Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Peanut Butter
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Imagine biting into one of these freshly baked Banana Oatmeal Cookies to start your day. While each cookie is decadent and sweet, they are still good for you and taste just like banana bread! These Banana Oatmeal Cookies are Vegan, Gluten-Free and Kid-Friendly too!
Mornings at our house can be hectic! Everyone has to get ready and sometimes making a hearty breakfast just isn’t on my agenda.
Instead of trying to make a big breakfast every day I look for foods that can be made in advance that we can grab on the way out the door.
These banana oatmeal cookies are perfect for that! You can easily transport them, toss them in your bag, or munch on one at your desk. They make for a great snack or healthy dessert too.
Plus, the potassium in the banana makes these cookies a natural energy booster. Not to mention the protein in the peanut butter helps make sure your family has the energy they need for a busy day!
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Made with healthy ingredients and loaded with chocolate and oats, these cookies are incredibly delicious but are also healthy for you. They’re flourless, vegan, gluten-free and are easily adaptable if you want to switch up some of the mix-ins!
The next time you’re thinking about what to make for breakfast, you have to try these perfect (healthy) banana oatmeal cookies!
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Food Processor
- Cookie Scoop
- Cookie Sheet
- Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper
- Cooling Rack
Cleanup on this bake is relatively easy, which makes it that much more tempting to make. Having a cookie scoop helps keep all the cookies an even size, but it isn’t essential.
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
- Bananas: Use overripe bananas for this recipe (similar to what you’d use in banana bread). A few extra dark spots and mushy texture will actually enhance the flavor of these healthy banana oatmeal cookies.
- Flax Eggs: My favorite vegan substitution for regular eggs! Never made flax eggs before? My step by step tutorial has you covered!
- Nut Butters: I used a combination of peanut butter and almond butter, but you could really substitute any nut butter you like!
- Oats: I used a combination of rolled oats and oat flour to get the right chewy, soft, cookie consistency. But you can also use rolled oats + quick oats if you want a more hearty texture.
- Spices: I used cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can use any warm spices — allspice, pumpkin pie spice, even a pinch of ground ginger or cardamom would taste good in this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips: Be sure to choose dairy-free dark chocolate chips to keep these cookies vegan friendly. Carob is a good chocolate alternative if you’re trying to avoid sugar.
- Nuts: I used walnuts and pecans for added texture, but you can use any nut you like or omit the nuts if you like! Added nuts also add a little more protein and fiber to these delicious vegan banana oatmeal cookies.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine flaxseed and water and let rest for at least 5 minutes to achieve an “eggy” texture. In a food processor, combine bananas, peanut butter, almond butter, baking powder, baking soda, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Process until just combined.
Step 2: Pour the cookie mixture into a bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients (oats, almond meal, oat flour, flax eggs, nuts, spices, salt) – mix well. The mixture will be thick and should stick together easily. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to harden.
Step 3: Drop the banana oatmeal cookie dough by spoonfuls (I used a small ice cream scoop) on a lightly greased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper.Press them out a little to expand (they won’t expand in the oven). After you’ve pressed the cookies, add 1 tsp chocolate chips on top of each one.
Step 4: Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown. Once the cookies are done, let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
These vegan banana oatmeal cookies are absolutely delicious. Not too sweet, with just the right amount of chocolate to feel decadent, but they’re still really good for you! Plus these healthy ingredients are great for a lot of different diet restrictions.
Yes, that’s right. You can enjoy these healthy banana oatmeal cookies even on a diet.
Grab two of these in the morning before heading out for the day, and it’s equivalent to a small bowl of oatmeal.
What Makes These Banana Oatmeal Cookies So Healthy?
- Low Calorie: You get a large cookie, and it’s only 114 calories! Thanks to the natural ingredients, these cookies are made with good-for-you whole foods that keep the calorie count low.
- Low in Added Sugar: The mashed, overripe bananas provide natural sweetness, and because of that these cookies need no added sugar vs. standard cookie recipes! Each of these peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies have just 4 grams of sugar (most of that from the bananas).
- Vitamins and Minerals: Thanks to the bananas, oats and nuts, these cookies are filled with fiber, protein, potassium, magnesium, copper, vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and more!
- Cholesterol Friendly: Both the oatmeal and flax seeds in this recipe have a lot of nutrients and health benefits, but one of the biggest is that they contain soluble fiber that helps your body break down bad cholesterol.
Will Kids Enjoy Banana Oatmeal Cookies?
When your kids hear that they get to eat cookies for breakfast, they will jump for joy! They won’t even care or notice that they are actually healthy and loaded with nutrient-rich ingredients. And you don’t have to worry either because you know how good for them they are!
These cookies are also great as a healthy and filling snack around the house. These are one afternoon snack you don’t have to worry about your kids craving because the cookies are good for them!
I have a secret. These banana oatmeal cookies are a great addition to the ice cream (or vegan ice cream) of your choice. Your kids will love this treat too, and it can help fill them up and add some nutrition to their dessert without them even noticing.
Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend using quick oats instead of rolled oats for these peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies.
The texture of the cookies is one of their best features, and a lot of that has to do with the rolled oats.
While you technically can make the swap, it’s probably not going to turn out as good as the original recipe, just because quick oats don’t hold up the way rolled oats do. However, you can substitute quick oats for the oat flour if you’d like!
To Store: Allow the cookies time to cool. Once they have cooled down, place them in an airtight container and they will last for 3-4 days on the counter, or up to 6-7 days in the fridge.
To Freeze: For best results, flash freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, you can remove them off the pan and place in a plastic freezer bag or storage container with a tight-fitting lid. They will last in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge before eating (and if you want warm cookies, you can reheat them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds).
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie Variations
- Swap out the walnuts for any of your favorite nuts. Pecans, chopped hazelnuts, or almonds would be lovely options.
- Dried fruit is a fantastic addition to these banana oatmeal cookies. Cranberries, raisins, or diced apricots would all be good ideas. You can add them in addition to, or instead of, chocolate chips. Dried cherries are delicious, but they should be chopped small and added sparingly because of their very strong flavor.
- Melt the chocolate chips with a little bit of coconut oil and drizzle it on top of the cookies. It’s a fun way to add some extra flair!
Top Tips For Making Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Be sure to let the flax & water mixture sit for at least five minutes (and as long as 10-15 minutes). This time is needed to allow the flax to be more like actual eggs. This is what helps binds the other ingredients together.
- To make these peanut butter oatmeal cookies gluten-free, use gluten-free oats and gluten-free oat flour instead.
- Don’t over bake the cookies, or they will be very hard. Cook them until they are a slight golden brown color for the best results.
- These cookies won’t spread while baking, so you’ll have to press them into a cookie shape after you’ve spooned them out onto the baking sheet. This also means you can use cookie cutters for a shaped cookie.
- Use overripe, fresh bananas (similar to what you’d use for banana bread) – the riper the better!
Check Out These Other Amazing Breakfast Recipes!
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Muffins Filled with Raspberry Jelly
- Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal with Berries
- Vegan Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Berries
- Healthy Banana Bread
- Healthy Pancakes with Oats and Sprouted Wheat
- 21 Easy Breakfast Recipes
If you have tried these Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Peanut Butter
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 2 flax eggs 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 5 Tbsp water
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp chopped walnuts chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips non-dairy for vegan
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine flax seed and water and let rest for at least 5 minutes to achieve an “eggy” texture.
- In a food processor, combine bananas, peanut butter, almond butter, baking powder, baking soda, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Process until combined.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients (oats, almond meal, oat flour, flax eggs, nuts, spices, salt) – mix well. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to harden.
- Drop cookies by spoonfuls (I used a small ice cream scoop) on a lightly greased baking sheet (or one lined with parchment paper), and press them out a little to expand (they won’t expand in the oven). After you’ve pressed the cookies, add 1 tsp chocolate chips on top of each one.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown.
- Once the cookies are done, let them rest for a few minutes before serving. These will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container, even longer if refrigerated and even longer if frozen.
Notes
- Swap out the walnuts for any of your favorite nuts. Pecans, chopped hazelnuts, or almonds would be lovely options.
- Dried fruit is a fantastic addition to these banana oatmeal cookies. Cranberries, raisins, or diced apricots would all be good ideas. You can add them in addition to, or instead of, chocolate chips,
- Melt the chocolate chips with a little bit of coconut oil and drizzle it on top of the cookies. It’s a fun way to add some extra flair!
- Be sure to let the flax & water mixture sit for at least five minutes (and as long as 10-15 minutes). This time is needed to allow the flax to be more like actual eggs. This is what helps binds the other ingredients together.
- To make these cookies gluten free, use gluten free oats and gluten free oat flour instead.
- Don’t over bake the oatmeal cookies, or they will be very hard. Cook them until they are a slight golden brown color for the best results.
- These cookies won’t spread while baking, so you’ll have to press them into a cookie shape after you’ve spooned them out onto the baking sheet
- Use overripe, fresh bananas (similar to what you’d use for banana bread) – the riper the better!
