Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
After one bite of these super thick, super soft, and super chewy cookies, you’d never ever guess that they’re totally guilt-free and good for you! These Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are packed with peanut butter flavor and hearty oatmeal texture, but they’re flourless, refined sugar free, and made without butter and oil!
Sadly, these cookies were a long time coming. I haven’t had the best of luck making cookies lately (this happens to me quite a bit) so it took five trials to perfect this recipe. All of the previous trials were not up to par… they were too crumbly, not chewy enough, not sweet enough, or would dry out the next day and turn into rocks. So sad.
Trial #1: A little dry, too thick and too firm
Trial #2: Rubbery in texture and I could taste the baking soda
Trial #3: Wasn’t sweet enough and felt like a muffin top
But then I remembered my Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies — the soft and sweet cookies perfect for the peanut butter lover out there. I have actually made the cookies at least once a month since I posted the recipe back in May. I was tired of making failed batches of cookies so I cheated and just copied my original Peanut Butter Cookies recipe and added rolled oats to it. It worked perfectly! 😉
Trial #4: Perfect, soft, and chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies! Not too sweet, not dry at all, not rock hard and certainly not crumbly.
These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are super peanut buttery, sweet and super rich. My sister tried one off the cooling rack and her eyes burst open. She said, “it’s SOOOO peanut buttery,” and took another bite, walking off with the cookie. My dad brought some to work and texted me,
Trust me, I did. I’m glad nobody noticed the two missing cookies that I snuck with me to the airport, shhhh!!
Goodbye, New York. Hello, Arizona!
Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 128g (½ cup) Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar/oil added)
- 123g (½ cup) Unsweetened Applesauce
- ½ cup + 1 tbs Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- 1 tsp Liquid Stevia Extract
- 180g (1½ cups) Peanut Flour
- 144g (1½ cups) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 128g (⅔ cup) Granulated Erythritol (or dry sweetener of choice)
- 16g (2 tbs) Ground Flaxseed
- 1½ tsp Double-Acting Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, applesauce, almond milk and stevia.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut flour, oats, erythritol, flax, baking powder and salt. Dump the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and fold together.
- Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to portion out the dough and place on the prepared baking sheets. Wet your hands with some water and flatten the dough rounds until they are the thickness you want.
- Bake for ~9-11 minutes, or until the surface of the cookies are firm, yet soft. Slide the Silpat/parchment paper off the hot cookie sheets and let cool completely.
When I calculated the nutrition facts for this recipe, I was pleasantly surprised! I wanted to see how it would compare to a typical (unhealthy) Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, so I compared it to AllRecipes’ Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. Comparing cookie to cookie, mine has:
- 130 fewer calories
- 10g fewer fat (with less saturated fat too)
- less sodium, half the carbohydrates, 5x the fiber and nearly 3x the protein
- NO cholesterol and NO added sugar
- ZERO grams of the dangerous/deadly trans fats (compared to 4g in the AllRecipes recipe!!)
While I know I am total bias and preferential to my own recipe, I think we can all see that my recipe is healthier than the AllRecipes recipe. Oh, and my cookies are just as delicious 🙂
You’ve gotta make these Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. They’re delicious, they’re jumbo-sized, and they’re secretly healthy!
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With love and good eats,
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– Jess
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Indulge − no strings attached!
Nice Job!! Btw: How long do they last on the counter?
Could I use almond butter and almond flour instead? I’m not really a peanut butter fan 🙂
GASP!! NOT A PEANUT BUTTER FAN?!????!!
Just kidding, I totally understand. I didn’t like peanut butter for about 15 years. Then I randomly spooned some out of a jar and fell in love 🙂
ANYWAYS, yes, almond butter will work just fine! Just note that the peanut flour gives off a peanut butter flavor. If you don’t like peanut butter then you might not like these cookies.
-Jess
Peanut butter!!!! Heck yes!
Do you think if I used unsweetened Vanilla coconut milk instead of almond that it would change the flavor?
Johnna D-
I don’t think using the coconut milk will change the flavor at all. Hope you like the cookies!
-Jess
THESE ARE SOOOO GOOD! I cannot believe they are so guilt free and sooo nutritious!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
Cristina R-
YAYYY I’m so glad you like the cookies!!! 🙂
-Jess
what can i use as a substitute for the peanut flour?
Nour-
I’m afraid there isn’t a good replacement for the peanut flour :/
It’s a pretty unique ingredient because it absorbs a lot of moisture (similar to coconut flour and oat flour) and provides a lot of peanut flavor. Sorry!
-Jess
could vanilla or almond extract be used in place of the stevia extract?
I’m afraid not in this recipe. 1 tsp of stevia extract has the same amount of sweetness of 1 cup of sugar but without the calories and sugar rush/crash. The stevia I use is organic and non-GMO 🙂
-Jess
i read your almond butter substitution comment, but you didn’t respond to the almond flour question-will almond flour work? And what about coconut flour?
Chloe-
Oops! I guess I was so baffled at the “not being a PB fan” fact that I forgot about the second half of the question 😉
While almond butter might work to replace the PB, almond flour will not replace the peanut flour 🙁
I haven’t tried using coconut flour in this recipe but you can give it a shot. I would recommend starting out by using 1/2 cup of coconut flour instead of the 1+1/2 cups of peanut flour (it tends to absorb a lot more liquid). If the dough is too wet, add an extra 1 tbs at a time until you get a fudgy cookie dough texture.
Hope these subs work out for you!!
-Jess
oh my they came out very crumbly, what couldve happened? the only ingredient i changed was peanut flour, i used coconut flour because thats what i had in the pantry… could it have made them dry? They taste great but aren’t holding up! Help
I’m afraid coconut flour doesn’t work to replace peanut flour 🙁
Coconut flour is a very crumbly flour, it’s usually used with a lot of eggs to help bind it up… and even then it’s pretty crumbly. Coconut flour is best used in cakes, like this Coconut Flour Vanilla Cake!
Peanut flour is pretty absorbent, like coconut flour, but not as much. It also acts as a binder, kind of like oat flour or flax.
I think the three flours that can’t ever be replaced are coconut flour, peanut flour and oat flour. They’re super finicky but totally worth using in the end 🙂
I hope this helps!
-Jess
I’m gonna try out this recipe this week! Can I leave out the stevia extract by using sweetened almond milk and up the amount of sweetener to 1 cup (coconut palm sugar)?
I haven’t tried this recipe without the stevia extract but I think replacing it with the 1 tsp of almond milk and 1 cup of coconut sugar will work out just fine 🙂
I hope you like the recipe!!
-Jess
Trying tonight after a successful fudgy brownie adventure. I actually used whole wheat flour for the brownies but I’m going to switch to pastry flour next time bc my bf said he could feel the wheat?? what? lol
I was wondering if one of your failed batches had included a trial with egg or egg replacer/egg beaters? I was curious what that would do to the texture.
Chelsea-
Yay! I’m glad the brownies worked!
Whole wheat pastry flour has a less intense flavor, so your bf might like the flavor of that better 🙂
I hope you tried the cookies and I hope you liked them!
I haven’t had any success with egg replacers in cookies, but they work (most of the time) in cakes/cupcakes/muffins. These cookies are pretty dense and fudgy, so if you want a fluffier cookie you can try replacing the ground flaxseed and the almond milk with 2 large eggs.
I haven’t tried that but I hope it works!! 🙂
-Jess
They were delicious! My neighbor gobbled up 2 of them, his 3 yr old tried to stuff the whole smaller one I made him in his mouth til his dad caught him and broke it in half… which he stuffed whole in his face haha. I also added semisweet chips bc… it combines 3 of my hunny and I’s fav cookies so yum! so. so. yum. I was only curious about the no egg bc they seemed so dense I will try your suggestion next time and let you know how it goes but I know you only post the things that work and I haven’t been disappointed yet!
Made my own peanut butter last night, hopefully my local Sprouts has hazelnuts (I have yet to find them alone at my local grocer) so I can do the better-than-nutella-nutella-spread 😉
Next adventure is the homemade pop tarts I hope to try this weekend if I can get to the store for pastry flour. My local grocer was out when I was there the other day… (what?! lame).
I might be addicted I admit but being able to work out, stay on my diet, while getting to do something I love that reduces my stress has been really good for me this week. I love cooking and baking but I’ve been burnt out cooking dinner every night. These recipes have been just the right recharge I needed. I’m making Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon this weekend since the weather has turned! wish me luck and thank you for sharing your delicious success stories with us! 🙂
Chelsea-
Oh good I’m glad! Your 3 year old sounds like a pretty awesome little man 😉
Great idea with the added chocolate chips, I think I’ll try that next time I make these.
And yes, I hope Sprouts has hazelnuts! We must be on the same page because I have hazelnuts on my grocery list too (I’m about to go on an all out “Nutella” recipe development challenge next week)
I’m so you’ve found balance and something you love that reduces your stress level — we all need that!
Good luck on the boeuf bourguignon. I hope it’s easier to make than to spell 🙂
-Jess
I really want to make these but just to get a batch started I would spend $76.40. And I would not have even started to buy peanut butter, apple sauce, or the almond milk! $$$$$$$$$ 🙁
Bob’s Red Mill Flaxseed Meal, 16-Ounce (Pack of 4)
From Bob’s Red Mill
Price: $19.77
Stevia Clear Liquid Extract 4 oz. Limited Quantities
From SweetLeaf
List Price: $24.99
Price: $16.34
Protein Plus, Roasted All Natural Peanut Flour, 32 oz (907 g)
From Protein Plus
Price: $16.49
NOW Foods Erythritol Pure Sweetener, 16 Ounce Bags (Pack of 3), Package May Vary
From Now Foods
Price: $23.80
You’re listing prices for 4-packs and bulk packs of everything. I buy these because I bake a lot and it’s more cost-effective for me (also lasts a super long time), so I’d suggest you just buy a 1-pack.
Hello! Would like to make these cookies but am confused as to the peanut butter flour. Can PB2 be used for the peanut butter flour? I have never used either products so am unsure if that is a good switch. Have you used PB2??
I have enjoyed perusing your website. Will attempt the Nutella. Thank you for all your efforts. Beautiful website!!
Sandra-
I’ve never used PB2 but I know it’s basically peanut flour with added sugar and salt, so you can use that instead if you like. Hope you like the cookies! 😀
-Jess
I used 1 tsp vanilla extract instead of the 1 tsp stevia extract, 2 Tbsp whole chia seeds instead of the flax, and used 1/2 cup xylitol (I need some extra bacteria-fighting power for my teeth!) instead of the 2/3 c erythritol. These were absolutely AMAZING. An absolute keeper.
They made me think a lot of chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies. I’m going to add 1/4 c cocoa powder next time I give it a whirl (I’m thinking the batter wouldn’t be too stiff, considering it’ll make up for the missing sweetener I didn’t add).
Thanks for my new favorite PB cookie recipe!
YAY!!! So glad you liked the cookies! Thanks for letting me know how those substitutes worked out 🙂
That chocolate version sounds so tempting, I think I gotta try that some day! <3
Thank you thank you thank you – my daughter has cfs and because she is allergic to so many things I have been going crazy trying to find her a filling and nutritious snack. It doesn’t help that she is a ferociously hungry teenager and a foodie to boot! This recipe is SO GOOD! She loves the cookies and I see us making this many times a week. Sending much love your way from a frazzled mom.
Awwww I’m so glad you liked the cookies!! That just made my entire week 🙂