When looking at the ingredients (only 9!) for these flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies, you’ll find the glaring absence of baking’s 2 main players: butter and flour. That’s right, these naturally gluten-free cookies come together with peanut butter, eggs, and oats as the base, plus delicious flavorings and chocolate chips. They’re so flavorful and soft that you won’t miss a thing!
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I’ve also made a few small updates to the recipe so the cookies aren’t nearly as crumbly and the peanut butter flavor shines. These changes are reflected in the printable recipe below.
The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is pretty hard to beat, and I’m not even bothered if I’m getting the fix from a spoonful of peanut butter with chocolate chips dotted on top. (You do that too sometimes, right?)
But… cookies are much more enticing.
A batch of today’s gluten-free flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies rival any traditional peanut butter cookies, yet they don’t contain flour, butter, or added oil. They’re always a crowd-pleasing treat, boasting the same great flavor and texture that I love in my butter- and gluten-containing peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. A cookie miracle if there ever was one.
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies:
- Packed with hearty oats, peanut butter, and chocolate chips
- Chewy on the edges with soft centers
- Made from only 9 simple ingredients
- Quick and easy to prepareโonly 30 minutes of dough-chilling time
- No mixer required!
- Gluten-free recipe if using certified gluten-free oats
- Dairy-free recipe if using dairy-free chocolate chips
One reader, Janet, commented: “These cookies are delicious! Honestly, I did not expect a gluten free cookie to be so good. I like them even more than my regular oatmeal chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. โ โ โ โ โ “
Another reader, Veronica, commented: “So good! My best friend has dietary restrictions, and I am so excited to make a delicious cookie for her. And my husband, who loves peanut butter, really loves these cookies too. โ โ โ โ โ “
Grab These 9 Ingredients
With only 9 ingredients, it’s important to follow the recipe closely for the best results. Don’t get nervous, I’m not replacing the flour and butter with anything crazy. These are all simple ingredients that you may already have on hand.
- Oats: Just like I recommend for classic oatmeal raisin cookies, it’s best to use old-fashioned whole rolled oats. Quick oats are more powdery and can leave your cookies tasting dry. (If you only have quick oats, you could try my chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies instead. They’re great with either type of oats, and are also gluten free!)
- Cinnamon: Just 1/4 teaspoon adds a subtle warmth.
- Baking Soda: To help the cookies rise.
- Salt & Vanilla: Flavor enhancers, always appreciated!
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure and bind the ingredients together.
- Peanut Butter: I know there are tons of peanut butter options out there. Be sure to review the next section, Choosing Your Peanut Butter: Dos & Don’ts, before you get started.
- Brown Sugar: For a little bit of sweetness. You can use regular granulated sugar in a pinch, but you’ll lose that cozy molasses flavor (and some moisture!) that brown sugar provides.
- Chocolate Chips: I reach for semi-sweet hereโmy go-to for chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and double chocolate chip cookies. Feel free to use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter chips, or your favorite kind of baking chips/add-ins instead.
Did you know? Oats are naturally gluten free, but if you have dietary restrictions, be sure they are certified gluten free because oats can be packaged in a facility with gluten.
Choosing Your Peanut Butter: Dos & Don’ts
While processed peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) typically makes for the best classic peanut butter cookies, feel free to use natural-style peanut butter here. Personally, I love making these cookies with natural peanut butter! Here are some Official Peanut Butter Dos & Don’ts that apply today. ๐
- DO: stir in any excess oil. If the oil has separated to the top of the jar of natural peanut butter, stir it back in before measuring out the peanut butter.
- DON’T: use super-cold peanut butter. If it’s too cold, it will be really difficult to mix into the other ingredients. Room-temperature peanut butter is the sweet spot here!
- DO: gently press the dough balls down with the back of a spoon or a flat spatula before baking, to initiate the cookies spreading, if using natural peanut butter.
- DON’T: press down on the cookies before baking, if using processed peanut butter.
The cookie dough and baked cookies are a little darker when using natural peanut butter.
FAQ: Can I Make These Cookies With Almond Butter?
Yes! You can try these flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies with the same amount of almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or another nut butter/spread. Or try my flourless almond butter cookies instead. (Or dark chocolate almond butter cookies for you chocolate fanatics! I see you!) A note about using sunflower seed butter: Be prepared for the inside of the cookies to turn green, which is a reaction between the chlorophyll in sunflower seeds and the baking soda. It’s totally harmless and doesn’t affect the taste of the cookies, and it doesn’t mean your cookies went bad! (This also makes for a fun baking science project for kids, or a St. Patrick’s Day recipe!)
Chill the Cookie Dough for Just 30 Minutes
This cookie dough benefits from a quick 30-minute chill time before baking. A short rest in the refrigerator helps the cookies to keep their shape (one of my top tips to prevent cookies from spreading). Don’t skip this step! It’s just enough time to preheat your oven, wash the mixing bowls, and line your baking sheets. If you’re short on time and need a no-chill cookie recipe, try my snickerdoodles or shortbread cookies.
Use about 1.5 Tablespoons (or 30g) of dough per cookie. I like to use this medium cookie scoop. Using the back of a spoon, gently flatten the cookie dough rounds, to help encourage spreading.
More Gluten-Free Favorites
- No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Oat Bars
- Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
- Homemade Granola Clusters
- Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
- Peanut Butter Trail Mix Bars
- Flourless Monster Cookies
For more gluten-free dessert inspiration, here are 40 gluten-free dessert recipes everyone loves. ๐
Print
Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 14 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You won’t miss the flour and butter in these 9-ingredient flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies! Be sure to chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (250g) natural peanut butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup (120g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs. With a silicone spatula, mix in the peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until combined. (Takes some arm muscle!) Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line large baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If you let the dough chill for more than 1 hour, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to soften upโthe cookies won’t really spread otherwise. Scoop the dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons or 30g each (I use this medium cookie scoop), onto prepared baking sheets. With the back of a spoon, gently press down on the dough rounds to slightly flatten them.ย
- Bake for 12โ14 minutes, or until the edges are set. The centers will look very soft.
- Cool cookies for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. During this time, I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. (This is optional and only for looks.) Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.ย
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Here’s how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Oats: Oats are naturally gluten free, but if you have dietary restrictions, be sure they are labeled “certified gluten free” because oats can be packaged in a facility with gluten.
- Peanut Butter: You can use natural or processed peanut butter, but keep in mind the texture will be a little different depending on which type you use. If using natural peanut butter, be sure to stir in any oil that has separated in the jar before measuring it out to use in this recipe. If using processed peanut butter, no need to press down on the cookie dough mounds with the back of a spoon before baking because I find the cookies spread nicely as is.
- Sugar: I’ve successfully made these cookies with coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.
- Updated in 2023: I updated the recipe so the cookies are less crumbly, rise a little more, and have even better flavor. The recipe above includes my changes. If you’d like to make the older version, reduce the oats to 3/4 cup (64g), the baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon, use only 1 egg, and leave out the vanilla.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These are delicious, thank you! What’s the best way to store them (for more than a day) so that they stay somewhat crispy on the outside? My flourless cookies always seem to lose their crispness and get soggy/chewy in a container.
You can leave the corner of the container crackers to allow a little airflow, but the texture will change after the first day!
Excellent! I didn’t have any chocolate chips, subbed in raisins- so good! This one’s a keeper
Absolutely loved this recipe super quick and easy and it made a very yummy cookie! I always struggle with flourless cookies coming out way too dry and this was perfect!
I love these! My son does too
Good cookies but they definitely spread like a normal cookie! The first pan was more like bars!
I went to a party yesterday and had these cookies for the first time. I refused to leave till I got the recipe and made friends with the girl who brought them. These cookies are so delicious!!! Thank you for the amazing cookie recipe and by extension the new friend.
These were SO good! Firstly thank you so much for using weight instead of cups; its so much easier and more accurate. Secondly, (Iโm sorry to change your recipe but) I used oat flour instead of rolled oats bc I donโt like the texture of oats and they turned out amazing. So delicious, thank you for sharing!
I added coconut and pecans. Can’t wait to see how they turn out!!!
Can you use erythritol instead of sugar, I m looking for a recipe with no flour, low carbs..? Thank you.
Hi May! We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
Made this today. I chopped up mini heath bars because I didnโt have chocolate chips in the house. They turned out great! Easy to mix vs and bake and just the right amount of chew. My partner has health issues that require him to eat a high fiber diet without much processed foods. This is a healthier cookie recipe that still tastes like a treat. Thank you
Great recipe!
I used peanut butter with chunks cuz that’s what I had… it was yum!
I also sprinkled salt after baking to balance out the heaviness of the peanut butter.
I was recently diagnosed last year with Celia’s Disease. I am still getting used to gluten free eating. I have had a few recipes that were not quite what I would expect. Any help I could get would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Joan, I wish we could help more, but we’re not experts at gluten free baking. We do have a collection of naturally gluten free recipes you can browse!
This was a hit with my household. However, I did have a question. The tops of my cookies never had that soft consistency as described in the recipe. I kept lowering the baking time to see if that would help. All that happened was the center got more gooey. When I tried to push the extra chocolate chips in the top, I had to push so hard it pressed the whole top down. I checked and the oven settings were correct and the oven temperature was correct. What can I do to get that soft top? Thank you! I love all of your recipes!
Hi Becky, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. If the tops seem a bit too hard/crunchy, you might try reducing the temperature just a bit and/or moving the cookies down a rack (further from the heating element). This should prevent the cookies from crisping up too quickly. We’re so glad the cookies were a hit!
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t have any flour in the house, but I really wanted to make peanut butter cookies. This is the next best thing. I couldn’t stop eating them.
I always make a recipe as written so I can rate it properly. I was happy to add a flourless recipe to my repertoire, but I thought these lacked in flavor. They were more like a chewy granola bar and far less sweet than a typical peanut butter cookie (or any cookie for that matter).
They definitely need more salt. Iโll up my second batch to 1/2 tsp. Iโll omit the cinnamon because I felt it overshadowed the peanut butter flavor. Iโll also add 1/8 cup granulated sugar.
I love that this recipe comes together quickly and easily. I used creamy peanut butter and it worked well making the batter. The peanut butter is the star of the show and I was pleasantly surprised at how soft and chewy the cookies turned out! I also loved the taste in contrast using semi-sweet. It wasn’t too much peanut butter because the chocolate balanced it out.
Delicious as usual Sally! I used regular Jiffy peanut butter because that is what I had on hand. Turned out great. Really easy recipe when you donโt have to deal with butter and flour.
I needed a quick recipe of GF cookies with what I had in my pantry and they were a hit! Only one person was GF, but everyone loved them -even someone who doesn’t usually enjoy peanut butter. So a great cookie! They were chewy on the inside but a crispy enough exterior, and very easy to make. I added chopped chocolate in lieu of chips, and a few chopped almonds as well. I’m looking forward to trying it with other nut butters, hazelnut & chocolate chips (proper, I’ll plan ahead this time!) sounds great!!
Well, that was a surprise (in a very good way)!! I was expecting a dense, dry cookie, wrong! These are so nice and moist and soft and full of flavor! Yum!! After I was halfway thru the sample cookie, I had to run to the pantry and get a few raisins to sprinkle on topโฆ yep Awesome!! Iโm going to try adding some to the dough next time. One other comment. If you have a Danish whisk, this is the perfect time to dig it back out of the drawer. Makes all the steps easy, and fast!! Great recipe Sally!!
Sorry but these came out terrible. The texture was so weird even though I followed the detailed instructions.
I love these cookies. I would really appreciate the nutrional value along with the calorie count.
Hi Gloria, We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
These cookies are fantastic! The best gluten free I have had.
I usually love the recipes on this site, or rather they are very popular with my family, but this one was just okay. Too much baking powder aftertaste, the texture isn’t chewy because of too much peanut butter, and the flavors are bland. I made a double batch, followed the recipe exactly, and they look wonderful. The flavor is just meh. They would be better with some oat flour, maybe. I’m genuinely confused by the rave reviews. And I’m gf–never eat gluten–so maybe it’s because there aren’t many gf recipes on this site (that I’m aware of), so I haven’t really tried many of the cookies and cakes for myself.
My husband loved these cookies and I loved the easy recipe. Will make these a lot. Thank you