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You are here: Home / Healthy Recipes / 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

May 20, 2019 56 Comments

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

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These simple, naturally-sweetened peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies are the perfect healthy treat for a school or work lunchbox. They’re made with just 4 ingredients– oats, peanut butter, banana, and chocolate chips. 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies - healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast!

I first tried these simple peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies when one of my good friends made them in college, so I knew what to expect when I tried making a version of peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies myself.

They’re definitely not your typical cookie, but I think they’re delicious. They’re are an easy, healthy treat that doesn’t taste overly decadent or sweet. They’re soft rather than crispy and almost remind me of a banana bread cookie!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies Dough

And you can preheat the oven, mix up the batter, and enjoy one of these cookies in 20 minutes from start to finish! 

To make these healthy cookies, start by mashing ripe bananas in a medium bowl. Stir in peanut butter, optional honey or sugar, oats, salt, and chocolate chips.

Then, roll the cookie dough into balls, place them on a parchment paper-lined sheet, and lightly flatten them since they don’t spread in the oven.

Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying some cookies hot out of the oven!

A note about sweeteners: you can add a small amount of honey or sugar if you prefer your cookie to taste a bit sweeter. Even though I don’t love overly-sugary desserts, I enjoyed the addition of a tablespoon of honey to liven these up after I tried only sweetening them with banana the first time I made them. They aren’t overly sweet at all. But it’s up to you!

A stack of Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
I often pack a mini treat to snack on between classes or enjoy after dinner as a healthy dessert, and these peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies are perfect for that. I keep these cookies in the freezer, toss one in my lunchbox in the morning, and it’s thawed within a couple of hours.

Some of my other favorite healthy treats that I keep in my freezer are Yasso Greek yogurt bars and these amazing double chocolate peanut butter muffins (which only have 8 grams of sugar)! Feel free to share other ideas with me– I’d love to hear your favorite healthy treats!

And I hope you enjoy these peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies as much as I do 🙂

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

If you try these peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies, feel free to let me know in a comment and leave a star rating, or take a photo and tag me @livbane on Instagram! I’d love to see!

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4.70 from 23 votes

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

These simple, naturally-sweetened cookies are the perfect healthy treat! They're a great snack for a work or school lunchbox, or they’d be perfect for a Saturday hike or an afternoon at the beach. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
Calories: 97kcal
Author: Liv

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana (2 very large bananas, about 290g weighed without peel)
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use natural, no sugar added)
  • 1 Tbsp. honey or coconut sugar (optional)
  • 2 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet or dark), plus a few extra to sprinkle on top

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Peel bananas and mash in a medium mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, including optional honey or sugar if using, and stir to combine. 
  • Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop approximately 20 tablespoon-size spoonfuls onto a cookie shape and flatten with a spatula. Press a few chocolate chips into the top of each cookie, if desired.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies have set and are just beginning to lighty brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then remove from cookie sheet. 
  • For optimal freshness, store leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Tools I Used: 
Rimmed baking sheet
Unbleached parchment paper

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie (without added sugar or honey) | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

A Healthy Liv original recipe

 

 

Recipe video by If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen

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Comments

  1. Carol Eiseman says

    May 21, 2019 at 11:50 pm

    So glad to see this recipe. Love easy to make cookies using oatmeal instead of flour.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      May 24, 2019 at 10:18 pm

      Yes! Love that they have oats for some extra nutrients and gluten-free if that’s a dietary concern!

      Reply
  2. May says

    May 28, 2019 at 3:04 pm

    5 stars
    I tried these and really enjoyed them for a less sweet cookie option! I find many desserts to be too sweet, anyway!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      May 31, 2019 at 5:33 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed these, May!!

      Reply
      • Daire says

        January 15, 2022 at 2:35 pm

        4 stars
        I made them for my family and they were delicious, thank you

        Reply
  3. Amber says

    June 2, 2019 at 2:31 am

    Ok so mine were definitely not photogenic, but they were delicious! Thanks for sharing these recipes!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 4, 2019 at 7:29 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, Amber!!

      Reply
  4. Christina says

    September 7, 2019 at 1:17 pm

    5 stars
    I made these this morning and loved them! I had some unsweetened coconut that I threw in as well, and it was really good. Thank so much for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Cindy says

      April 23, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect! Wanted something sweet and just the right amount of sweetness without the quilt! Yummy!

      Reply
  5. Christina says

    September 7, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    *Thank you
    Haha gotta love it when you type so fast you leave out a word!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      September 8, 2019 at 4:25 pm

      Haha so glad to hear that you enjoyed these! Unsweetened coconut sounds like a perfect addition!

      Reply
  6. Becky Payne says

    October 29, 2019 at 6:33 pm

    3 stars
    These were ok. I guess they aren’t supposed to be super delicious considering that they dont have white sugar and white flour. we still enjoyed them though. Glad I tried the recipe!

    Reply
  7. Renae says

    December 29, 2019 at 6:03 am

    5 stars
    Thank you very much for this recipe! I used chunky peanut butter and extra honey. I think that the peanut chunks helped to hold the cookie together. I will make them again.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      December 29, 2019 at 4:15 pm

      So glad you enjoyed these 😀

      Reply
      • Dorothy Divis says

        April 5, 2022 at 3:30 pm

        I’m trying them with unnatural peanut butter, I’ll let you know how they come out.

        Reply
        • Liv says

          April 24, 2022 at 5:15 pm

          Please do! I imagine they’ll be just as yummy, if not more!

          Reply
  8. Lisa says

    January 9, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    Just made these and we love them! A perfect after school treat for my daughter. Thank you!

    Reply
  9. Merrily says

    April 7, 2020 at 8:35 pm

    I was craving something like this today and am so glad I found the recipe. I added cinnamon, a splash of vanilla, and ground flax to mine. The result was perfection! It was exactly what I needed to eat…in fact, I had 5 and considered that my dinner. Yum!!

    Reply
  10. karen says

    April 10, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    5 stars
    tasty i,m diabetic and its hard to find cookie recipes.
    i added the cinnamon vanilla sultan raisins chocolate chips
    had to cook a lot longer than normal.
    maybe because my bananas were frozen and i didn’t really wait till they thawed. lol
    very nice stay safe with this virus

    Reply
    • Liv says

      April 11, 2020 at 3:40 pm

      So glad you enjoyed these!! Stay safe 😀

      Reply
  11. Joyce says

    April 11, 2020 at 12:39 pm

    Can apple sauce be a sub. For bananas

    Reply
    • Liv says

      April 12, 2020 at 12:07 pm

      Hi Joyce! I haven’t tried it, but let me know what you think if you do!

      Reply
  12. Jen says

    May 1, 2020 at 5:45 pm

    Hi tried these today. Why would mine come out soft and rubbery.

    Reply
  13. Chloé says

    May 3, 2020 at 10:00 am

    Did these today! Added blueberries to the mix as I needed to use them up so didnt need honey aswell as the banana and blueberries were enough. Came out great!

    Reply
  14. Cheryl says

    May 9, 2020 at 3:46 pm

    5 stars
    LOVE YOUR COOKIES! Just the right amount of sweetness, I didn’t add the salt or sweetener. This is the perfect recipe I’ve been looking for, Thank you!

    Reply
  15. robin lowes says

    May 26, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    4 stars
    I thought about these before I made them as I don’t like raw oats much.. so I toasted them in the oven, cooled them and added.. also added millet about 2 tbsp and some wheat germ and almond meal and coconut.. all mixed in well and were a bit more cookie like than muffin texture, so a bit dryer but the banana kept the mositure up..
    I’d make again with these adjustments

    Reply
  16. Maeve says

    May 27, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    does the oatmeal have to be quick oats

    Reply
  17. Evita says

    July 18, 2020 at 10:50 pm

    5 stars
    I made these with date paste instead of honey. I also used raisins and added cinnamon and ground cardamom. So yummy. I’ve removed white sugar, honey, molasses from my diet so making sweet things has become a delicious lightly sweetened experience. I will make these again.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      July 22, 2020 at 10:45 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed these, Evita! Thanks for reporting back!

      Reply
  18. Mr. Frozen Bananas (Alex) says

    July 22, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    This baking dad was desperate to use some frozen bananas. Checked many recipes and liked this one the best overall – and just decided to make the frozen work. My son and I used about 9 sm.-to-med. bananas and let them strain first in a colander (after reading a note about the liquid maybe being an issue). Along with some other insignificant adjustments based on available ingredients, they came out deliciously! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      July 22, 2020 at 10:46 pm

      I’m so glad you and your son enjoyed these cookies and it’s great to know that frozen bananas work well here!

      Reply
      • Alex says

        July 22, 2020 at 11:01 pm

        Thanks! I forgot to mention that we did a double batch.

        Reply
  19. bailey says

    September 26, 2020 at 6:16 pm

    5 stars
    I have never commented before, but these are absolutely amazing! The chocolate and banana are a great mix!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      September 29, 2020 at 11:17 am

      Happy to hear that you enjoyed these, Bailey!! Thanks for reporting back 😀

      Reply
  20. Diane Var says

    February 21, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    5 stars
    I found this recipe on a Google search. I love it! I used crunchy peanut butter, rolled oats and cacao nibs, because that’s what I had! I will make this again and again. Do you think I could use almond butter? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      February 23, 2021 at 3:48 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed these! You can absolutely substitute almond butter 😊

      Reply
  21. Lora says

    March 9, 2021 at 10:13 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing your recipe, I enjoyed these cookies.
    I did add raisins

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 29, 2021 at 11:35 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, Lora!

      Reply
  22. Debbie says

    April 23, 2021 at 9:04 pm

    5 stars
    The kids love these! I added organic sweetened dried cranberries this time and used mini chocolate chips. They are great!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      May 8, 2021 at 12:14 pm

      I’m so glad you all enjoyed these cookies!

      Reply
  23. Jessica says

    June 15, 2021 at 11:28 am

    These look good!
    My toddler son tends to make a mess with chocolate. Do you think these would be good with maybe raisins instead of the chocolate chips? Do you have any other suggestions for a chocolate replacement?

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2021 at 5:40 pm

      Hi Jessica! I haven’t tried it, but some other commenters mentioned they liked using raisins in these cookies so I think that would work great. Dried cranberries/craisins could also be yummy!

      Reply
  24. Jess says

    July 29, 2021 at 9:22 pm

    5 stars
    These are easy and delicious! Only had 1 tbsp of chocolate chips, so just used that and 1 tbsp of shredded coconut and they still turned out great. I think having overripe bananas for recipes like this is really key to get the best texture and flavour. Would
    Definitely make again!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      August 6, 2021 at 8:21 am

      Oh yum! Shredded coconut sounds delicious.

      Reply
  25. Julie says

    September 8, 2021 at 9:44 pm

    Perfect healthy, easy, gluten free treat!! So happy to find this recipe. I’ve made them twice this week already 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing it!

    Reply
  26. cindy smith says

    November 29, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    4 stars
    I made these today with oat flour and add a few chocolate chips. I don’t do well with sugar, so these are perfect for me. The texture is a little weird, but that’s to be expected with the ingredients. After I made them, I realized that without the chocolate chips, I would have the perfect grain free dog treat! I have my own dog treat business, so these will go into my rotation!

    Reply
  27. Celeste says

    January 28, 2022 at 4:10 pm

    I’m a college student and I love making these for an easy breakfast when I run out the door! I typically blend an extra half cup of oats into our flour and I’ve found that it helps them hold a little better 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      February 17, 2022 at 7:42 am

      So glad to hear it, Celeste!!

      Reply
  28. Martha LaRosa says

    April 8, 2022 at 11:38 am

    Hi Just want to say I love these cookies, I have made them several times now. I was just wondering if you would know the calorie intake to these I used reduced fat peanut butter but am thinking of next time using All Natural peanut butter. Trying to be good and trying to find more healthy recipes. Thank you for sharing these love them!!

    Reply
  29. K.C. Walbridge says

    May 13, 2022 at 8:43 am

    5 stars
    I didn’t add the additional sugar, just oats, chocolate chips, banana, vanilla, and I also subbed PB2 powdered peanut butter. A sprinkle of Maldon sea salt on top after baking and they were perfect!

    Reply
  30. Karen A says

    June 25, 2022 at 7:55 pm

    5 stars
    Instead of chocolate chips I substituted dried cranberries to make a pet friendly treat! Dogs loved it and so did their masters. Win! Win!

    Reply
  31. Kylie says

    October 1, 2022 at 5:52 pm

    5 stars
    I added pecans in lieu of chocolate chips! delicious quick breakfast or snack!

    Reply
  32. Tillie says

    December 14, 2022 at 10:36 pm

    5 stars
    These will be good for breakfast on the go. Thanks!

    Reply
  33. Seahag8088 says

    January 14, 2023 at 4:54 pm

    3 stars
    The taste was good but because they don’t crisp up at all it was basically like eating unbaked. Not a repeat recipe for me

    Reply
  34. tonia moore says

    January 20, 2023 at 6:56 pm

    5 stars
    I found this recipe in a Google search as well, as I typed in, 4 ingredient cookies. I am much more of a cook in my creations than a baker. Actually, I don’t bake because I can’t follow instructions lol my substitutes were, I used almond butter, I had a two scoops of my peppermint, chocolate protein, pecans, dark chocolate chips, and sprinkles with flakes salt after cooking. Wowser came out delicious! Thank you for the guide. !

    Reply
  35. Debbie says

    February 1, 2023 at 12:00 pm

    Just made these-I love the healthy ingredients. I thought they tasted good, but not loving the texture. They seemed under baked to me and I don’t like baked goods over baked at all. I would not call them a cookie. I don’t think I would make them again.

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Liv! I originally started blogging to share easy meals I made in my college dorm kitchen. Years later, as an attorney now, my goal is still to share delicious, approachable recipes with simple ingredients. You can most often find me running, eating ice cream, and making a mess in my kitchen. More...

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