3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies (No Banana)
on Sep 22, 2021, Updated Jul 18, 2024
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These 3-ingredient oatmeal cookies with no banana are perfect for a quick, easy and customizable treat you can whip up in minutes!
If you’re looking for an easy cookie made with just a few ingredients, this recipe is for you. Bonus: They taste amazing and are perfectly crispy on the outside with a soft, gooey interior!
This recipe is based off of my 3-ingredient banana oatmeal cookies but are made without banana and instead call for maple syrup, nut or seed butter and oats.
From there, they’re endlessly customizable with different add-ins such as nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, spices or whatever else you enjoy in cookies (chocolate chips are obviously recommended!).
Why You’ll Love Them
- Dietary Needs: These cookies are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free and can be made nut-free.
- No egg or banana.
- Each cookie is just 122 calories with 15 g carbohydrates and 3 g protein.
- You can make these in 1 bowl in under 20 minutes with just 3 everyday ingredients.
- Customizable: Switch is up every time you make them! Try chocolate chip oatmeal, raisin oatmeal, tahini date, cranberry walnut, etc.
- The best texture..crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside!
- Great for snack time, lunchbox-friendly (use tahini or sunflower seed butter for nut-free) and a healthier dessert option.
Ingredient Notes
- Oats: You can use rolled oats, large flake oats, old fashioned oats or quick oats. I like rolled oats best for these.
- Nut or Seed Butter: You can use any nut or seed butter as long as it’s not overly dry. For best results, the butter you use should be creamy, drippy and almost pourable. I love tahini in these but almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter and peanut butter all work great!
- Maple Syrup: Can be substituted with agave syrup.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Additions
The cookies are really yummy just as is but you can really go wild with different add-ins to switch them up.
- Nuts: Try chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds.
- Dried Fruit: Try chopped dates, chopped dried apricots, raisins or cranberries.
- Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds work well.
- Chocolate: Chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate, cacao nibs or vegan white chocolate.
- Spices: Try cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger or pumpkin pie spice.
- Other: Crushed pretzels, vegan marshmallows.
- Orange zest is yummy for a holiday-inspired cookie (or try these cranberry orange cookies).
Step-by-Step Photos
Before You Start: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. The parchment paper isn’t required though, so feel free to bake directly on the pan if you prefer.
Step 1: Mix together the nut or seed butter and maple syrup until smooth and completely combined. If you’re adding vanilla, add that now as well.
Step 2: Add the oats to the bowl and mix together until you have a thick, sticky cookie dough.
If you’re adding any other ingredients, stir them in now as well. I’ve included a list of add-in suggestions below.
Step 3: Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, create 12 equal sized clumps on the baking tray. Press each cookie down a little to create a cookie shape.
Quick Tip: The cookies won’t spread during baking so create the shape you want before baking. You can leave them in a haystack-style cookie or press them down to create more of a traditional cookie shape. You can also make them thinner and flatter if you like.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes then let cool before handling to allow them to firm up. Enjoy!
Storing
Let the cookies cool completely before storing. This is important so they stay crispy!
After they cool, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container or food storage bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 4 months.
If frozen, thaw briefly at room temperature before serving.
More Recipes to Try!
3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup nut or seed butter of choice, 120 g
- 1/3 cup maple syrup, 105 g
- 1.5 cups rolled oats, 150 g
Optional Ingredients
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, raisins, cranberries, chopped nuts or seeds, etc.
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Add the nut or seed butter and maple syrup to a mixing bowl and stir together until smooth and fully combined. If you're adding vanilla, mix it in now as well.
- Add the oats and any other add-ins you're using and mix into a thick, sticky dough. Depending on the consistency of your nut butter, you may need to add a bit of extra maple syrup or nut butter or a bit more oats. The dough should be a thick, sticky, cookie dough consistency.
- Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, create 12 roughly equal-sized clumps, placing on the baking tray. It's helpful to wet your hands so the dough doesn't stick to you. The cookies will not spread during baking, so press each one down a bit to form a cookie shape.
- Bake for 15 minutes then allow to cool on the pan before handling so they can firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published January 28, 2019.
They tasted good while mixing. Currently baking away. Diabetic with a sweet tooth to satisfy. Hoping these help. Thanks so much!
Best cookies EVER – big bonus for vegan. Have done so many varieties of mix-ins, next will be pumpkin pie spice and pepitas for fall. Quick and easy when surprise guests come by, honestly they are healthy enough I’ve had them for breakfast on busy mornings!
Yum, sounds amazing the pumpkin pie spice and pepitas! I’m so glad you love them – they’re a favourite over here too.
can I make with inexpensive pancake syrup or will that be too thin?
I don’t think it will work very well but I haven’t tried it. Honey would be a better substitute or use my banana version of these made with peanut butter, oats and banana (linked in the post above).
Can I use cooking spray
On the pan? Yes, if that’s what you mean!
Hi! I’m wondering if you could use honey instead of maple syrup. I’m on a limited diet and that’s the only sweetener I can have.
Yes, you can use honey.
I’d love to try these, but there are no nut or seed butters I can eat! 😒 Is there anything I cansucstitute for these?
I don’t think so, unfortunately. Sorry about that!
I used coconut oil for a batch with half a ripe banana and an egg white also I made a batch with melted butter and again half banana and egg white and they turned out fine.. hope this helps..
I’m so glad I stumbled across this recipe. And the fact that it has the option for ad ins and substitutes is wonderful!!! Happy baking everyone 🙂
Desperate to find lower glycemic index snacks I was thrilled to find this super easy recipe! Because I cannot afford to use real maple syrup I made my own kinda-simple syrup by blending frozen strawberries with water and like a teaspoon of honey. I added 2 teaspoons of semisweet chocolate chips 🤫 but did use unsweetened peanutbutter I found for a good price at a discounted grocery store. I also used my silicone muffin pan give them a more consistent size and shape.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you, Becky! Glad they were enjoyed!
Superb recipe!! I used crunchy almond butter and topped mine with a drizzle of organic honey. This makes a simple, healthy snack. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks! Glad you liked them!
I accidentally attempted to make these with regular butter. Somehow, I missed the “nut” butter part. I found this recipe and decided to make it impulsively within the span of 5 minutes since I was in a rush to eat them while watching a movie. As expected, the cookies didn’t form and fell apart in a pool of burnt butter. I ate some of the parts I could salvage and it was really good, they would’ve been incredible! I ate enough not burnt parts to almost make myself sick (and get distracted from my movie.)
Omg, haha. Hope you can make them again with nut butter!
Can I make these in the airfryer as well? 🙂
I haven’t tried that but I don’t see why not! Let me know if you try it.
Can I use jam instead? I don’t have eggs or flour though.
Instead of syrup? I’m not sure, sorry! I haven’t tried with something that thick.