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!
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. I originally published this recipe in 2014, and have made a few slight updates since. The cookies aren’t nearly as crumbly, and the peanut butter flavor shines! The recipe below reflects my updates.
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 prepare—only 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
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 here—my 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. 😉
- 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. 🙂
PrintFlourless 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 rubber 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 350°F (177°C). 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 up—the 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.
- Bake for 12–14 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.
- 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 | 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.
High-protein, “healthy” cookie! I tried the breakfast cookies looking for a healthier cookie but those were not for me (texture was too weird). THESE cookies are my idea of a breakfast cookies- high protein (did the math, about 4g per cookie) and very little sugar. I have been doing lots of baking lately and have settled mostly on this cookie now- I don’t feel too bad if I eat 3 or 4! Also happy if my toddler eats one or two for breakfast! I haven’t found that chilling the dough is necessary- baked both chilled and unchilled and didn’t notice a difference. Have also used 1/2 crunchy PB and 1/2 smooth PB and that works just as well as all smooth- gives a little extra crunch. 10/10 recommend to those looking to cut back on the sugar, butter, and flour!
These are a firm family favourite. We love this recipe and so easy to make. Thanks!
I was so intrigued by this recipe so I decided to make it. I followed the recipe but added extra cinnamon and vanilla. I found the recipe a little dry and not very sweet which I thought was weird. The dough was quite greasy and I expected them to be moist. I did not over cook them. I enjoyed the texture … a little crispy on the outer edges and soft in the middle.
Hi Colleen, thank you for giving these cookies a try! The particular peanut butter you use can make a difference in the texture and taste of the cookies. A different brand and/or type of peanut butter may give you better results, should you wish to try the recipe again.
These are delicious! They are extra soft and they spread nicely. I baked them for exactly 13 minutes.
I followed this recipe exactly, ingredients, chilling time etc. They DO NOT spread! They were a major disappointment as they were dry mounds.
Delicious and so easy!!
If the cookies did not set, it’s likely they were slightly underbaked and could use a few additional minutes in the oven. Thank you for giving them a try!
These turned out amazing! My husband was skeptical but even he loved them!
This is a tasty recipe. I followed it exactly – except I used my stand mixer. I recommend using cooking spray on the cup you use to measure the peanut butter. Also, I glopped the dough onto a long piece of plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and rolled that up to put the dough in the fridge. This made it very easy to cut off cookie sized pieces to bake.
Loved these flourless oatmeal cookies! I did substitute palm sugar for the brown sugar, added 1/2 very ripe banana to the peanut butter and added half no sugar dark chocolate chips and half dried cranberries (soaked in warm water 10 minutes). Moist and flavorful. Thank you Sally!
Delicious. They turned out great. My batter was a bit moist so I added a couple of tablespoons of ground oat flour.
These are fantastic! So easy and delicious!
Thank you, Sally, for another great cookie recipe! I followed the ingredient list exactly. I LOVE the fact that I can weigh the ingredients for accurate measuring! Baking notes: I used a #60 cookie scoop to make 40 cookies – baked at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. I used Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts Creamy Natural Peanut Butter – a women-owned Ohio company! My husband loved the combination of the ingredients!
My two year old kept asking for cookies and I didn’t have any butter! I was on Pinterest for an hour before I came across this recipe. We gave it a whirl, and boy are we impressed!
I can’t believe it doesn’t have flour or butter! I ran out of brown sugar so I had to use white. I was kicking myself for that one because I knew it would be great with that molasses flavoring, but it still came out just perfect. This is now a household staple recipe. Thank you so much for sharing! ❤️
I love your notes! Thanks for adding these! I am enjoying that you have ideas for not adding sugar, too. Thanks for all that you do for us. If I used quick oats, because I happen to have a lot of them now, would that possibly work?
Hi Patricia! 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 our chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies instead. They’re great with either type of oats, and are also gluten free!)
This recipe is awful. I used it because I couldn’t find the one b I use all the time. Brought almost all home from a gathering. Only one person ate one..
Here’s the recipe was looking for. Extremely good. https://iambaker.net/flourless-pb-chocolate-cookies/#wprm-recipe-container-90553
Good Morning! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Will I be able to duplicate the same outcome if I carefully use an electric mixer? I do not have the strength anymore in my arms and hands to accomplish the mixing by hand.
Thank you – We have thoroughly enjoyed everyone of your recipes that we have made!
I hope you are having a wonderful day!
Hi Tricia, you can absolutely use an electric hand mixer. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Thank you for the ability to “Jump to the Recipe”. I always want to see the ingredients before reading (and falling in love) with the recipe.
Can these be made in a 9 x 9 pan or double it and make in a 9 X 13 pan?
Hi Samuel, we haven’t tested this recipe as cookie bars, so aren’t sure how it would turn out. If you try it, please report back!
These are super yummy and bursting with peanut butter and chocolate. Mine turned out on the cakey side which I’m attributing to baking at altitude. Next time I will scale back the leavener.
I finally made a batch of this cookies yesterday! They are SO GOOD! I had only extra large eggs and the batter was a little wet. I added more oatmeal and it turned out so perfect! This recipe is a keeper for sure! Thank you so much!
So glad you loved the cookies, Chen!
Do you have a certain brand of natural peanut butter that you use or will any one that is just peanuts work?
Hi Kristy, I’ve tested these with Wegman’s brand natural peanut butter and Smucker’s brand. Any natural peanut butter where just peanuts (and salt is fine too) is the ingredient.
Best cookies I’ve tried in awhile and even better than the ones with flour!! These have great flavor and are really easy to make. I can’t believe how soft they are!
Do you think replacing the eggs with “flax-eggs” in order to make this a vegan recipe would work? Would another replacement work better? Trying to accommodate a newly vegan family member
Hi Eileen, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes to know what might work best, but let us know if you try!
Sadly the texture of these cookies isn’t the best easy to make- I microwaved the peanut butter first to soften it and then added sugar followed by the eggs. This made it much easier to mix together with a spatula.
The top is nice but inside the cookie is quite cakey
Damn!!! Best cookies I’ve ever made and I bake A LOT!!! These are my new favorite!!
So good! My best friend has dietary restrictions, and I am so excited to be able to make a delicious cookie for her. And my husband, who loves peanut butter, really loves these cookies too.
SO GOOD! I’m not able to eat a lot of cigar so I swapped out the brown sugar for swerve and these were absolutely delicious!!!! Thank you so much!
Hi! Your recipe looks fab and I’m itching to try it but I need help with something – how do I adjust the recipe if I cannot get my hands on old fashioned rolled oats and instead only have quick oats to work with? Thanks.
Hi Mev, We’ve used both quick oats and whole oats in these cookies with no adjustments – however we did have a reader try them with quick oats (which are more powdery) and have trouble with the dough crumbling. That hasn’t happened to us, but to avoid this issue with anyone else making these cookies – we suggest whole oats.
Made these for the first time yesterday. So delicious! I used Smucker’s Organic Chunky Peanut Butter, which was perfect for this recipe. The chunky PB added extra crunch. I also added 1 tsp vanilla extract and used 3/4 Cup of oatmeal, per note #3. Next I want to try using raisins or dried tart cherries instead of the chocolate chips. Looking forward to making this recipe on a regular basis and experimenting with variations. Thanks so much for publishing this recipe.
I baked these to look like jack o’lanterns. I used raisins for eyes, a dried cranberry turned sideways for the nose and halved pecans cut for jagged teeth. They turned out perfectly and our 4 yr. old granddaughter will love them when she comes for supper tonight! Thank you!