Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

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These easy peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies are beyond simple to make with just a few ingredients! They're chewy and soft with a subtle hint of sweetness. Made gluten free and dairy free, they make the perfect healthy snack or treat to satisfy the sweet tooth.

Peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies scattered on a wire rack with chocolate chips.

These cookies bridge the gap between healthy granola bar and cookie and provide both nutritious ingredients and deliciousness! Kids and adults alike will love these healthy peanut butter banana cookies. They're not overly sweet with an incredibly soft and chewy texture. Like banana bread but in cookie form!

Recipe Characteristics

Gluten free and dairy free
Only require a few simple ingredients
Great way to use up overripe bananas
Kid friendly
Known as a healthier cookie
Perfect subtly sweet snack

Check out my chocolate chip banana bread, banana scones, and my banana chia pudding for more banana-flavored treats!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Image of peanut butter banana oatmeal cookie ingredients on a blue surface.

Bananas - Overripe, spotted medium bananas are best. They provide texture and natural sweetness to the cookies.
Peanut butter - I like to use the crunchy peanut butter for some added little crunch. You can use creamy style if you would like but make sure to use natural peanut butter so it's runny and thin in consistency. Any type of nut butter will work like almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or sunflower seed butter.
Coconut sugar - Used to add some additional sweetness to the cookies. Light brown sugar, monk fruit sweetener (use half as much), or granulated white sugar will also work.
Apple sauce - This acts as an egg in a traditional cookie recipe by binding the ingredients together. Swap with an egg or flax egg if desired.
Almond milk - Any type of milk will work. This is just used to thin out the cookie dough slightly.
Rolled oats - You can't have an oatmeal cookie without oats! Make sure to use old fashioned oats, not steel cut oats or instant oats.
Oat flour - Any type of flour will work. Only a little is used to provide some structure to the peanut butter cookies.
Chocolate chips - These a mixed into the batter to add some additional flavor. I used both mini and regular dark chocolate chips and used this dairy free brand to make this recipe completely dairy free. Feel free to use any mix in you want like chopped nuts or dried fruit.

How to Make Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

You will need a hand or stand mixer or a stiff whisk and a large bowl for this recipe. If making this recipe by hand, you will also want a plate and fork to mash up the bananas.

Step 1 : Mash bananas. Place the bananas on a plate and mash them up with the back of a fork until no big chunks remain. If you're using a stand mixer, you can just throw the bananas into the bowl and mix them up with the paddle attachment.

Mashed bananas on a blue plate with a fork.

Step 2 : Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the mashed banana, peanut butter, coconut sugar, apple sauce, almond milk, and vanilla. Whisk well to incorporate the sugar into the ingredients.

Glass bowl with a person whisking peanut butter cookie batter.

Step 3 : Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the rolled oats, oat flour, cinnamon, and baking soda to the bowl and gently fold into the batter until the flour is 90% incorporated with a rubber spatula.

Step 4 : Add the chocolate chips. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips and gently fold to distribute.

Overhead view of a mixing bowl with peanut butter banana oatmeal cookie batter.

Step 5 : Bake! Use a large cookie scoop (about 3 Tbsp) to scoop dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired and bake until the edges are golden brown.

A peanut butter banana oatmeal cookie about to be baked in the oven.

With these cookies, you do want to take a look at the center and make sure it looks baked all the way through. Because these are soft cookies, you want a sturdy middle, not a gooey one.

Let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack before enjoying!

How to Store

Store these cookies in an airtight container. They will keep out on the counter for up to 4 days or a week in the fridge.

Peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips on a wire rack.

Expert Tips

Be sure to mash the bananas up well so there are no large chunks. This ensures that the bananas provide moisture and the right texture to the cookies.
Use rolled oats, not steel cut oats in these cookies. Quick oats work well too.
Let the cookies cool completely. These cookies will turn a darker brown as they cool and set. This creates a sturdier base so they can be picked up easily without falling apart.
Switch up the mix ins to keep things interesting! See below on some options.

Mix in Variations

Chopped nuts - walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds
Dried fruit - cranberries, raisins, dried apricots
Shredded coconut
M&Ms
Pretzels
Protein powder (mix this in with the dry ingredients)

Peanut butter banana oatmeal cookie on a wire rack cooling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my oat cookies dry?

This can happen if you use too much rolled oats or the cookies are over baked. Make sure the batter of these cookies is slightly runny and take the cookies out of the oven once the edges are brown and the middle is set.

Can I use quick oats instead of rolled oats for cookies?

Yes, quick oats work well in this cookie recipe. They are just smaller pieces of rolled oats so they will get softer quicker (pun intended!).

Check out these recipes for more peanut butter goodies:

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