Peanut Butter Oat Cookies
These peanut butter oatmeal cookies are 100% delicious. Plus, they're gluten free and easy to make in just one bowl. Meet your new favorite cookie recipe!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 19, 2024
I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite cookies. This peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe yields cookies that are tender on the inside, chewy around the middle, and just barely crisp around the edges.
These cookies are loaded with pure peanut butter flavor. They’re sweet, but not cloyingly so. If you’re a fan of my monster cookie recipe, you’ll enjoy these as well. I can vouch that they’ll be a hit with your family, friends, kids and coworkers.
Oats make these cookies more hearty than most. In fact, oats are the only structure this flourless cookie recipe needs. As long as your oats are certified gluten free, these cookies will be, too.
These cookies are easy to make, too. You don’t need to soften your butter first (just melt it). You don’t need to pull out a heavy stand mixer (your hand mixer or some elbow grease will work great). And, you’ll only need one mixing bowl. Winning!
More than any other merit, though, these peanut butter cookies are delicious. They’re cookies and that’s what cookies should be, right?
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients
This recipe is quite versatile. You’ll notice that different amounts are offered for some of the alternative options. That’s because they vary by volume (and make my job more difficult, but who can complain about extra cookies?).
Peanut Butter
As it turns out, creamy or chunky peanut butters work. I generally buy “natural” peanut butters, and this recipe has worked with all of them. You can even make your own peanut butter for freshly roasted peanut flavor.
Coconut sugar or brown sugar
Coconut sugar is a less refined sugar with a few trace nutrients, and I always try to work with natural sweeteners when possible. Brown sugar works well if that’s what you have on hand.
Coconut oil or butter
Either way, melt it before using. I can’t really taste the coconut oil, but it does make the cookies taste more interesting in a hard-to-put-your-finger-on kind of way. That’s why I chose to list coconut oil first. If you want your cookies to be dairy free, use coconut oil.
Eggs
Eggs act as a binding ingredient and a leavener, which means that they help the cookies rise. Eggs are essential if you want your cookies to turn out like mine. That said, I’ve shared some notes from readers about using flax eggs as an alternative in the recipe notes.
Baking soda
Baking soda is another leavener that helps your cookies bake up nice and fluffy. Don’t substitute baking powder; they behave differently. Always, always, always use the leavener specified in the recipe.
Quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
Quick oats disappear more into the cookies, creating a more uniform texture. I prefer quick-cooking oats, so that’s what you’ll see in the photos. Old-fashioned oats offer a more hearty and discernible texture.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Variations
Substitute other nut butters.
I love how these cookies turn out with peanut butter, but they’ll also work with almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
Stir in some extras.
You can add up to 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins or dried fruit.
Make bigger cookies.
This recipe yields around 27 medium cookies (about 3 inches across). If you double the size of each cookie to use 1/4 cup of dough each, you’ll end up with 13 to 14 large cookies instead (about 4.5 inches wide). The large cookies will require somewhere between 8 to 11 minutes in the oven.
Please let me know how your cookies turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you and appreciate your feedback.
Craving more cookies and treats? Check these out:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
- Monster Cookies
- Spiced Oatmeal Cookies
- Coffee Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
These peanut butter oatmeal cookies are 100% delicious. Plus, they’re gluten free and easy to make in just one bowl. Meet your new favorite peanut butter cookie recipe! Recipe yields about 27 cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups creamy or chunky peanut butter (that’s one full 16-ounce jar minus ¼ cup)
- 2 ½ cups packed coconut sugar or 2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or 5 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups quick-cooking oats or 2 ¾ cups old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
- Optional: flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line tw0 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for easy clean-up.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter with the sugar and coconut oil. Use an electric mixer or a large spoon to mix until well combined. Add the eggs, baking soda and vanilla, and mix well. Add the oats and mix until they’re evenly incorporated.
- Drop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheets. These cookies spread while baking, so leave a couple of inches around each one. Gently shape them into a more rounded mound and press down lightly so they’re no taller than 1 inch.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until they’re just starting to turn golden around the edges. Do not overbake. They will flatten more as they cool. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. In the meantime, bake your next round of cookies, and so on.
- If desired, sprinkle the cookies lightly with flaky sea salt. Let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. Cookies will keep well for several days at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Made these today for a friend – but obviously couldn’t help trying one myself! They are delicious. Easy and quick to make! I added chocolate chips to half the batter – also delicious. Thanks!
I have a bag of Steel Cut Oats can I use this instead of what is listed?
I can’t get out to the store. What is the amount I should use?
Unfortunately, I don’t believe steel cut will work. Sorry!
You need a safe storage place if you want these cookies to last. My dear husband has been in heaven since I started making these cookies.
He observed that I’d bought coconut oil and wasn’t using it, so I dug around for a couple of recipes. This was a gem.
We have several batches disappear into thin air. The cookie are delicious.
I love cookies warm out if the oven 1/2 of them are gone before they cool.
These cookies were even better in the morning!!! I used natural peanut butter, butter and brown sugar and eggs. Nothing fancy.
Sooooo good
I’m happy you loved them, Marie! Thank you for reporting back.
Made these tonight in Cusco, Peru (11,000 ft elevation) and they came out great! Baking at this high is always so difficult, but this recipe held up great. I substituted the sugar for 1/2 honey because I’m trying to watch my sugar intake and it was still very tasty. (I think I would probably use a little more honey next time). I really love this recipe!
So good. Didn’t even realize they are flourless and I’m half way done w them. Added some raisins for a sweet kick.
We followed the recipe exactly and loved it!
We are a meat & potatoes family of 9 and I’m working hard to vary their palates with vegetarian and gluten-free items. The batch was gone while still warm. Thank you Kate, we love your recipes and cookbook and I’m remiss in commenting on your amazing talents! Thank you!
I’ve made them twice with chocolate chips and they taste AMAZING, however they’ve come out very flat both times; even when I don’t press on them before baking. I also have to bake them a few minutes longer (my oven temp is verified by a secondary thermometer inside). Any suggestions?
Hi Alana! They will flatten some as they cool and you may have over baked them. See step 4 on notes.
Might just be the peanut butter I used, but they came out way too oily. I would recommend either omitting the coconut oil or heavily reducing it.
Hi!I have followed the recipe step by step,used all the ingredients in it but my cookies taste sooo salty!I don’t understand what has happened.Any idea?Could it be the baking soda??We cannot eat them…..shame.
Oh no! Did your peanut butter have salt in it and then you added the flaky salt on top? That may have been it.
These cookies are DELICIOUS!!!
Can they be frozen?
Hi Patty! I’m glad you love them. Yes, these freeze well!
I’m not sure what has gone wrong… followed the recipe to a T except for swapping peanut butter for cashew butter. I’ve ended up with a sloppy paper thin mess that has spread some much it has filled the entire tray. I only spooned out tiny portions too (1 tsp) and left 1-2 inches between each. All we can taste is the bicarb soda (I only used the specified 2 tsp). Any ideas? Every other recipe I’ve made from this blog has been a winner!
Hi Rachel! That’s interesting. I have never baked with cashew butter, so I can’t say exactly what would be the issue. It could be a reaction with the cashew butter. I have never tasted the baking soda in the other butters I recommended.
Kate, this recipe desperately wants me to make it!
I’ve got every ingredient I need… except the flaky sea salt. But that sounds like such a stellar finisher. Don’t suppose kosher salt might sub – too coarse and heavy?
Any potential sub suggestions – or shall I suck it up, wait a while to bake, and get grocery run hubby grab flaky salt later?
Cheers☺️
I think you should! Flaky salt at the end is the delicious finisher, but you could use kosher salt. Just be careful of not adding too much. But, you should get some flaky salt to have on hand. :)
Wow, quick reply – thanks Kate!
Guess I get to ‘lean’ on my thrifty shopper hubby & convince him that flaky sea salt is a “need” not a “want” …justify it as essential culinary therapy for us shut-in’s?!
Cheers ;)
Sadly, no luck re finding flaky salt, but made cookies anyway. Turned out well, regardless.
Next time, though, think I’ll try them without the chocolate chips – or with MUCH less than the ! 1/2 cups. I like chocolate, but I can’t really taste the Peanutbutter past it! ;)
“Too much chocolate” in the mix hasn’t seemed to bother my ‘helper chef’ cookie munching teen lad, though. :)
Cheers
Wonderful recipe! This is the fourth or fifth time I have made it, I use my husband’s favorite chunky almond butter and sometimes add sliced almonds and raisins. They are delicious and quickly disappear! Thank you
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing, Michelle.
Hi Kate!
I needed to use up some leftover oats and chocolate chips so I decided to take this peanut butter and oat recipe and adapt it to add chocolate chips. I didn’t have all of the brown sugar that was needed so I had to add half regular sugar (didn’t have any molasses) and let me tell you these are so good!
You never disappoint.
Thank you so much!
Christine
Can you use regular oats instead of Buick oats?
Hi Brenda! Old fashioned or quick cooking work.
These are exactly as promised! Tender and chewy with a slightly crisp outer layer. The sprinkle of salt makes them extra yum. So many great recipes here…thank you Kate!
I am not a peanut butter cookie fan (although I live P&J sandwiches) but my niece and husband love them. I just made them this morning while my niece was here doing homework (she is a senior). It was a very simple recipe to make. They came out fabulous. I even had one and enjoyed it. I wrapped up a big batch for her to take home and saved a few for my husband. Great recipe Kate!
Thank you! I’m glad you were able to enjoy these.
Should the oats have been cooked first?
I used rolled oats and…uggch
Hi Sally, You mix the oats into the mixture and then it bakes in the oven. I’m not sure what you are referring to? Did your recipe not turn out?
Enjoyed these cookies although I could taste the baking soda. Perhaps due to using less sugar?
I’m sorry to hear that. I have never picked up on the flavor of baking soda in these cookies. I believe that the other ingredients should neutralize the bitterness, but I’m not sure what went wrong for you.
I have also experienced the same thing. The whole batch of cookies have a bitter aftertaste. Not sure what the problem is but could be due to not mixing the baking soda evenly. Then again,the whole batch of cookies have that bitter aftertaste. So it could be due to something else.
I halved the recipe and added chopped peanuts into the mix and it works fantastic. They taste amazing and I will definitely be making them again!
You left out the flour
Hi! No need for this recipe.
Hi Kate
Does the peanut butter have to be at room temperature or melted ?
Also can we use clarified butter(ghee) or olive oil for the fat ?
Hi! I’m not sure if gee will work here, sorry. You want your peanut butter so it’s mixable. Mine was room temperature.
I made the granola and tweaked it a little and it turned out amazing. The recipe was easy and the granola tasted amazing.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Chijo!
I made a mess of these cookies! Everything was my fault, not Kates. I’m sharing this as a cautionary tale. A few commentors stated that the cookies were too sweet and since I only had PB with added sugar I decided to reduce the sugar by a half cup. I bake by weight so I converted everything to grams. At first, everything looked fine. I mixed everything together as instructed (by hand with a sturdy spoon), added the oats, and started to scoop. I noticed then that the oil had started to separate from the dough. First thought: maybe too much PB (396g) and not enough sugar (270g) or Old-Fashioned Oats (220g). I added another 20g oats, mixed and waited to see if the oats would absorb the oil. No. I ground up 20g oats and mixed in and put the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes. The oil was still separated. I mixed it in and put the bowl back in the fridge for another 20. The oil was STILL separated. I drained off the oil (almost 2 Tablespoons) and pressed the dough onto a parchment lined quarter sheet pan and blotted with paper towels. I put the pan in the freezer while the oven preheated. I placed the quarter sheet pan on a half sheet pan (in case oil spilled out) and baked at 350 for 25 minutes. It puffed up nice and smells good. It tastes okay. Again, this is MY FAULT and I’m only writing this for two reasons; 1. As a warning that changing the recipe might not work here, and 2. If you do mess up, it might be salvageable. I will try these again after I get the correct ingredients!
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that, Heather.
Glad I found this recipe!
I just added 2c coconut sugar, and chocolate pb, instead of regular. Awesome cookies. Didn’t even need a mixer!
These are delicious! Mine spread out quite a bit more than your pictures but it didn’t matter because they were devoured either way. Love how simple and easy the recipe was too. Thank you!
Love these, just to clarify are you saying to cook one or two sheet pans at a time?
Hi! Bake on sheet at a time. I hope this helps!
These did not work out for us. They did not resemble cookies; more like a chewy granola bar. The taste was fine, but I was expecting to have cookies and unfortunately these did not do it for me. I’ll stick to the amazing choc chip cookies recipe.
Hi M, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like them.
Love this recipe but I need to make this sugar free for my diabetic husband any suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Hi Sunita, sorry to disappoint but I don’t have a sugar free option as it would require a new recipe. Wish I could help!
super delicious!!
These are so good! I had to try this recipe as soon as I saw it but didn’t have enough peanut butter on hand. When I got to the store all they had was unsalted. The recipe didn’t specify which to use, so I used salted butter to be on the safe side. I halved the brown sugar and added 1 1/4 cups choc chips, which I still thought was too much. Chocolate and peanut butter is my favorite combo of all time, but these were having a hard time sticking together even after having refrigerated the dough for a bit. These cookies took 9 1/2 mins in my convection oven which was surprising to me, and even after letting them rest on the sheet for 10 mins are still pretty moist and fall apart easily (old-fashioned oats too – maybe next time I’ll give them a whirl in the food processor). But who cares when you have such peanutbuttery-chocolatey goodness?! Thank you, Kate! I’ve made a few of your recipes but hadn’t commented yet. We love your granola around here!
Hi Kate! I love all your recipes. Is there a way I can save them for future reference? Such as this peanut butter biscuit! X
Hi! Yes, there is a save option within the recipe card. You will need to create a log-in with Relish. I hope that helps!
Just made these with my three young kiddos and then immediately printed out the recipe to save! Absolutely delicious and I love that it’s on the healthier side for a cookie :) We used unsalted butter, brown sugar and sprouted rolled oats. So super delicious, what else can I say?! Your recipes are consistently “print it outs” in our house!
I love it! Glad this one was a hit with your kids, Anna. I appreciate your review.
As good as…no, better than advertised. Soft chewy irresistably good
I portioned out each raw 1oz. cookie and it yielded 40.
These were absolutely amazing. I used a natural peanut butter and honey and they came out perfectly. Thank you for creating this great recipe.
Too sweet. In retrospect, I would reduce sugar by almost half. Tastes like sugar mostly.
I’m sorry you didn’t love these as is, Meagan. Thank you for your review!
Hi! If I grind the old fashioned oats for a smoother consistency, would the measurements change?
Thanks!
Hi, You can grind them to a quick oat consistency and keep the measurement listed. I didn’t make these with oat flour so I can’t say for sure how much that would impact your results.
They look good but that much baking soda left a aftertaste in mine – I would reduce it next time.
Hi Emma, I’m sorry it was strong to you. Are you sure you used 2 teaspoons and mixed well?
I’ve made these cookies a ton and they always turn out so well! I actually use half the recommended sugar and they are still plenty sweet for my kids, especially if you are adding chocolate chips or anything. Different peanut butters turn out really differently. The cheaper super smooth ones spread out a lot, the more organic grittier peanut butters puff up more and keep their shape. Either way they are delicious!
That’a great to hear! Thank you for your review.
My daughters and I had a tough week- lots of exams and my elder daughter managed to fail one. I had to work extra hours and couldn’t pick up littl’un from school, so she had to walk home. On top of it all, just when she was on her way, a terrific rainstorm broke loose. I was so worried till she was finally home. I decided we had deserved a treat. We’ve been cooking your recipes since lockdown and love every one, but hadn’t tried these peanut butter cookies yet. Today was the day! I didn’t have bsking soda (can’t get it in Germany) so used a sachet of baking powder, didn’t have instant oats (can’t get them either) so put the oats into the processor like for the oat waffles, but stopped processing sooner so as to leave some texture. I also added dark chocolate chunks.They turned out sooo great and next time we’re going to top them with a bit of vanilla ice-cream when they come out of the oven. We all agreed they were exactly right for making good! ;-)
I’m sorry to hear you have had a hard week! Thank you for taking the time to review. I do love a a good treat to turn a tough day around.
Hi, Love your recipes! Does this recipe refrigerate well to bake later?
Hi! I haven’t tried to refrigerate. I’m not sure how it would impact the recipe.
Worked fine for me!
This recipe is so great and easily customised! I halved it as the base quantity is far too much for my family. I used raw sugar and found it was much to sweet so will probably halve that again next time, maybe add a little honey instead. I also used tahini which is delicious! I used one normal egg and half of a chia egg which was plenty to bind it. I was eyeballing the amounts added a little and my first tray was a little flat, it was easy enough to add more oats to the mixture for the second tray and they turned out so well.
These are really tasty, with a nice chewy texture!
I used no-sugar “natural” peanut butter that had some salt (Smucker’s). It was plenty sweet; I would not recommend using pb with added sugar.
I was too lazy to sprinkle the cookies with salt; they didn’t seem to need it.
I was worried that the cookies would be dry and crumbly because I used old-fashioned oats, but it wasn’t a problem at all.
I made them in a toaster oven and had to cook them for perhaps 15 minutes. They really had to be browned a decent amount to not be too sticky to remove from the aluminum foil.
In summary, I was shocked that despite containing old-fashioned oats, no flour, and having been cooked to a dark golden color, they were chewy and just super tasty!
These are amazing! Shared with my coworkers and family and everyone raved about them! I didn’t have flakey sea salt, just regular sea salt, but I sprinkled some on before they cooled and it is a wonderful addition! Thank you for such consistently great recipes!
You’re welcome, Liz! I’m glad these cookies were a hit.
Delicious! I use half the sugar, natural chunky peanut butter, flax egg, nondairy chocolate chips and vegan butter or coconut oil. I portion and freeze so I can have freshly baked cookies anytime. Salt sprinkle is crucial.
Hi, I made this and they turned into really big blobs, please could you tell me where I went wrong. Thank you.
Hi! Are you sure you added all the ingredients? How did you measure your ingredients?
YOU are a genius. These cookies are incredibly delicious. I love them and I’ve never liked peanut butter cookies. I followed the recipe and your instructions exactly (except I added toasted sprouted walnuts and chocolate chips), and they came out perfect every time. Exceptional recipe. Definitely worth every moment you spent perfecting it. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Linda! I appreciate you taking time writing a review.
I made half a batch – did two substitutions – flax egg instead of normal egg. Needed one cup brown sugar – used half brown sugar and half date puree. :) This resulted in the cookie dough being a bit too gooey and sticky. The cookies turned out great! But are a bit too soft on the inside – I think cos of the peanut butter and dates. I would avoid dates next time.
One more tip: you can sprinkle a little dried shredded coconut on top just before baking for an even more interesting texture.
I made these with old fashioned oats and I threw the whole lot in the garbage. Far too sweet and the old fashioned oats were hard to chew.
Hi PJ, I’m sorry you didn’t love these. I appreciate your feedback.