Peanut Butter Oat Cookies: Just 3 Ingredients and No Flour!

Sometimes you want a cookie right now, and you do not want to dig out the flour, the butter and the mixer. These peanut butter oat cookies need just three ingredients and one bowl. You will be eating warm cookies in about twenty minutes.

The ripe banana holds everything together and adds sweetness, the oats give the cookies their chew, and the peanut butter brings that rich nutty flavor everyone loves. There is no flour at all.

This is the kind of recipe my grandmother kept in her head. Mash, stir, scoop, bake. That is really all there is to it, and it is a great one to make with children.

Time and servings

Prep time: 5 minutes. Baking time: 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 12 small cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, the skins should be well speckled (about 240 g peeled)
• 1 1/2 cups (135 g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (125 g) smooth or crunchy peanut butter
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of salt, a handful of raisins or chopped nuts

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork until they are almost smooth. A few small lumps are fine.
3. Add the peanut butter and stir well until the mixture looks creamy and even.
4. Stir in the oats, and the cinnamon and salt if you are using them. Mix until all the oats are coated. The dough will be sticky and a bit loose.
5. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. The oats will soak up some moisture and the dough becomes easier to shape.
6. Scoop a heaped tablespoon of dough onto the baking sheet. Repeat, leaving about an inch (2.5 cm) between cookies.
7. Flatten each cookie gently with the back of a spoon or a fork. They will not spread much in the oven, so shape them the way you want them to look.
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the tops look set.
9. Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes. They firm up as they cool.

Tips for better cookies

Pick bananas that are really ripe. Green or pale yellow bananas make a bland cookie that is also harder to bind. If yours are not ripe yet, bake them in their skins for 15 minutes until they turn black, then cool and mash.

Use a peanut butter that is made only of peanuts if you can. A very oily one that has separated needs a good stir in the jar first, otherwise the dough will be greasy.

For softer cookies, use quick oats or pulse half the oats in a blender for a few seconds. For chewier ones, keep the old-fashioned rolled oats whole.

Fun variations

• Chocolate chip: fold in a spoonful of dark chocolate chips after mixing.
• Apple and cinnamon: add 1/4 cup of finely diced apple and a teaspoon of cinnamon.
• Nutty crunch: stir in chopped walnuts or peanuts for extra texture.
• Different butter: almond butter or sunflower seed butter works in the same amounts, and the second one is good for nut-free lunchboxes.

Storage

Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They also freeze well for a month. Warm one in the microwave for 10 seconds and it tastes freshly baked.

Why these cookies work

The banana is sticky once it is mashed, so it glues the oats together like a binder would. The peanut butter adds fat, which keeps the cookies tender and stops them from drying out in the oven.

Because there is no flour, there is no gluten to develop. You can stir the dough as much as you like and the cookies will still turn out soft and chewy, never tough.

Serving ideas

Pack two in a lunchbox, crumble one over a bowl of yogurt, or sandwich a little extra peanut butter between two cookies for a weekend treat. They go well with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of tea.

Frequently asked questions

Are these cookies really flour-free?

Yes. There is no wheat flour in this recipe. The oats and the banana make the structure. If you need them gluten-free, check that your oats are labeled gluten-free, since oats are often processed alongside wheat.

Why are my cookies falling apart?

The dough probably needed more banana, or it did not rest long enough. Mash one more small banana into the dough, wait five minutes and shape them again. Let the cookies cool fully before you lift them off the pan.

Can I use old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats?

Yes, and they give a chewier cookie. Quick oats make the cookie softer and more uniform. Both work well, so use whichever you have in the cupboard.

How sweet are they?

They are lightly sweet, a bit like a breakfast cookie. The banana is the only sweetener. If you want a sweeter treat, add a few raisins or chocolate chips rather than sugar, and the cookies stay simple.

Can I make the dough ahead?

You can keep the dough covered in the fridge for a day. Scoop and bake when you are ready. The oats keep absorbing moisture, so the dough gets thicker, and you may want to flatten the cookies a little more.

Final thoughts

Three ingredients, one bowl and a short bake. That is all you need for a batch of peanut butter oat cookies.

Make a double batch, because they disappear fast.