These 1-Bowl Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies are soft, chewy, and naturally sweetened with bananas and maple syrup—no flour or refined sugar needed. Made with old-fashioned oats, creamy peanut butter, and crunchy cashews, they’re a wholesome, protein-packed option for busy mornings.
These peanut butter breakfast cookies are such a great recipe, my kids loved them! Having a pre-made breakfast option ready to go makes our mornings run more smoothly! I will definitely be making these again.
-Becky
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Bailey's Thoughts ...
You’re picturing something dry, maybe a little crumbly, probably trying too hard to be healthy. These are not that. These 1-Bowl Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies are soft, chewy, and taste like the best parts of an oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, but, you know… for breakfast. They’re easy, naturally sweetened, and, in my house, always gone within 24 hours.
Warm, nutty peanut butter. Soft mashed bananas keeping things just the right amount of sweet. A little cinnamon, a little crunch from the cashews, melty chocolate chips if you’re feeling fancy. No flour, no refined sugar, no weird ingredients—just a handful of pantry staples turning into something far greater than the sum of their parts.
Want to make these even easier? Use ripe, spotty bananas—they mash like a dream and bring the perfect level of sweetness. If your peanut butter is on the dry side, warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave to make stirring easier. And while these bake, resist the urge to overdo it—pull them when the edges just start to turn golden. They’ll stay soft, even straight from the fridge.
– Bailey
P.S. If peanut butter and bananas are your thing, you need to try my Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bars. Same energy, different format, still ridiculously good.
Ingredients
Old-fashioned oats: Choose old-fashioned oats for the best chewy texture—quick oats will make the cookies too soft, and steel-cut won’t work.
Cinnamon: Adds warmth and depth to the flavor.
Creamy peanut butter: Regular peanut butter works best for the right texture—natural peanut butter can make the cookies drier and more crumbly.
Pure maple syrup: Use 100% pure maple syrup for the best flavor—skip the artificially flavored pancake syrup.
Bananas: Ripe with plenty of brown spots for natural sweetness and easy mashing.
Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet works best, but milk or dark chocolate are great options depending on your preference.
Cashews: Buy roasted, unsalted cashews for the best flavor and crunch—if using salted, reduce the added salt slightly.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mash the bananas with the back of a fork until smooth. Chop the cashews into small, pebble-sized pieces.
Step 2: Mix Ingredients. n a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, peanut butter, maple syrup, mashed banana, and cashews. Use a rubber spatula to mix until fully incorporated and the dough is evenly combined.
Step 3: Add the chocolate chips. Gently fold the chocolate chips into the dough using a rubber spatula, making sure they are evenly distributed.
Step 4: Scoop cookies. Use a large cookie scoop to portion out 12 equal-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. This helps ensure even baking.
Step 5: Flatten and shape cookies. With damp hands, press each mound into a round, compact cookie shape. These cookies will not spread much in the oven, so shape them as you want them to look once baked.
Step 6: Bake cookies. Bake until the edges turn golden brown. Avoid overbaking, as it can make the cookies crumbly. Let them cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.
Top Tip
Press the cookies firmly with damp hands. Since these won’t spread much in the oven, shape them exactly how you want them before baking. Compacting the dough also helps them hold together.
Substitutions
Old-fashioned oats: No substitute. Quick oats will make the cookies too soft, and steel-cut oats won’t work due to their hard texture.
Cinnamon: Substitute with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for a slightly different but complementary flavor.
Creamy peanut butter: Substitute with an equal amount of almond butter or cashew butter. Keep in mind that almond butter is typically thinner and may result in a slightly softer cookie, while cashew butter has a more neutral flavor. Stir well before using if the nut butter has separated.
Pure maple syrup: Substitute with an equal amount of honey or agave syrup. The flavor will be slightly different, but the sweetness and texture will remain the same.
Bananas: Substitute canned pure pumpkin at a 1:1 ratio. The cookies will be less sweet, but the texture stays soft and chewy.
Chocolate chips: Swap with an equal amount of chopped chocolate, white chocolate chips, or dried fruit like raisins or cranberries for a different texture.
Cashews: Replace with an equal amount of chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts for a similar crunch and flavor.
Variations
Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats, as regular oats may be cross-contaminated with gluten.
Nut-Free: Substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter and replace cashews with pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Dairy-Free/Vegan: Use dairy-free chocolate chips or swap them for cacao nibs, chopped nuts, or dried fruit to keep the recipe completely dairy-free and vegan.
Higher Protein: Add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds or hemp hearts to the dough for an extra protein boost without changing the texture.
Make-Ahead: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week. They also freeze well—store in a single layer and thaw as needed.
Storage
Refrigerate: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week for extended freshness.
Freeze: These cookies freeze well. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator before eating.
Equipment
Cookie Scoop - a large cookie scoop is something I use often. This one is the perfect size to make these cookies.
FAQ's: Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
They’re made with real, simple ingredients—oats, peanut butter, bananas—so yes, they’re a solid choice for a grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Packed with fiber, protein, and healthy fats, they’ll keep you full without the sugar crash. Just don’t eat the whole batch in one sitting (though no judgment if you do).
You probably baked them a little too long, or your peanut butter was on the drier side. Pull them when the edges just start turning golden—don’t wait for them to look fully done. If the dough feels dry before baking, add an extra tablespoon of mashed banana to bring back the moisture.
Wouldn’t recommend it. The base of these cookies is already nut-based, so swapping in sunflower seed butter won’t make them nut-free anyway. Stick with peanut butter or almond butter for the best texture and flavor.
Recipe
Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 large cookies
Description
A step-by-step recipe for making 1 bowl peanut butter oatmeal breakfast cookies. A simple recipe requiring just 8 simple ingredients and 15 minutes prep time.
Ingredients
- Old-fashioned oats (2 cups | 180g)
- Cinnamon (1 teaspoon | 2g)
- Salt (1 teaspoon | 6g)
- Creamy peanut butter (1 cup | 256g)
- Pure maple syrup (¼ cup | 60ml)
- Bananas, mashed (2-3 medium, about ¾ cup | 180g)
- Chocolate chips (¾ cup | 130g)
- Cashews, roughly chopped (½ cup | 60g)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mash bananas (¾ cup) with a fork until smooth. Chop cashews (½ cup) into small, pebble-sized pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, combine old-fashioned oats (2 cups), cinnamon (1 tsp), and salt (1 teaspoon ). Add creamy peanut butter (1 cup), pure maple syrup (¼ cup) , and mashed bananas (¾ cup), chocolate chips (¾ cup) and cashews (½ cup) . Stir with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
Use a large cookie scoop to portion out 12 equal-sized mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
With damp hands, press each mound into a round, compact cookie shape. The cookies will not spread much during baking, so shape them as desired before placing them in the oven.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. Do not overbake, as this can make the cookies dry and crumbly.
Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before serving or storing.
Notes
Refrigerate: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week for extended freshness.
Freeze: These cookies freeze well. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator before eating.
Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats, as regular oats may be cross-contaminated with gluten.
Nut-Free: Substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter and replace cashews with pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Dairy-Free/Vegan: Use dairy-free chocolate chips or swap them for cacao nibs, chopped nuts, or dried fruit to keep the recipe completely dairy-free and vegan.
Higher Protein: Add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds or hemp hearts to the dough for an extra protein boost without changing the texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 253
- Sugar: 8.1 g
- Sodium: 93.4 mg
- Fat: 13.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.8 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies:
Corey
Any suggestion for a substitution for the bananas? I'm allergic but these sounds so good otherwise.
Alice
In most of these recipes that call for mashed banana, you can substitute an equal amout of applesauce. I've done it and it works well.
Bailey Sissom
You can sub canned pumpkin at a 1:1 ratio and it works perfectly!
Fino Caraco
Looks delicious! It would be great if you could include the metric version of the recipe for those of us who prefer weights to measuring.
Barbara
Can I substitute honey for the maple syrup?
Bailey Sissom
I think that would work perfectly:) That said.. I haven't tried it so cannot guarantee. If you give it a shot, let us know here in the comments. I'm sure others have the same question.
Alice
Any chance of nutritional information?
Becky
These peanut butter breakfast cookies are such a great recipe, my kids loved them! Having a pre-made breakfast option ready to go makes our mornings run more smoothly! I will definitely be making these again.