These delicious 3-ingredient banana peanut butter oatmeal cookies are a real treat for all cookie lovers out there. They are a simple, healthy, and delicious alternative to traditional cookies, using only plant-based ingredients. They are versatile too, so you can add your favorite mix-ins for the perfect quick snack or on-the-go breakfast!
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There is nothing better than an oatmeal cookie, especially a plant-based one, since you know it will be healthy and delicious at the same time. These vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are some of the all-time favorites that I highly recommend you try!
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❤️ Why you’ll love it
I love how incredibly easy this banana peanut butter oatmeal recipe is. All you need is a fork and bowl to mix the pantry-staple ingredients. It is not only delicious but also healthy, thanks to not using any artificial sweeteners. These cookies are the epitome of a guilt-free treat, made with only three whole-food plant-based ingredients.
I use over-ripe mashed bananas in this recipe, which keeps the cookies moist with a lovely texture and naturally sweet taste. Plus, these cookies are not just vegan, but they are also sugar-free, oil-free, and gluten-free, making them ideal for most, if not all, people.
This recipe is also very versatile. Apart from the three main ingredients, you can add any other mix-ins you like, such as nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, raisins, and so on. You even have the option of adding flavors such as cocoa powder, vanilla extract, or a small pinch of salt to enhance the other flavors.
Try this recipe and experience the simplicity and deliciousness of these sugar-free oatmeal cookies.
🧾 Key ingredients
These 3 ingredient oatmeal cookies are simple to bake with ingredients that are easily accessible. You will find all the necessary items at your local grocery store, or they might already be in your pantry.
Bananas are the star ingredient in this recipe. Overripe bananas are ideal as they are the sweetest and softest, making them easy to mash. They also eliminate the need for additional sugar in the recipe due to their high natural sugar content.
Fine or quick oats lend a hearty texture to the cookies and are a great source of fiber. They also help to bind the cookies together, eliminating the need for flour. Several readers have also gotten great results with rolled oats.
Peanut butter adds a rich, creamy flavor to the cookies. It also contributes to the fat content, causing the cookies to flatten slightly during baking. I love using my homemade peanut butter.
🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥘 Equipment
The most important piece of equipment you will need for this banana peanut butter oatmeal cookies recipe is an ice cream scooper with a trigger release. This handy tool helps guarantee that each cookie is portioned out equally, resulting in a uniform batch of cookies. It also makes the process of shaping and placing the cookies on the baking sheet much easier and faster.
👩🍳 Instructions
Making the banana peanut butter oatmeal cookies
STEP 1
Peel the bananas and mash them in a medium-sized bowl and mash with a fork. You can leave some chunks for texture.
STEP 2
Add peanut butter to the mashed bananas. Mix them together until well combined.
STEP 3
After the banana and peanut butter are mixed, add oats to the mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
STEP 4
This is the step when you add any flavors or add-ins like chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, or cranberries.
STEP 5
Place the cookie dough on a baking sheet or parchment paper. To guarantee that each cookie is the same size, use an ice cream scooper with a trigger release. Then, bake the cookies in the preheated oven at 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) for about 15 minutes. Wait to cool and serve.
💡 Expert tip
The most important tip for making these banana peanut butter oatmeal cookies the best they can be is to use overripe bananas. Overripe bananas have a higher sugar content, making them sweeter and softer, which is perfect for this recipe. They are easier to mash and require no additional sugar, guaranteeing your cookies are naturally sweet and healthier.
🔄 Variations
For delicious cookies with an indulgent feel, consider adding white or dark chocolate chips and chunks to your cookie mix. My family and I particularly love white chocolate with cranberries. You can also use carob chips for a healthier option.
If you are a fan of nuts, why not add chopped nuts to your cookies? They will provide a unique texture and nutty flavor to the cookies. You can use cashews, almonds, walnuts, or pecans. Each type of nut will bring a unique flavor and texture to this recipe.
If you like your cookies with a hint of spice, consider adding some cinnamon, ginger, or orange zest. These spices will give your 3 ingredient oatmeal cookies a kick without overpowering the other flavors. Remember to add them in moderation, as they can be quite potent.
🥣 Serving ideas
These banana peanut butter oatmeal cookies are not just a treat but a versatile snack that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.
For a quick and easy breakfast, pair these cookies with a fresh fruit salad or a kiwi banana spinach smoothie. The sweetness of the cookies compliments the freshness of the fruits, making for a balanced and nutritious start to your day. You could also serve them with a bowl of vegan yogurt topped with granola and berries for a protein-packed breakfast.
As a midday snack, these cookies are perfect on their own. However, if you want to add a bit more substance to your snack, try pairing it with a glass of homemade cashew milk or a cup of your favorite vegan coffee. The creaminess of the milk or coffee balances the hearty texture of the cookies, making for a satisfying snack that will keep you full until your next meal.
If you are serving these cookies as a dessert, consider pairing them with a scoop of vegan ice cream. The cold, creamy ice cream contrasts beautifully with the warm, chewy cookies, creating a dessert everyone will enjoy. You could also serve them with a cup of hot cocoa for a cozy, comforting dessert perfect for those chilly evenings.
❄️ Storing tips
Storing and reheating these banana peanut butter oatmeal cookies is simple, and the flavor remains just as good.
To store, you can do it for up to two days at room temperature in an airtight container. After that, place them in the refrigerator for up to five additional days.
Freezing is not recommended for these cookies due to the high moisture content of the bananas. It may result in a mushy texture when thawed.
To reheat the cookies, you can warm them in a preheated oven at a low temperature for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can also reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds, but be careful not to overheat as they can dry out
🤔 FAQs
I call a banana overripe if there are brown spots on the peel. There may also be some areas where the banana itself turns brownish. The softer, the sweeter. You can also use normal yellow-peeled bananas, but these peanut butter banana cookies may not be sweet enough since there is no added maple syrup or other sweetener.
If you simply do not have peanut butter on hand, you can substitute it with almond butter, cashew butter, or any other nut butter. If you are allergic to peanuts, you can use sunflower seed butter or any other nut-free options.
Yes, you can use old-fashioned oats in this recipe. The texture of the cookies might be a bit chewier compared to when using quick oats, but they will still be delicious. In such a case, let the mixture sit for five to ten minutes so the oats can soften a bit. Plus, bake them for twenty minutes instead of fifteen minutes and at a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 390 Fahrenheit.
If you do not have bananas or are allergic to them, you can substitute them with unsweetened applesauce. The texture and taste differ slightly, but the cookies will still be tasty.
Absolutely! Feel free to add nuts, seeds, or other dried fruits to this recipe. Just make sure to keep the additional ingredients to a maximum of a third of a cup to maintain the right consistency of the dough.
If you do not have an ice cream scooper, you can use a regular spoon to scoop out the dough. Just keep the size of the cookies as uniform as possible for even baking.
More vegan cookie recipes
I have so many lovely cookie recipes, browse through vegan dessert recipes or check out
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Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Basic Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- 2 Banana (medium) 8.5 oz
- 1 cup Fine or quick oats
- 2 Tbsp Peanut butter
Additional ingredient
- ⅓ cup Raisins or dried cranberries
OR
- ⅓ cup Chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
OR
- 3 tsp Cocoa powder
Instructions
- First, peel the bananas. Take a medium-sized bowl and mash them with a fork as much as you can. You can leave some yummy banana chunks. Then, add peanut butter and mix. Finally, add the oats and mix.
- If you’d like to add chocolate chips, raisins, or cocoa powder, you can add them now.
- To get an equal portion for each cookie, I use an ice cream scooper with a trigger release.
- Preheat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and bake the cookies on a baking sheet or on a parchment paper for 15 minutes.
- Wait until the cookies chill. They are very soft when they are hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chocolate chips (dark or white) – I love the combination of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
- Carob chips for an even healthier WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) option.
- Raisins or dried cranberries – Basically, any dried fruit can work here. Although, you need to cut larger fruits like dried apricot into chunks.
- Hot chocolate powder (3 teaspoons at most per batch) – My daughter says “These are the best cookies!”
- Cocoa powder (3 teaspoons at most per batch)
- Chopped nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds)
- Shredded coconut (or even better toasted coconuts) – They also go great with chocolate chips or cocoa powder like in my coconut cookies recipe.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon at most per batch)
- Spices like cinnamon (cause everything is better with cinnamon) or ginger or orange zest. (1 teaspoon at most per batch)
Alena
Recommendations for freezing the dough ? Thinking you’d be able to prep the dough, make it into the balls, & then freezer seal / pack them ?
My Pure Plants
I don’t see any reasons why freezing the dough like that would be a problem. Let us know how it goes.
Michelle Miller
Just finding this post … wondering if you could add protein powder to these for an added boost?
My Pure Plants
I don’t think why not. Let us know how it goes.
Mary
Hi just wondering if you could use peanut butter powder in place of the peanut butter? Thank you. Can’t wait to try these
My Pure Plants
I never used peanut butter powder before. It should work as I did made them without PB once. (ran out and already started mixing a batch). Banana and oats still hold it together.
Julie
SO I love these…love them! Anyone have any tips on how to hide the banana flavor though? I have a picky 9 year old that would eat them if he didn’t know there was banana in them!
My Pure Plants
Hmmm… You can add more vanilla or cocoa powder for sure but I am not sure how to hide the banana flavor. One thing to consider here is that unripe bananas have less banana flavor. I add ripe as I want the sweetness. The riper the banana, the sweeter it is, but it will have a more distinct banana flavor. You can try unripe ones and compensate with a bit of maple syrup. If your kid likes dates, you can try using date paste as date has a really strong flavor as well that just might overpower the banana. Let me know how it goes. Thanks again for trying our recipe.
Grace
You could try apple sauce instead of banana.
Emese
Yes, probably. I only ever made it with bananas so far.
Elaine
I just made these. They have a wonderful banana flavor. The peanut butter was lost so I spread a spoonful of my Fix and Fogg all natural peanut butter on my second cookie. Delicious!
My Pure Plants
We are so glad you liked it. You can definitely up your peanut butter game especially if you use large bananas. 🙂 Thanks for trying our recipe.
alex xavier
Easy and tasty snack.thanks for this recipe.
best wishes from
Kancor-a pioneer in the field of Cocoa extract
Neha
Oatmeal banana cookies are my most favorite cookies! These look so chewy and yum, trying them soon.
My Pure Plants
Mine too. Let us know how you like it.
Sharon
You had me at ‘3 ingredients’. Great for when I’m looking to feed my sweet tooth but not spend a ton of time in the kitchen.
My Pure Plants
A toddler and a 4-year old is running around me. I usually have time only for quick and easy things.
Beth
Oh! These look wonderful! My house would go bananas over the banana PB and a chocolate chip version!
My Pure Plants
They should. Chocolate chip just works for everything. Almost…
Kelly Anthony
I’m always looking for healthy options for afterschool snacks and these recipes hit the jackpot especially because they are easy!
My Pure Plants
Yes, they are. No artificial sweetener is needed in these lovelies.
Agi
Yummy!! Looks great at first sight! Will definitely try!
My Pure Plants
Thanks. Let us know how you like it.