Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Food

Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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January 17, 2023

Remember these flourless peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies? I first made them back in 2013 and slowly but surely they took over Pinterest and won your hearts. Now they’re one of my most popular cookie recipes OF ALL TIME.

So say hi to my ridiculously good-looking, chewy, thick, healthy peanut butter oatmeal cookies with puddles of chocolate in every bite. Here’s the secret: they’re made without flour or butter!

Wait… WHAT? I swear this isn’t a joke.

First, I need to confess that I LOVE LOVE LOVE peanut butter. I’m definitely one of those people who feels like it completes me in some way. Some of you may feel this way about Nutella and I totally get it; nut butters are creamy, addictive, and awesome spread on just about anything. I usually do it animal-style aka straight out of the jar with a spoon.

Anyways, these cookies? Perfect for people who are explicitly in love with peanut butter.

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What makes these peanut butter oatmeal cookies healthy?

These are truly the most magical peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies because they’re filled with sneaky, nutrient-dense ingredients but still taste oh-so indulgent. They’re also:

Made without any flour! We’re just using nutrient-dense, whole grain oatmeal for the perfect cookie texture. This keeps the cookies gluten free (if you use gluten free oats) while adding a boost of fiber.
Dairy free because there’s no butter involved.
Made without any extra oil. Just the natural oils and healthy fats from peanut butter!
Packed with a protein punch thanks to peanut butter & eggs. Cookies for breakfast, anyone?

Ingredients in these healthy peanut butter oatmeal cookies

Because these cookies contain no butter or flour, they’re packed with true peanut butter flavor. Plus they use just 7 key ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

Peanut butter: I used all natural creamy peanut butter, but chunky peanut butter will also work. If you do happen to be allergic to peanuts, almond butter will also work well. Use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15‘ to get 15% off of my fav nut butter brand, Wild Friends!
Sweetener: I love using brown sugar in this recipe. If you prefer an unrefined sweetener then I suggest using coconut sugar. I’ve also made these with 1/2 cup of brown sugar instead of 2/3 cup and they still came out great but just taste a little more oatmeal-like.
Vanilla: for that cozy flavor we know and love. Learn how to make your own here!
Eggs: you’ll need two eggs for these healthy peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
Oatmeal: make sure to use regular old fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. And remember to purchase certified gluten-free oats if you are baking for someone who is gluten-intolerant.
Baking soda: to make sure these peanut butter oatmeal cookies bake up thick & chewy.
Chocolate chips: I love adding chocolate chips to these cookies but they’re optional. You can also use fewer chocolate chips if you’re trying to watch your sugar intake. I think 1/2 cup chocolate chips would be perfect too!
Optional: a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for that sweet & salty combo.

Customize your peanut butter oatmeal cookies

Choose your nut butter. Feel free to use any nut butter you’d like. Almond butter would also be delicious.
Try new mix-ins. Have fun with your favorite add-ins like nuts, M&M’s, raisins, cranberries, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips. Or maybe try a chocolate drizzle! You can also omit any chocolate to keep them strictly peanut butter. If you’re craving monster cookies, try my healthy monster cookie recipe.
Go refined sugar free. Use coconut sugar and omit the chocolate chips to make them fully refined sugar free.

Can I make them vegan?

I haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs but let me know if you do!

How to make healthy peanut butter oatmeal cookies

The best part about these healthy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is how easy they are to make. You’ll have warm, thick & chewy cookies in under 20 minutes!

Prep your pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl mix together the oats and baking soda.
Make the dough. In a separate, large bowl mix together the wet ingredients until smooth. Add in the dry ingredients and mix wwith a wooden spoon, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Roll & bake. Roll cookies into 2-inch dough balls, place them on your baking sheet, and just BARELY flatten the tops of the cookies with your hand. Bake them up until the edges barely begin to turn a golden brown.
Cool & enjoy! Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle each cookie with flakey sea salt and enjoy!

Storing & freezing tips

To store: feel free to keep these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, then transfer to the fridge or freezer.
To freeze: make sure the cookies are completely cooled, and then transfer them to an airtight container lined with wax or parchment paper or freezer-safe bag before storing them in the freezer for up to 2 months. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Once ready to eat, simply thaw out at room temperature and enjoy! You also freeze the dough itself — get all of our tips for doing so here!

More cookie recipes you’ll love

Get all of my cookie recipes here!

If you make these healthy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen.

Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick, chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made with 7 simple ingredients. These flourless healthy peanut butter oatmeal cookies are full of that nostalgic, delicious peanut butter flavor you know and love, but are gluten free and dairy free! The perfect treat for kiddos and adults.

Ingredients

1
cup
natural creamy peanut butter (just peanuts + salt)
2/3
cup
packed dark brown sugar
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
2
large eggs
3/4
cup
rolled oats (gluten-free if desired)
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
2/3
cup
chocolate chips, dairy free if desired
Flakey sea salt for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In small bowl mix together the oats and baking soda; set aside.
In a large bowl mix together peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, then gently fold in chocolate chips.
Roll cookies into 2-inch dough balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. BARELY flatten the top of the cookie with your hand. The dough should be pretty sticky so if you find this method annoying, simply use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies may not be as round in shape and perhaps a bit thicker, but that’s okay, they will still be delicious!
Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes and remove when edges barely begin to turn a golden brown. The cookies may look a little underdone, but they will continue to cook once you remove them from the oven.
Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle each cookie with flakey sea salt. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Makes 16-20 cookies.

Recipe Notes

You can use less sugar or less chocolate chips — I have tried using 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup chocolate chips and they turned out great.

Feel free to substitute almond butter or another nut butter in replace of peanut butter.

Nutrition

Servings: 18 cookies

Serving size: 1 cookie

Calories: 178kcal

Fat: 10.2g

Carbohydrates: 17.4g

Fiber: 1.8g

Sugar: 13g

Protein: 4.8g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on March 5th, 2013, republished on December 26th, 2018, republished on August 30th, 2020, and republished on January 16th, 2023.