Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Nine ingredients and less than 30 minutes to incredible healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies. Crispy edge and melt in your mouth middle, perfect for breakfast or a healthy snack!
Cookies are a food group. At least in our house. So coming up with healthier versions that taste amazing is a non negotiable item. I’m all about balance but when you’re scarfing cookies down at the rate you should be eating veggies, it’s time to step up your nutrients in the cookie game.
What cookies are the healthiest?
Using mostly whole foods is a great way to get a lot of nutrients in your recipes. These peanut butter banana cookies are made with some legit ingredients:
- oats
- peanut butter
- banana
- date paste
- pecans
- chocolate chips
All of those, minus the chocolate chips, are pretty nutrient dense. You can even sub cacao nibs for the chocolate chips for ultra healthy breakfast cookies (but hey, I’m all about a touch of chocolate in my life).
You not only need to look at the ingredients in a recipes, but when you are buying those ingredients, you need to look at the labels themselves. Let’s take peanut butter for instance, there should be 1-2 things on the ingredient list: peanuts and maybe salt.
Many jars out there include added sugar, oil and other add ins that are simply not necessary!
Are cookies good for breakfast?
Is the sky blue? Of course they are good for breakfast, especially when they are healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies.
But really though, I can’t stress this enough. Read the labels if you are buying them. If the ingredients are mostly whole foods, then you’re probably good.
Are homemade cookies healthier?
Some of the time the answer is yes. And for these peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies, definitely yes. But again you need to read labels.
I mean, we all know that freshly baked cookies are best right out of the oven. So it makes sense. Not that it isn’t ok to have unhealthy cookies sometimes.
But these healthy vegan cookies are done and cleaned up in under 30 minutes so really, why would you buy cookies anyway?
Are vegan cookies healthier?
Not necessarily. I’m going back to what I have hammered into your head, read the labels! Most cookies that are not vegan are filled with butter and sugar, so I wouldn’t call them healthy. But nothing wrong with it once in a while.
What is the healthiest alternative to added sugar?
Since the only natural sugars come from milk and fruit, I love using date paste to sweeten my healthy sweet treats. It’s so simple to make, basically dates and water, and it keeps for a long time in the fridge. Plus it gives the perfect texture to these peanut butter banana cookies!
I make it every few weeks, and store it in a glass jar. You can even freeze it if you wanted.
When I am not using date paste, my second go to is maple syrup. While it is not a natural sugar, it’s glycemic index isn’t as high as other added sugars and I love the flavor.
How do you make healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies?
If I told you it took me shorter time to make these cookies than it did to get my son to eat a bite of lasagna would you believe me? Well it did. Because these babies are “don’t look away long enough for your 3 year old to try riding the cat” fast.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients.
- Add the chocolate chips and pecans.
- Bake.
- Shove into mouth before the kids see.
Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
These healthy peanut butter oatmeal banana cookies are everything I want in an indulgent but wholesome homemade treat. I use rolled oats, ripe banana, and natural peanut butter to make soft, chunky cookies with lightly crisp edges. The best thing is, I can make them in just over 20 minutes, which is great for those sudden cravings.
Servings: 16
Calories: 148kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter , see note
- ½ cup mashed ripe banana , about 1 small banana
- ¼ cup maple syrup (can sub with 1/2 cup date paste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats , gluten-free if needed
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup dairy free chocolate chips (can sub with dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs for an ultra healthy version)
- ½ cup chopped pecans , omit and use more chocolate chips for nut free
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/ 180°C
- Mix the peanut butter, banana, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a bowl until combined, I used a whisk. It's okay if there are some banana chunks.
- Add the oats, baking soda and salt to the bowl and mix well with a spoon.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans.
- You can put the mixture in the fridge to firm up a bit while you clean up if you want it to be a touch easier to scoop.
- Using a spoon or small ice cream scooper, drop balls of dough on parchment lined cookie sheets. These retain shape and don’t spread much.
- Bake 17-20 minutes or until brown on edges. Cookies will harden a bit more as they cool.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this healthy peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies recipe is to always use a very ripe banana with plenty of brown spots. This adds more natural sweetness, keeps the cookies moist, and creates a softer texture without needing extra sweetener.
- Use natural peanut butter that has been stirred well: I always stir my peanut butter really well, as oil that has separated can make the dough inconsistent if it is not mixed back in.
- Flatten slightly: These cookies do not spread very much, so I press the tops gently to help them bake more evenly.
- Leave space: I leave about 2 inches between each cookie to prevent them from running into each other while they bake and rise.
- Cool completely: These cookies continue setting as they cool, which gives them the perfect chewy texture.
- Do not overbake: I remove the cookies when the edges are lightly browned, and the centers still look slightly soft.
Nutrition
Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg
