Although my mom rarely baked during my childhood, she still kept a kitchen shelf full of cookbooks and recipe clippings, the latter of which she organized into manila folders (for the full-page spreads) and 4×6” photo albums (for the smaller magazine and newspaper cutouts).
When I grew tall enough to climb onto the countertops, I’d lift myself up to pull down the cookbooks and flip through them, one by one, slowly soaking in the recipe titles and staring at the occasional pictures included in each chapter. I pulled down the big red books by Betty Crocker and Better Homes & Gardens the most—they had color photos!
If I lost track of time (or Mom didn’t find me sitting up there), I sometimes reached for the small photo albums to skim through. I usually flipped from cover to cover in a matter of minutes though. Without any images, those were pretty boring… Especially with so few desserts!
However, one clipping eventually caught my eye: a recipe for oatmeal cookies made with peanut butter and packed full of chocolate chips. Since it combined my three favorite cookie flavors (I was really indecisive, even back then!), I put the rest of the cookbooks back on the shelf, hopped off the counter, and asked Mom if we could make them.
She looked a little skeptical, mainly because I wasn’t supposed to climb on the countertops, but she agreed. So we pulled out the mixing bowls, measured out the ingredients, and baked a batch… And another the next week… And another… And another…
By the end of the summer, I practically knew the measurements by heart, and that little sky blue photo album with the teddy bear on the cover started to flip open to that particular recipe clipping near the center whenever someone pulled it off the shelf. Those were my favorite cookies!
However, that particular recipe called for not-so-healthy ingredients, so when I recently had a craving for those cookies, I created my own—and even used my homemade PB. These Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies turned out even better than the originals! Super soft, extra chewy, and packed full of two kinds of chocolate chips. They’re the things a Cookie Monster’s dreams are made of!
These cookies are a combination of my ultimate healthy oatmeal cookies and my ultimate healthy peanut butter cookies—perfectly peanut buttery with lots of chewy oats! Have you tried either of those recipes yet? There’s a reason both they and the rest of my clean eating oatmeal cookies are the most popular recipes on my blog… They’re just so darn good!
And they don’t actually taste healthy. Just chewy and sweet—exactly like regular cookies!
Because I often receive the same questions, let’s go over some tips and tricks. It’s really important to measure both the oats and whole wheat flour correctly, using a kitchen scale or the spoon-and-level method. I highly recommend a scale! They’re really inexpensive, and they guarantee that your baked goods will turn out perfectly with the proper texture every time. I own and love this scale.
Too much of either flour or oats will dry out the dough and make your cookies taste cakey or crumbly. This is especially true for the oats since they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture. So please please please, measure the oats and flour correctly!
Hint: If you prefer gluten-free flour, I included my preferred blend in the Notes section beneath the recipe.
Instant oats work best for these cookies. But no need for a special trip to the grocery store—you can make your own! Add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-15 times, or until they’re about half their original size.
For the sweetener, you may use honey, maple syrup, or agave. They all work just fine! I opted for honey in these oatmeal cookies because I love the way it tastes with peanut butter (did anyone else occasionally eat PB&H sandwiches growing up??). Since these three ingredients tend to be more expensive, you may also substitute brown sugar and milk in their place. Readers have had success with stevia and milk as well.
Unlike most of my oatmeal cookie recipes, this peanut butter version doesn’t require chilling. That means you’re half an hour closer to eating dessert! They don’t spread while baking either, so you must flatten the cookie dough to your desired thickness and width.
Remove the cookies after no more than 14 minutes in the oven. They will look and feel slightly underdone—that’s good! This is my secret to extra soft and chewy cookies: pull them out a little early, then let them cool on the warm baking sheet longer. This trick allows the cookies’ centers to continue cooking through without the outsides turning crisp or crunchy. The cookies should stay chewy for at least a week if baked this way!
Now… Who’s bringing the milk?
My newly released Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook is full of sweet and healthy recipes like these oatmeal cookies! Learn more and get your copy here!
| Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured correctly & gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (64g) homemade peanut butter
- ½ cup (120mL) honey
- 2 tbsp (28g) dark chocolate chips
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) miniature chocolate chips
- Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla. Mix in the peanut butter until smooth. Stir in the honey. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of miniature chocolate chips. (If the cookie dough is very wet, similar to the texture of very thick muffin batter, then chill for 30 minutes.)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to the desired thickness and width. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal. To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times.
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and a gluten-free flour blend. I recommend the following blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum.
Any natural-style creamy peanut butter may be substituted in place of the homemade easy blender peanut butter. The only ingredients in the peanut butter should be peanuts and salt. (Oil is fine as a third ingredient.) Do not substitute crunchy peanut butter; the cookies will turn out too dry and cakey.
If you prefer, pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted in place of the honey. You may also substitute ½ cup (106g) brown sugar plus ¼ cup (60mL) of milk. Any milk will work.
For all other questions regarding the recipe, including ingredient substitutions, please see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ + Video page.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
More peanut butter oatmeal cookies from other food bloggers…
♥ Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies by Bakerita
♥ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies by Mandy’s Recipe Box
♥ Butterfinger Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies by Sally’s Baking Addiction
♥ Chunky Monkey Oatmeal Cookies by Whole and Heavenly Oven
I have creamy unsalted natural peanut butter from Trader Joe’s instead of the creamy salted natural peanut butter. Should I adjust the amount of salt I put in the recipe?
If you like a bit more salt in your cookies (I definitely do!), then yes — go ahead and add a tiny bit more! The cookies will also taste fine if made with the same amount of salt as in the original recipe. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these Emily!
This is a keeper recipe! They were quick and easy to make. I weighed the oats, flour PB, and chocolate chips to ensure accuracy of calories. I did cut the honey to 1/3 cup and it was plenty sweet. I’ve spent a lifetime keeping my weight in the normal range and am careful with my advancing age 55+ not to let it get away from me. However, I do not deprive myself of dessert every night after dinner. The thing I liked best of all, is that the recipe only makes 15 cookies! Plenty for empty-nesters to share for the week. Kudos Amy for a terrific cookie recipe!
I’m so glad you loved these cookies Donna!! That means the world to me that you’d call this recipe a keeper — I’m truly honored! Thank you!! 🙂 I’m the same way; I want to eat something sweet for dessert every night too!
Hi Amy! I don’t usually bake and I don’t usually go out of my way to find healthy recipes, but I wanted to bake some healthy cookies for my health-conscious boyfriend, so I found your recipe and I’ve made these cookies four or five times now with a few different variations! I want to change them up though and make the cookies chocolaty instead of adding chocolate chips. Do you have any ideas for how I can incorporate unsweetened cocoa powder into this recipe to give them a chocolate twist? Thanks so much for your help!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying these cookies Diana! That means so much to me! 🙂 Do you want the cookie dough to have both cocoa powder and peanut butter, or do you want purely chocolate cookies? Just want to make sure I give you the best advice possible!
Hmm, I suppose I’d like the cookies to have both peanut butter and cocoa powder, but I’m really open to making them purely chocolate cookies too if you have another recipe like that! I guess mainly I just want to make sure they’re healthy, chocolaty, and taste good haha. Thanks so much!
It’s my pleasure Diana! If you’d like purely chocolate cookies, then follow this recipe of mine instead! You can omit the nuts and coconut, if you and your boyfriend aren’t fans, or you can replace those with extra chocolate chips. 😉 If you’d like to have chocolate + peanut butter cookies, then use this recipe and replace ½ cup (60g) of flour with ½ cup (40g) of unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutched or special dark cocoa powder!). I can’t wait to hear what you think of either version! 🙂
Thank you so much!! I’ll try making them this weekend! I’m sure they’ll be delicious 🙂
It’s my pleasure Diana! I’m so excited to hear how they turn out!! 🙂
I just made these and I’m so happy with how they came out! I ran out of honey so I only used about half the amount but they were still so good! Definitely satisfied my sweet tooth and with less guilt than ice cream 😉
I’m really glad you enjoyed these cookies Amanda! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Hello, if all I have is crunchy peanut butter, how do I compensate so the cookies don’t turn out “dry and flaky?”
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Julie! If you add a few teaspoons of milk, that should help. Make sure you measure all of the ingredients correctly too! (A kitchen scale is especially useful here!) 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
Hi Amy,
Your recipe sounds delicious! Unfortunately I have a mild reaction to peanut butter. Could I replace it with almond butter and follow the rest of your recipe accordingly?
Absolutely! I’ve actually done that exact thing here. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies Ana!
This recipe is SO good! I honestly don’t enjoy these any less than a “regular” sugar filled cookie. Such a great option for someone who is carb conscious like me. Thank you for the recipe!
Oh my goodness — that means SO much to me, Emily!! I’m truly honored that you’re enjoying these cookies just as much as “regular” ones. That’s the best kind of compliment there is. Thank you for taking the time to let me know!! 🙂
Have you ever made these with only 1/4 cup of honey rather than 1/2 cup? I’m really wanting to cut back on sugar.
Hi I’m not very keen on sugar (try to cut out as much as I can) but I made with 1/2 cup of maple syrup and I have to say it’s so much enough!! The sweet is tender and moderate, not too much like other recipes and I absolutely love it. So I think if you make with only 1/4 cup of honey, it would be a bit lack of sweet but since I used maple syrup, I can’t really say for honey 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed these oatmeal cookies, Cami! Thanks for taking the time to let me know — it really means a lot! 🙂
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Tinesha! I actually have, and I’ve shared that recipe here. It’s slightly different from this one and the cookies definitely turn out less sweet, but thy have the same texture as these if you use that recipe that I just linked for you! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if try either this recipe or my “half sweetener” version!
Amy, I used almond butter and the brown sugar + milk substitute for the honey. They came out great! I love the taste because it isn’t too sweet and It has a nice light taste to it. The texture is lovely. 10/10 would bake again 😊
Oh my goodness, Cynthia! Those are the BEST compliments, if you’d rate these a 10/10 and already know you’d want to make them again. Thank you for taking the time to let me know — that really means a lot!