs or oil.
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These easy cookies were inspired by my 3-ingredient banana oat cookie recipe on this site. One of the most popular variations on that cookie is to include peanut butter in the mix! This is the official recipe for adding peanut butter to the basic banana oatmeal cookie.
Adding peanut butter increases the fat content, making these cookies taste richer and more decadent. But, they are still vegan, whole food plant based, refined sugar-free and gluten-free.
🎙 What people say about this recipe
"OMG, made these for me and my hubby. We LOVED them. I added sea salt to the top and it gave it that extra little kick. These will definitely be on repeat in our house. They were so extremely simple to make and just so yummy. Thank you!"
- Annette
"The cookies were wonderful! I tossed others that I thought were good, but yours were better. Keep up the great work! I'm 81 & always looking for healthy simple recipes.🙂👍"
- Phyllis
🧄 Very useful ingredient notes
- Ripe bananas - Ripe, spotty bananas work best for this recipe (you know, the kind you would use to make banana bread). They are super sweet and make the cookies sweeter, since we are not adding any sugar or sweetener.
- Rolled oats - Use old-fashioned, rolled oats for this recipe. Instant oats can also work. But, do not try to use steel cut oats or oat groats, since they will not soften enough.
- Peanut butter - Creamy or crunchy peanut butter will both work here.
📋 Substitutions and variations
Here are some suitable substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:
- Peanut butter - instead of peanut butter, you can use almond butter, cashew butter or any other nut butter you like
- Vanilla - instead of vanilla extract, use ground cinnamon
- Nut-free - make this nut-free by using sunflower seed butter instead
Switch things up with these variation ideas!
- Chocolate peanut butter oat cookies - add chocolate chips to the mix before baking
- Amp up the seeds - mix in ground flaxseed, whole flax or chia seeds
- Peanut butter and jelly cookies - when shaping the cookies on the tray, make them a little bigger, then form a well in the center of the cookie. Drop a teaspoon of jam, jelly or preserves in the middle, then bake. Super yummy thumbprint cookies!
- Add toppings! - these versatile cookies can be topped with all sorts of delicious add-ons: raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, sunflower seed kernels, pistachios, macadamia nuts, dried cranberries, chopped dates, hemp hearts, coconut flakes and more!
🔪 Instructions
Step by step photos and instructions showing you how to make these peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies!
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel and mash bananas in a medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Make sure they are well-mashed, with only small chunks remaining.
Step 2 - Add rolled oats.
Step 3 - Add peanut butter and vanilla extract to the mashed banana and oats.
Step 4 - Stir everything together well.
Step 5 - Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Cookies will stick if you skip this step). Drop spoonfuls of batter onto baking tray and then shape with your fingers. Cookies do not spread out while baking, so shape them into the width and height you want them to be. This recipe will make about 16-18 small, 2-inch wide cookies.
Step 6 - Bake cookies for 20 minutes, until the cookies feel firm to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before enjoying.
Expert tips
- If your peanut butter is cold and hard, it will be hard to mix it with the rest of the batter. Spoon it out into a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup and heat it up in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time until it is easy to stir and combine with the rest of the ingredients.
🥡 Make ahead and storage tips
Store these cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
☕️ Tea pairing
This recipe would be delicious paired with hot black tea or a fruity, berry tea.
Love this recipe?
Please rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment below, so I know which recipes you like the best. This helps me know what to make more of!
📖 Recipe
4-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas mashed, 200g
- 1 cup rolled oats old-fashioned, 110g
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter 50g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel and mash bananas in a medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Make sure they are well-mashed, with only small chunks remaining.2 ripe bananas
- Add oats, peanut butter and vanilla extract to the mashed banana and stir everything together well.1 cup rolled oats, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (Cookies will stick if you skip this step).
- Drop spoonfuls of batter onto baking tray and then shape with your fingers. Cookies do not spread out while baking, so shape them into the width and height you want them to be. This recipe will make about 16-18 small, 2-inch wide cookies.
- Bake cookies for 20 minutes, until the cookies feel firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before enjoying.
Bethany says
I like the way you show step-by-step how the batter should look
Sometimes I'll make something and wonder if it's too lose or think 🙃
I'll have to make these soon
Abi Cowell says
Thank you so much, Bethany! I'm so glad those step by step photos are helpful to you. I wonder the same thing when I'm making a new recipe and not sure how it's supposed to look!
- Abi
Alma says
This is the first time I have seen your recipes. This 4 ingredient oatmeal peanut butter recipe, is the first I have seen. It seems easy to make, and sounds like it will have a great taste. My family is not anxious to give up all the 'crappy' food. I am hoping your recipes will help change this. Thanks for sharing with us.
Abi Cowell says
Hi Alma,
Welcome! I'm so glad you're here and I hope you enjoy my recipes. I hope your family enjoys them, too. Just keep introducing healthy options and finding your family's favorite plant-based meals and make those over and over again.
All the best,
Abi
Phyllis says
The cookies were wonderful! I tossed others that I thought were good, but yours were better. Keep up the great work! I'm 81 & always looking for healthy simple recipes.🙂👍
Abi Cowell says
Thank you so much, Phyllis, I'm so glad you liked them!
- Abi
Susan Hamilton says
Had 3 old bananas & didn't feel like making muffins, so I tried this recipe. Since I increased to 3 bananas, I increased the rest of the recipe by 1/3rd. I added chopped walnuts and a little bit of honey & salt. I baked for 15 min & made 19 cookies. At 83kcal per cookie, as well as delish, I thank you for this recipe.
Abi Cowell says
You are so welcome, Susan! sounds delicious!
Annette says
OMG, made these for me and my hubby. We LOVED them. I added sea salt to the top and it gave it that extra little kick. These will definitely be on repeat in our house. They were so extremely simple to make and just so yummy. Thank you!
Abi Cowell says
Oh yum!! Love that sea salt addition.
Janice says
Hi Abi, could I use the same amount of PB2 instead of the peanut butter and thank you ?
Abi Cowell says
Hi Janice! Yes, you can!! Use the same amount of prepared PB2 as the peanut butter called for in the recipe.
julie galassini says
These are wonderful cookies, considering no flour, no sugar, no eggs. Very good and I would make them again!
Kristy says
I made these using prepared peanut butter powder. I tried one after they cooled and immediately made a second batch! So good! Thanks for a delicious, healthy recipe!
Abi Cowell says
I'm so glad you liked them, Kristy!!!
Rebecca says
I need to find low cholesterol recipes,and this is a fast and a chewy sweet substitute for biscuits/cookies.
Two is enough because they are very filling.
I'm going to try some additions,maybe lemon zest,a little salt.
This is the first time I've come across your recipes and I shall definitely be looking at more.
Thank you.
Abi Cowell says
So happy you enjoyed them, Rebecca! Lemon zest would be delicious!
Sue Klein says
I made the BANANA OATMEAL COOKIES. My husband LOVED them. I am going to try the peanut butter ones next.
Thank You for the recipes
Sue Klein says
can you make these cookies from frozen bananas
Abi Cowell says
Yes!
Erika says
Have been making these for months on end for my kids and they are so good I have them also.
Emm says
I had 4 bananas I needed to use up. As a celiac I was craving something gluten free with my AM coffee. My only mistake was not using sugar, they really needed sugar, esp with the peanut butter and if you add the sea salt on top. 2nd time around I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar they were better (with the recipe doubled of course). I made 19 cookies with the recipe doubled. You could go even higher with the sugar if you want (I myself dont have a sweet tooth but these were not sweet at all the way it is written).