These healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies are easy to make in 20 minutes with just 3 ingredients! This simple but tasty recipe is sure to become a new go-to for a quick snack or dessert.

Stack of 5 oatmeal chocolate chips cookies with jars of oats and chocolate chips in the background.

These wonderful cookies are pure magic when it comes to healthy desserts. Made with just 3 whole food ingredients, they’re perfect for kids, those with allergies or anyone looking for a healthier, homemade dessert option.

One of the best things about these, aside from how easy they are to make, is the endless ways you can customize them. From cranberries to walnuts, dark chocolate to pumpkin seeds, anything goes!

Keep in mind that since these have minimal ingredients and no flour, they’re soft, chewy and are more like a baked oatmeal or a dense muffin than a decadent cookie. I love them though and they’re one of my favourite treats and pre-workout snacks. They certainly satisfy a craving for something sweet! I think you’ll love them.

Features

  • Dietary Features: Vegan, gluten-free (use gluten-free certified oats), oil-free, can be nut-free and sugar-free.
  • Just 3 ingredients: Banana, peanut butter and oats!
  • Quick and Easy: Make them in 20 minutes in 1 bowl.
  • Customize with your favourite add-ins for a different flavour variation every time.
  • Great for kids, snacking, hiking, road trips and a quick pre-workout boost in energy.

Ingredient Notes

Bowls of oats, banana, peanut butter, chocolate chips, vanilla, coconut sugar and walnuts.

Complete list of ingredients with amounts is located in the recipe card below.

  • Oats: Rolled oats, quick oats or large flake oats all work. The original recipe calls for quick oats since they’re finer and hold together best but any kind works. Can’t do oats? Try quinoa flakes!
  • Banana: Ripe or slightly overripe banana is best. They don’t have to be completely brown, just nice and perfectly ripe! A lightly spotted banana is great!
  • Peanut Butter: Any nut or seed butter works so feel free to use whatever suits your preference. Peanut butter and banana is always a delicious combo but if you need a peanut-free recipe, almond butter works and if you can’t do nuts, sunflower seed butter, tahini and Wowbutter all work!

Those are the 3 main ingredients that make up the base of this simple recipe. I like to add salt, vanilla and cinnamon to enhance the flavour and I almost always add chocolate chips.

See the recipe card and add-in idea section for how to customize the recipe to your liking.

How to Make this Recipe

Step 1. Mash the banana into a smooth paste using a fork or immersion blender.

Mashed banana in a bowl with a fork.

Step 2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the banana and mix to combine into a thick, sticky dough.

Thick oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough in a bowl with a spoon.

Step 3. Drop 16 spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking pan and shape each spoonful into a cookie shape.

Quick Note: The cookies will not spread or change shape during baking, so be sure to create the shape you want beforehand. You can make them large and flat or leave them as more of a haystack-style cookie.

Raw cookies on a baking tray.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a white surface beside a jar of chocolate chips and jar of oats.

Variations

  • Healthiest Option: Leave out the maple syrup and chocolate chips. They’ll just be a tad less sweet but they’ll still be tasty and satisfying. You can always add a few pinches of stevia or monk fruit sweetener if you want them to be a bit sweeter.
  • Low-Fat Option: Replace the peanut butter with powdered peanut butter. You can either mix the powdered peanut butter with water first to create “peanut butter” or just add it in as is. If you just add the powder straight into the dough, you may need a little extra banana or applesauce for extra moisture.
  • Nut-Free Option: To make these cookies nut-free, swap the peanut butter for Wowbutter, sunflower seed butter or tahini!
  • Gluten-Free Option: These are naturally gluten-free but be sure to use gluten-free certified oats if needed.
  • Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom work well for added flavour and variation. Keep it simple with a pinch of cinnamon or try 1/2 tsp of each for a warm, spiced flavour. Pumpkin pie spice would also work!

Add-In Ideas

Mix and match up to 1 cup of any of the following:

  • chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
  • white chocolate chips
  • corn flakes
  • crushed walnuts or pecans
  • chopped almonds or cashews
  • any seeds such as hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
  • dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots
  • raisins or chopped dates
  • shredded coconut
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies sitting on a white surface with a few chocolate chips scattered around them.

Notes

  • The nutrition facts include 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1 tbsp maple syrup. For the basic recipe (oats, banana, peanut butter) with no additions, each cookie is 99 calories with 4 g of fat, 12 g of carbs and 3 g of protein.
  • The maple syrup, vanilla, salt and chocolate chips are all optional but help to enhance the flavour of the cookies. The most basic version of this recipe is just the oats, banana and peanut butter. Feel free to add in any or all of the listed options to suit your taste preference.
  • Rolled or old fashioned oats are totally fine to use in this recipe but quick oats just hold together a little better since they’re finer. I usually just use rolled oats because that’s what I tend to have on hand.
  • These have a soft, baked oatmeal or dense muffin-like texture and do not get hard or crunchy. Made with just banana, peanut butter and oats, they are a healthy snack or treat, and definitely not a decadent dessert. I recommend adding at least the chocolate chips, to make them sweeter and more of a treat.
Stack of a few oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with more cookies and jars of ingredients in the background.

Storing

  • Let cool completely on a cooking rack or directly on the baking pan before storing.
  • Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months.
  • If frozen, thaw briefly at room temperature or warm in the microwave before enjoying.

Love these simple cookies? Give these a try too:

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Stack of 5 oatmeal chocolate chips cookies with jars of oats and chocolate chips in the background.

Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

These flourless peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies require just 3 basic ingredients to make then you can have some fun with add-ins like chocolate chips! These cookies are a wholesome treat you can enjoy anytime of the day as a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

★★★★★

4.8 from 124 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups quick oats (225 g)
  • 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (285 g, approx. 1.25 cups) 
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (120 g)

Optional Flavour Enhancers and Add-Ins

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Mash the bananas in a bowl with a fork until they form a thick, smooth paste.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is combined into a dough.
  4. Drop 16 spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, shaping each spoonful into a cookie shape. The cookies will not change shape during baking, so make sure you create the cookie shape you want beforehand. You can make them larger and flatter or keep them as more of a haystack-style.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes. They should be firm and slightly browned when done.
  6. Let cool completely before storing. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

The maple syrup, vanilla, salt and chocolate chips are all optional. The most basic version of this recipe is just the oats, banana and peanut butter. Feel free to add in any or all of the extras to suit your taste preference or customize with any other spices or flavours you enjoy. I recommend at least adding the chocolate chips if you want them to be more of a treat.

For add-ins, mix and match up to 1 cup of the following: chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate, raisins, any chopped dried fruit (apricots, cranberries, dates), shredded coconut, any chopped nuts, any seeds (hemp, chia, sunflower, pumpkin seeds), cornflakes.

Rolled or old fashioned oats are totally fine to use in this recipe but quick oats just hold together a little better since they’re finer. I usually just use rolled oats because that’s what I tend to have on hand.

These have a soft, baked oatmeal-like texture and do not get hard or crunchy. Made with just banana, peanut butter and oats, they are a healthy snack or treat, not a decadent dessert. I recommend adding at least the chocolate chips for the extras, to make them sweeter and more of a treat.

Nutrition facts include 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1 tbsp sweetener (maple syrup or coconut sugar). For the basic recipe (oats, banana, peanut butter) with no additions, each cookie is 99 calories with 4 g of fat, 12 g of carbs and 3 g of protein.

To make them peanut-free, replace the peanut butter with almond butter or any other nut or seed butter. For a nut-free recipe, use tahini, sunflower seed butter or Wowbutter.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 137
  • Sugar: 7 g
  • Sodium: 107 mg
  • Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 17 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 4 g

Keywords: banana oatmeal cookies, 3-ingredient cookies

Originally published March 5, 2017. Updated on April 9, 2021 with new photos and text. No change was made to the original recipe.