4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies {flourless} - The Big Man's World ® (2024)

My peanut butter oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy, and need just four ingredients to make. No flour and no eggs needed, they bake in just 12 minutes.

Love oatmeal cookie recipes? Try my healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, healthy oatmeal raisin cookies, oatmeal breakfast cookies, and no bake oatmeal cookies next.

My peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe combines my favorite flavor (hello, peanut butter!) and satisfies all the cookie cravings, but a little healthier.

Now, healthy cookies can be quite tricky to make. You want to be healthy with your choices, but you also want a cookie that tastes good. As such, this recipe is a slightly adapted version of myoatmeal breakfast bars, but with a hefty dose of peanut butter.

Why I love this recipe

• No chill time required. So bake them up whenever the cookie cravings strike.
• Quick and easy. You can whip up a batch of these cookies in just 12 minutes.
• Secretly healthy. Unlike traditional peanut butter cookies that are made without brown sugar, eggs, or butter. The use of oats adds extra fiber, and the peanut butter adds some healthy fats and protein. Also, these are naturally sweetened!
• Flourless. These cookies are also flourless and can easily be made gluten-free.

Ingredients needed

• Peanut Butter. Any smooth and creamy peanut butter will work. I LOVE the sweet and salty combination, so my peanut butter is slightly salted.
• Rolled Oats. Also called old-fashioned oats, they provide a chewier texture than quick-cooking oats. I used gluten-free oats, but if you don’t follow a gluten-free diet, any rolled oats will be fine.
• Banana. The riper they are, the sweeter your cookies will be!
• Chocolate Chips. Use as many or few as you like! Be sure to reserve a handful to top the cookies with.
• Optional flavor boosters. Salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.

How to make peanut butter oatmeal cookies

I’ve includedstep-by-step photosbelow to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep. In a large mixing bowl, combine your peanut butter with oats and banana and mix well, until fully incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold through the chocolate chips.

Step 2- Shape and bake. Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form 12 balls of cookie dough and place them on a lined baking sheet. Press each ball into a cookie shape and top it with extra chocolate chips. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until just golden around the edges.

Arman’s recipe tips

• Your peanut butter MUST be smooth/drippy. If it is crunchy or too thick (often found in natural peanut butter brands), you’ll find it hard to mix. Generic brands like Jif and Skippy will work just as well as all-natural peanut butter.
• Press down on the cookies before baking them. They don’t have any rising agents in them, so won’t spread.
• Avoid overbaking the cookies, as they continue to cook as they cool, and you want them to be soft and chewy.
• For even thicker cookies, add a pinch of baking soda.
• Add mix-ins like nuts, raisins, or even candy.

Storage instructions

To store: Leftovers should always be stored in the fridge, as they spoil easily (do not keep them at room temperature!). Place them in an airtight container or plate covered with plastic wrap.

To freeze: Place baked cookies in a ziplock bag or freezer bag. Frozen cookies will keep fresh for at least 2 months.

Frequently asked questions

More oatmeal-based desserts you’ll love

• Oatmeal brownies
• Oatmeal chocolate chip bars
• No bake chocolate oat bars
• Oatmeal raisin bars

Originally updated March 2023, updated and republished August 2024