These easy and kid-approved Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies aren’t just a delicious snack or dessert treat, they’re also healthy enough to be a great grab and go breakfast option!
Just like with my oat-less Peanut Butter Banana Cookies made with almond flour, this healthy cookie recipe uses no butter or flour.
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
If you’re looking for soft and chewy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal cookies that taste great, are kid-approved, and still made with wholesome ingredients, then you’ve come to the right place.
They’re the perfect after-school snack option, but they also make a great breakfast item paired with any of my sublime smoothie bowl recipes or just a side of fruit.
These awesome oatmeal cookies are made without flour or butter and are naturally gluten and dairy-free, but like my Protein Oatmeal Cookies and Nutella Oatmeal Cookies they disappear faster than I can make them!
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Ingredients
- Mashed banana - Bananas should be very ripe, brown spots are good!
- Peanut butter - I like all natural peanut butter because it doesn't have any extra added oils or sugar. If your peanut butter “splits”, mix it really well with a fork before adding to the recipe.
- Brown sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar, but dark brown gives the cookies a chewier texture.
- Quick oats or old fashioned oats - quick oats work best because the cookies turn out soft. If you want more texture, use old fashioned rolled oats. Stay away from instant or steel cut oats for this recipe. Check the package to ensure gluten-free if needed.
- Vanilla extract - use good quality extract for best tasting results
- Salt
- Egg - I use large, fresh eggs in all my recipes. See the tips section for subs if you are allergic or avoid eggs.
- Baking soda - note that this is not the same as baking powder
See recipe card for exact quantities.
How to make banana peanut butter oatmeal cookies
- Step 1: Mash the ripe bananas in a medium or large bowl. I like to use a potato masher.
- Step 2: Make sure you have ½ cup of mashed banana.
- Step 3: Add the peanut butter, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda and salt.
- Step 4: Mix with a fork until mostly smooth.
- Step 3: Add oats and chocolate chips and stir to combine.
- Step 4: Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 3: use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each cookie with the back of a spoon to about ¼ inch thick.
- Step 4: Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven. The cookies will be soft but shouldn't be wet on top. Don't overbake!
Hint: leave a useful hint here, like let the grill run for 4-5 minutes to burn off any remnants, then clean it. I like to use this bristle-free barbecue brush (affiliate link) for cleaning the grill.
Expert tip:
It's important to measure out banana after they have been mashed for best results. If your bananas are medium sized, you will need about 1 and a half. Freeze the other half to make a delicious smoothie later
Storage Tips
Make sure the cookies are completely cooled and dry before transferring them to a container to prevent them from sticking together.
Store these cookies in a cookie jar or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
You can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months! To prevent them from sticking during storage, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap or freeze them on a cookie sheet until solid and then transfer to a freezer safe bag. Allow the cookies to thaw completely at room temperature before eating.
Serving suggestions
These banana oatmeal peanut butter cookies are great on their own, but if you want to make them part of a more complete breakfast, then I highly suggest eating them with any of my smoothies and smoothie bowls. I’ve included a few of my favorites here for inspiration.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use ripe or overripe bananas (brown spots are your friend!). Overripe bananas aren’t just easier to mash and combine with other ingredients, they’re also naturally sweeter this way.
- Use an All natural peanut butter. It doesn't have any extra added oils or sugar. The only ingredients should be peanuts and salt. If your peanut butter “splits” (you'll see a layer of liquid fat on top), mix it really well with a fork before adding to the recipe.
- I start the dough with 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of oats because my kids prefer softer cookies. If you prefer firmer cookies or if your brand of peanut butter is drippy, you can increase the amount of oats called for in the recipe.
- You can use another nut butter but note that the flavor will change slightly depending if you use something like almond butter or cashew butter.
- Use a flax egg or egg substitute to make this recipe vegan friendly.
- You can use dark chocolate chips or crushed unsalted peanuts, pecans, or walnuts for a great texture addition. You can also add raisins or dried cranberries to the mix
- These cookies don't spread at all when baking, so flatten them to your preferred thickness before baking.
- Don't over bake the cookies! The cookies will continue to firm slightly as they cool. When baked, the cookies should still be quite soft, but the surface should NOT be wet.
- Cool the cookies completely on a cooling rack before serving or placing in a jar.
FAQ
I wouldn’t. I’ve tried making the cookies sugar-free with banana only and found them not sweet enough. They didn’t pass the kid test either.
Creamy all-natural peanut butter works best. Make sure it’s stirred well if split. Slightly drippy pb is the consistency you want - if it’s hardened, the cookies may turn out dry.
Yes, it will work but the nutritional value of these cookies will change. Commercial peanut butters, such as Skippy or Jif, contain added palm oil, sugar and other ingredients.
Our family likes quick oats best because the cookies turn out soft. If you want more texture, use old fashioned oats. Stay away from instant or steel cut oats for this recipe.
More baking with banana
Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup mashed banana 1 large or 2 small bananas, See Note 1
- ½ cup peanut butter all natural, See Note 2
- ⅓ cup brown sugar increase to ½ cup for sweeter cookies
- 1 ⅛ cup quick oats or old fashioned oats that's 1 cup and 2 tablespoons, See Note 3
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Mash banana in a medium or large bowl. Make sure you have ½ cup.
- Add peanut butter, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Mix with a fork until mostly smooth.
- Add oats and stir to combine. Then add chocolate chips and stir again to distribute evenly.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes (longer is fine, too).
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- After 30 minutes use a medium cookie scoop to drop 12 cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking tray.
- Flatten each cookie with the back of a spoon to about ¼ inch thick. If you want, you can press some additional chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. They will be soft but shouldn't be wet on top. Don't overbake.
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
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