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This healthy peanut butter cookies recipe is so tasty and easy to make by hand with just 7 ingredients.
My go-to recipe for when I’m craving a batch of warm, delicious, and slightly-healthier cookies…stat. ♡
These peanut butter cookies are always here to save the day. They’re wonderfully low fuss with just 10 minutes of prep time and only require 7 basic ingredients that are likely already hanging out in your pantry. They’re naturally gluten-free and dairy-free and made with a chewy oatmeal base. There’s no mixer or chill time required here. And even without the usual flour and butter, these peanut butter cookies are still downright delicious.
Feel free to stir some chocolate chips, nuts, or other add-ins to the dough if you’d like. And I definitely recommend a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a crunchy finish.
Let’s bake some cookies together!
Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients
Here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need to make this healthy peanut butter cookies recipe:
Natural creamy peanut butter: This recipe was developed with natural creamy peanut butter made from 100% peanuts. (The consistency of natural peanut butter varies significantly from traditional peanut butter.) As always, be sure to give your jar of natural pb a good stir before adding it to the recipe.
Old fashioned oats: Old fashioned oats (aka “rolled” oats) will serve as the base for these cookies. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, be sure to check labels to ensure that your oats are certified gluten-free.
Eggs: We will use eggs to help bind all of the ingredients together.
Brown sugar: I typically make this recipe with light brown sugar, but other forms of granulated sugar may work well too.
Baking soda: Baking soda will serve as our leavening agent to help the cookie dough rise.
Vanilla extract: A hint of vanilla extract brings out the best of the peanut butter flavor.
Salt: And finally, we will use fine sea salt in the cookie dough to bring out the best of all of those flavors. Then I also highly recommend sprinkling a pinch of flaky sea salt on the cookies after baking.
(Optional) Chocolate chips or nuts: Feel free to also add in a handful of semisweet chocolate chips or chopped nuts (such as pecans or walnuts) if you would like!
Peanut Butter Cookie Tips
Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few additional tips to keep in mind when making these peanut butter cookies:
Use natural peanut butter. Again, this recipe was developed using natural peanut butter, which you can either purchase at the store or make homemade. The texture/consistency will not be the same if traditional peanut butter is used.
Save time with a cookie scoop. You’re totally welcome to just use a spoon to scoop the batter into roughly 2-tablespoon balls. But if you’d like to save time, a medium cookie scoop makes measuring and scooping the batter a breeze.
Be sure to flatten the cookies slightly. This batter doesn’t rise and spread very much on its own, so I recommend patting the cookies down slightly before baking.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few additional variations that you are welcome to try with this recipe:
Add cocoa powder: Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the batter if you would like to make it more chocolatey.
Add cinnamon: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter if you would like a hint of cinnamon flavor.
Use different chocolate chips: Use any other favorite kinds of baking chips (i.e. butterscotch, white chocolate, peanut butter, Heath bar chips, M&Ms, etc) in place of semisweet chocolate chips.
More Cookie Recipes
Looking for more delicious cookie recipes to try? Here are a few of our faves:
Prep oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and brown sugar together until smooth. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt evenly over the top of the mixture and stir until combined. Add in the vanilla, peanut butter, and stir until combined. Add in the oats (and chocolate chips or nuts, if using) and stir until evenly combined.
Scoop the dough. Use a medium (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently press down the dough balls to slightly flatten the tops, since they will not spread much while baking.
Bake. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and sprinkle each cookie with a small pinch of flaky sea salt. Let the cookies cool for at least 5 minutes.
These look great, but are a little bigger than I’d like (looking for a small snack for lunch boxes). Could I make these smaller, with a small scoop? What would you suggest for a cooking time?
Gail rapa —
Yes, I am make them with a small scoop and they’re the perfect size!
Rosemary H. Ledesma —
Oh my gosh! I saw your Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies recipe I had to make them I used coconut sugar instead of the regular sugar and I used Natural creamy peanut butter, and I added walnut pieces not to big and not to big just broken up and added dark chocolate morsels Oh My Gosh! There sooo delicious just pay attention to what your doing and mayn these cookies are delicious warm right out of the oven ? I give it a thumbs up
Made these today! What a treat, so in love with this recipe! You definitely nailed it! Super easy aswell. Next time I’ll only cut on the sugar and maybe add a bit more oats or oat flour, it was a bit to sweet for me.
Keep on making these amazing recipes!
xx
Made a batch of these cookies and loved them. I’m wondering if they could be made with almond butter instead. I have some Justin’s I need to use up because I discovered another brand I prefer. I also wondered if you have another recipe or way to make the same texture cookie but not peanut butter?
Becky —
I made them today with almond butter and it worked fine. They’re delicious.
So…. I made these with M&M’s. Unbelievably delicious!!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. I didn’t have any chocolate chips on hand hence the reason for the M&M’s. I will try them without any chocolate next time, and then the following time I’ll do mini chocolate chips. This recipe is a keeper!! Thank you!
I was happy to find a peanut butter cookie recipe that used NATURAL peanut butter but subbed natural chunky peanut butter because that’s what I had. I don’t think it made a difference. Light, cake-like cookie. Good, easy recipe. Thank you!
Mine came out on the dry side too :(. The flavor underneath seems wonderful and a great balance of sweetness. I did use natural peanut butter but it was closer to the bottom so maybe not as liquidy? Any suggestion if, upon mixing, it seems dry? I’m so bad at baking but could see it was drier than yours but didn’t no how to adjust.
I made these cookies, but they came out very cake-like and dry. I would have preferred a more crispy or chewy type of cookie. I even tried to flatten them before I baked them. Does it have anything to do with my whisking the ingredients too long? Thanks.
Great recipe!
These are super delicious ?
I was wondering if anyone has tried skipping the brown sugar and using honey or any other sweet alternative ?
Love PeanutButter and the smell of these cookies were divine ! I put my cookies into a container and days later, they became soft + mushy. I did eat 4 out of the 6 ! I wasn’t going to keep this recipe but ended up reading other bakers comments. I followed a suggestion of pulsing the 1 cup of oats with an addition of 1/4 cup more. Plus I added 1/3 cup of chopped toasted pecans. Enjoyed this texture, better ! And it survived in my container ! Making More !
So so soooo good!! Highly recommend the salt finish! The only think I changed is that I used natural crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy and i really enjoyed the crunch.
I made these cookies but use Stevia instead of the brown sugar as I am a diabetic and need to avoid regular sugar. They came out tasting dry–not sure why–any ideas. I added nuts and not chocolate chips as well.
I made these with almond butter from Costco and they were delicious!
I made half with mini dark chocolate chips and half without.
I would suggest adding some honey for those who have found them to be dry.
We had bees and we still use honey for everything in our B& B.
Nan Brinsko
These are pretty good! I added 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and it ended up making 22 cookies at 133 calories each (37% carbs, 51% fat, 12% protein). It is a good mix of “healthy” and a cookie. I will probably make again.
Followed recipe, added 1/4 of white sugar and maybe 2 spoons less peanut, no chocolate chips and the egg smell would not go. They felt raw after 10mins I had to reheat oven and put them for another 10…1 egg is definitely enough IMO and more vanilla extract is needed
These were interesting. For a healthier cookie recipe, they tasted delicious! The oatmeal texture was a little different than when I make oatmeal cookies with a more traditional recipe, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it was something about the specific oats I used? I halved the recipe at high altitude, and it worked perfectly. Overall, it was delicious! I’d be curious to try it with coconut sugar instead of brown sugar like another commenter did.
Turned out lovely. I have colitis and I have to really monitor what I eat. With that said, these cookies are a real treat as it is gluten free and still healthier than the ordinary peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. I added Himalayan Sea Salt as soon as I took them out of the oven. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi,
I just discovered your website today!
I’m going to make these peanut butter cookies today. Just had a question about the Oats…you have an asterisk beside 1 cup Old Fashioned oats. Are Old Fashioned Oats the only ones I should use…I have on hand quick oats…is that suitable?
Wow! To be honest I had low expectations with these cookies
as I couldn’t understand how they would come together. Your recipes are always great though so I thought I’d give it a whirl. They’re delicious! So moist and indeed light and fluffy. I used a natural crunchy pb because that’s what we had on hand and love the extra little crunch the chopped nuts provide. Mixed in some dark chocolate chips and skipped the salt sprinkle (but will try next time). I’ve felt no guilt eating these today and the family is enjoying them too. Thanks!
These are the first healthy cookies that my entire family approved and asked to make more. I absolutely loved them. Great flavor and texture. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi your receipe sounds great. But I am confused by some of the comments stating they added butter or honey or almond butter. I do not see any of that in your receipe. Some people mentioned dryness. Would adding those items make them less dry? And if yes how much should I add? I’m not a experienced baker( can you tell ??) I would like to bake your receipe first though.Thanks
simple yet great! I just had a hard time shaping my cookies because the batter is so sticky, so the shapes of my cookies were on the chunkier looking side rather than the ones pictured in the recipe where they look more smooth and round.
Wow! These are so good and easy. I used applesauce instead of eggs (1/4 cup applesauce per egg) to make them plant-based and slightly reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup, using turbinado sugar in the raw. I made two cookies without chocolate chips for my hubby, and all the rest with chocolate chips for me! (He doesn’t usually eat anything with sugar.) I may experiment a bit next time, and there will be a next time, using maple syrup as the sweetener. Thank you so much for these delicious and gorgeous cookies. I used a 3 T scoop as you suggested.
Amazing! I was upset at first because of how messy and sticky the batter was! I was wrong! These are the one of the best cookie I have ever had! Thank you!
After dinner I like to have something sweet. I wanted something low in sugar. I found this recipe and decided to try it. I’m so happy I did! Very yummy. I would highly recommend this recipe ?
OMG AMAZING
These look great, but are a little bigger than I’d like (looking for a small snack for lunch boxes). Could I make these smaller, with a small scoop? What would you suggest for a cooking time?
Yes, I am make them with a small scoop and they’re the perfect size!
Oh my gosh! I saw your Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies recipe I had to make them I used coconut sugar instead of the regular sugar and I used Natural creamy peanut butter, and I added walnut pieces not to big and not to big just broken up and added dark chocolate morsels Oh My Gosh! There sooo delicious just pay attention to what your doing and mayn these cookies are delicious warm right out of the oven ? I give it a thumbs up
Heather it has it on the recipe 10 minutes
I sent a batch to my son in college and he texted back asking for more ?
Can you please tell me the nutritional info (calories per cookie) for these!
Thanks
I don’t know if you care anymore but, I did the math and it’s about 91 calorie per cookie.
Made these today! What a treat, so in love with this recipe! You definitely nailed it! Super easy aswell. Next time I’ll only cut on the sugar and maybe add a bit more oats or oat flour, it was a bit to sweet for me.
Keep on making these amazing recipes!
xx
I would like to know this also. Thanks!
Made a batch of these cookies and loved them. I’m wondering if they could be made with almond butter instead. I have some Justin’s I need to use up because I discovered another brand I prefer. I also wondered if you have another recipe or way to make the same texture cookie but not peanut butter?
I made them today with almond butter and it worked fine. They’re delicious.
Thank you Becky I was wondering that also. :)
yummy, healthy.
Super delicious,thé best cookies ever!!!
Omg! So yummy!
Looking to cut out *refined sugars – do you think replacing the brown sugar with pure maple syrup would work? Or reducing the amount of brown sugar?
Yes but you’ll need to cut out some of the liquid too or the dough will be way too watery❤️
What is this sorcery !? Thanks love these!
So quick and easy to make! Added some chia seeds for that lil bit more of nutrition ?Thanks for the recipe, very yummy!
So…. I made these with M&M’s. Unbelievably delicious!!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. I didn’t have any chocolate chips on hand hence the reason for the M&M’s. I will try them without any chocolate next time, and then the following time I’ll do mini chocolate chips. This recipe is a keeper!! Thank you!
I was happy to find a peanut butter cookie recipe that used NATURAL peanut butter but subbed natural chunky peanut butter because that’s what I had. I don’t think it made a difference. Light, cake-like cookie. Good, easy recipe. Thank you!
Mine came out on the dry side too :(. The flavor underneath seems wonderful and a great balance of sweetness. I did use natural peanut butter but it was closer to the bottom so maybe not as liquidy? Any suggestion if, upon mixing, it seems dry? I’m so bad at baking but could see it was drier than yours but didn’t no how to adjust.
Delish
Will make again
I made these cookies, but they came out very cake-like and dry. I would have preferred a more crispy or chewy type of cookie. I even tried to flatten them before I baked them. Does it have anything to do with my whisking the ingredients too long? Thanks.
Great recipe!
These are super delicious ?
I was wondering if anyone has tried skipping the brown sugar and using honey or any other sweet alternative ?
I made these last night without the chocolate chips but with extra brown sugar and they were very goid! Next time I’ll add the chips! Way to go!
Love PeanutButter and the smell of these cookies were divine ! I put my cookies into a container and days later, they became soft + mushy. I did eat 4 out of the 6 ! I wasn’t going to keep this recipe but ended up reading other bakers comments. I followed a suggestion of pulsing the 1 cup of oats with an addition of 1/4 cup more. Plus I added 1/3 cup of chopped toasted pecans. Enjoyed this texture, better ! And it survived in my container ! Making More !
I’ve made these cookies and they are SO delicious! Thank you for sharing :D
So so soooo good!! Highly recommend the salt finish! The only think I changed is that I used natural crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy and i really enjoyed the crunch.
Hi, I made these cookies today the recipe looks pretty awesome. However what is the nutrition on these cookies how much sugar is in them?
Excellent and number of cookies works well for two old diebetics. Used sugar substitutes, but Ideal Sugar sub is great!
Yes it does. 12 to 14 cookies. It is at the beginning of the recipe below prep time and cook time.
I love these cookies! Easy recipe and totally delicious! I love the fact that they are not sickening sweet.
I made these cookies but use Stevia instead of the brown sugar as I am a diabetic and need to avoid regular sugar. They came out tasting dry–not sure why–any ideas. I added nuts and not chocolate chips as well.
Could you use almond butter instead?
I made these with almond butter from Costco and they were delicious!
I made half with mini dark chocolate chips and half without.
I would suggest adding some honey for those who have found them to be dry.
We had bees and we still use honey for everything in our B& B.
Nan Brinsko
To DIE for good!!! Increased br sugar to 3/4 cup but that was only change. Can’t stop eating them!!!
These are pretty good! I added 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and it ended up making 22 cookies at 133 calories each (37% carbs, 51% fat, 12% protein). It is a good mix of “healthy” and a cookie. I will probably make again.
Followed recipe, added 1/4 of white sugar and maybe 2 spoons less peanut, no chocolate chips and the egg smell would not go. They felt raw after 10mins I had to reheat oven and put them for another 10…1 egg is definitely enough IMO and more vanilla extract is needed
Such a healthy recipe! No butter, not too much sugar! Perfect!
Love it! I just reduced the amount of sugar for 1/4 cup! They are delicious!!! The most requested during this awful quarantine Lol thanks!!!!
These were interesting. For a healthier cookie recipe, they tasted delicious! The oatmeal texture was a little different than when I make oatmeal cookies with a more traditional recipe, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it was something about the specific oats I used? I halved the recipe at high altitude, and it worked perfectly. Overall, it was delicious! I’d be curious to try it with coconut sugar instead of brown sugar like another commenter did.
These are tasty! They definitely have more of a bran muffin texture rather than the bite that comes from gluten, but the flavor is spot on!
Hello,
Could I substitute the eggs for 2 flax eggs instead?
Turned out lovely. I have colitis and I have to really monitor what I eat. With that said, these cookies are a real treat as it is gluten free and still healthier than the ordinary peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. I added Himalayan Sea Salt as soon as I took them out of the oven. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi,
I just discovered your website today!
I’m going to make these peanut butter cookies today. Just had a question about the Oats…you have an asterisk beside 1 cup Old Fashioned oats. Are Old Fashioned Oats the only ones I should use…I have on hand quick oats…is that suitable?
I would love the nutrition info on these? They came out great! I added the chocolate chips! Great fix for my sweet tooth that i can feel better about.
Loved this recipe. I used dark chocolate chips and that was the perfect amount of sweetness. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Oh my gosh DELICIOUS! My first ever attempt at making cookies and they were so simple and yum!!
It tastes yum. But took more than 15 minutes to get the right texture
Wow! To be honest I had low expectations with these cookies
as I couldn’t understand how they would come together. Your recipes are always great though so I thought I’d give it a whirl. They’re delicious! So moist and indeed light and fluffy. I used a natural crunchy pb because that’s what we had on hand and love the extra little crunch the chopped nuts provide. Mixed in some dark chocolate chips and skipped the salt sprinkle (but will try next time). I’ve felt no guilt eating these today and the family is enjoying them too. Thanks!
These are the first healthy cookies that my entire family approved and asked to make more. I absolutely loved them. Great flavor and texture. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi your receipe sounds great. But I am confused by some of the comments stating they added butter or honey or almond butter. I do not see any of that in your receipe. Some people mentioned dryness. Would adding those items make them less dry? And if yes how much should I add? I’m not a experienced baker( can you tell ??) I would like to bake your receipe first though.Thanks
Delicious!!! Best peanut butter cookies I have ever made! Family loved them!
simple yet great! I just had a hard time shaping my cookies because the batter is so sticky, so the shapes of my cookies were on the chunkier looking side rather than the ones pictured in the recipe where they look more smooth and round.
Wow! These are so good and easy. I used applesauce instead of eggs (1/4 cup applesauce per egg) to make them plant-based and slightly reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup, using turbinado sugar in the raw. I made two cookies without chocolate chips for my hubby, and all the rest with chocolate chips for me! (He doesn’t usually eat anything with sugar.) I may experiment a bit next time, and there will be a next time, using maple syrup as the sweetener. Thank you so much for these delicious and gorgeous cookies. I used a 3 T scoop as you suggested.
Amazing! I was upset at first because of how messy and sticky the batter was! I was wrong! These are the one of the best cookie I have ever had! Thank you!
Amazing! Thank you so much!
After dinner I like to have something sweet. I wanted something low in sugar. I found this recipe and decided to try it. I’m so happy I did! Very yummy. I would highly recommend this recipe ?