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.
Wow!!! I’ve tried 2 other oat cookie recipes and was disappointed but this one is amazing! I used macadamia butter and honey instead and it gave them a crispy bottom and chewy center. Thank you sooo much!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! 🙂
Thanks for trying them! Sounds amazing with macadamia butter! Enjoy whatever else you try 🙂
Best and Easiest Natural Cookie Recipe I’ve tasted. All the sweetness without the overwhelm of sugar burn. I’m really glad to find your site, and this recipe. Thanks Deryn 🙂
Thank you, Jess! Glad you enjoyed them and I hope you find some more yummy recipes 🙂
This was the first successful bake I’ve done and it’s perfect! Prior to trying this recipe I had only ever baked 2 different recipes but they looked good but tasted horrible like dirt, I was about to give up baking but saw this recipe was so simple and decided to give it try…. turned out perfect! It still worked really well when I used 90g honey and had perfect sweetness!
I’m a uni/college student so I’m planning to make these at the start of every week for my daily breakfast on the go. Thanks for this perfect recipe!
Thanks, Alyssa! So happy they worked out for you and thanks for the review 🙂
Tasted like peanut butter I added a few things. Good cookie for me since I won’t eat them all at once. Good easy recipe. Thanks
Can you make with regular creamy or chunky peanut butter? That’s what I have. Hope so. They look great!!
I haven’t tried this recipe with peanut butter with added oil and sugar so I’m sure how they’d turn out! I think it would be ok but sweeter and the texture may be different. Let me know if you try it.