Banana Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies
These easy Banana Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies are naturally sweetened, flourless, and perfect for breakfast or snacks. A wholesome recipe made with simple ingredients including bananas, oats, honey and peanut butter.
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If you’re looking for a simple, wholesome treat that tastes like a cookie but gives off breakfast vibes, these Banana Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies are for you.
Made with just a handful of pantry staples, these soft and chewy cookies are naturally sweetened, packed with fiber, and full of satisfying peanut butter flavor. They’re perfect for busy mornings, lunchbox snacks, or an afternoon pick-me-up when you want something homemade and delicious.
Best of all? There’s no added sugar, no flour and no fuss.
Why You’ll Love these Banana and Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies were born out of my need to use some bananas that were going bad on the counter, and they check all the right boxes:
- Made with simple, everyday ingredients
- Naturally sweetened with bananas and a little honey
- Gluten-free friendly (just use certified gluten-free oats)
- Great for meal prep
- Freezer-friendly and kid-friendly, too
- Perfect way to use up overly ripe bananas
They’re hearty enough to count as breakfast cookies, but tasty enough to feel like a real treat.
The Secret Ingredient: ‘Banana Bread Bananas’
This recipe is my new favorite way to use what I call banana bread bananas – those overly ripe bananas sitting on your counter that are too soft to eat, but you feel bad for tossing.
You know the ones: brown, wrinkly skin and almost too soft to touch. They might look ugly, but these bananas are naturally super sweet … and that’s the best part.
Along with the bananas, this recipe requires a rather short ingredient list of things you might already have on hand: old-fashioned oats, peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. Chocolate chips are optional.
While banana bread is the classic go-to – I often buy bananas and wait for them to become ready for banana bread – these Banana and Peanut Butter Cookies are a fantastic alternative when you don’t feel like making a full loaf.
Can I use Fresh Bananas Instead of Ripe Ones?
Yes! I’ve tested both ripe and fresher bananas, and the results are very similar.
- Overly ripe bananas will make the cookies sweeter and softer.
- Fresher bananas (fully yellow with just a few brown spots) will result in a slightly firmer texture and a less sweet flavor. My recommendation is to mash these for just a bit longer.
Either way, the recipe works beautifully, which makes these cookies incredibly flexible for whatever bananas you have on hand.
Make-Ahead Breakfast & Meal Prep
If you’re in a season of prepping breakfast ahead of time, these cookies are great to make on the weekends alongside other grab-and-go favorites. Consider making breakfast cookies, this easy sheet pan omelet and make-ahead breakfast potatoes for a mix-and-match morning routine.
Easy Ways to Customize the Recipe
One of the best things about these Banana Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies is how adaptable they are. Feel free to get creative and make them your own.
You can stir in extras like:
- Dark chocolate chips, included in the recipe card
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins
- Chopped nuts
- Shredded coconut
My rule for add-ins here is to use no more than about 1 cup total to keep the cookies from falling into pieces.
Storing and Freezing TIps
These cookies are great for meal prep and store really well.
- Refrigerator: Once baked and cooled – and the first one is eaten – store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Just thaw in the fridge or pop one in the microwave for a few seconds for a quick grab-and-go breakfast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Just swap the honey for maple syrup or agave to make the recipe completely vegan-friendly.
Not at all. Almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter would all work well in this recipe. I recommend using the most natural nut butters, with single-ingredient variations yielding the best results.
Because these cookies don’t contain flour or butter, they won’t spread like classic cookies. That’s why you gently press them down to shape before baking.
Definitely. The chocolate chips are completely optional. The cookies are delicious with or without them. I personally think the combination of peanut butter, banana and chocolate adds a nice well-rounded flavor.
Whether you call them breakfast cookies or Banana Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies, these snackable treats are easy, wholesome and satisfying any time of the day. You might also like these no-bake Pecan Date Bites, which are also great to have on hand.
Make a batch of both on Sunday as part of your meal prep, and enjoy them all week long.
Banana Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¾ cup natural peanut butter, or almond butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Add the bananas to a large bowl and mash well with a fork.
- Add in the oats, honey, cinnamon, salt, melted coconut oil, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips (if using). Stir until everything is fully combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop to drop about 10 to 12 cookies onto the two baking sheets.
- Gently press each cookie down with the back of a spoon or your fingers. These cookies won’t spread on their own while baking.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This was a quick and easy recipe that my whole family enjoyed! My 14 month old even nibbled on some too! I like that the recipe doesn’t call for sugar, it makes me feel a little less guilty for grabbing 1-2 I will definitely be making this again!
It’s definitely one of those recipes I keep coming back to again and again. So glad to hear it worked well for you, too.
My family loved these – even my youngest and pickiest eater! I love that I can whip these together even during a chaotic school morning, they are that easy!
These are definitely the perfect before or after school snack. I’m so glad to hear this.