Healthy vegan cookies are made with just 4 ingredients - banana, oats, peanut butter, and chocolate chips for a quick and healthy snack you can feel great about giving the kids. Vegan and gluten-free!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
This post was sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
You're going to love these healthy vegan cookies! They are chewy, sweet, and filled with flavor in every bite. They are so good, you're not going to believe that they are made with just 4 easy ingredients!
Yep, these cookies are made from a combination of peanut butter, oats, bananas, and chocolate chips for a delicious and healthy treat that you can feel great about eating.
And best of all? This vegan cookie recipe is highly versatile! Feel free to swap out the chocolate chips for peanuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, or cranberries. Whatever you do you are going to love these easy vegan cookies.
Step-by-Step Recipe Video
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Nothing fancy to see here! This vegan cookie recipe requires only 4 easy-to-find ingredients; most of which you probably already have on hand! And this recipe offers a ton of variation!
Here is everything you'll need:
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Old Fashioned Oats - Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to brand of rolled oats and the only one I recommend. They offer a great selection of non-GMO whole grains to support healthy lifestyles for all. Read all about why I love Bob’s Red Mill below. Note: If you are gluten-free, make sure to look for Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats.
- Bananas - Use overly ripe bananas. This gives the recipe more sweetness and flavor while also being easier to mash and incorporate with the other ingredients.
- Natural Peanut Butter - Allergic to peanuts? No problem! This can be replaced with any nut or seed butter.
- Vegan Chocolate Chip - Feel free to swap these out for raisins, cranberries, or a variety of nuts and seeds.
My Go-To Oats
Bob’s Red Mill is a 100% employee-owned company, one of only 8,000 companies in the US to achieve this spectacular feat. If that weren’t enough to celebrate, they also have one of the largest lines of organic whole grain foods in the country.
For over three decades, the company has been committed to providing people everywhere with the best quality, whole grain foods available. All of their products are certified Kosher and made with ingredients grown from non-GMO seeds. Their minimally processed foods are about as close to nature as you can get, and they package everything in clear bags so you can see the quality of their products for yourself!
And you can taste the difference! These oats are thick, rich in flavor, perfectly textured, and simply the best on the market.
Find Bob’s Red Mill at your local grocery store to see why I’m such a huge fan of their fabulous product line.
Recommended Equipment
For this cookie recipe, you will need a mixing bowl, basic kitchen equipment, a baking sheet, silicone baking mats, and a wire cooling rack. (<<affiliate links)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Mash the Banana
First, place the bananas in a bowl and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon until mostly smooth. A few lumps are okay!
Pro Tip: Use overly ripe bananas. This gives the recipe more sweetness and flavor while also being easier to mash and incorporate into the remaining ingredients.
Step Two - Combine Ingredients
Next, add the oats and peanut butter. Stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips or your preferred mix-ins.
Taste and adjust. If the dough is too dry, add a little more peanut butter. If the dough feels too wet, add ¼ cup more oats.
Step Three - Bake the Cookies
Finally, drop spoonfuls of batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown on the outside with a thin crust.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Serve immediately as an afternoon snack or evening dessert. These cookies are healthy, delicious, and kid-approved!
Storing - Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Let thaw for 30 minutes before enjoying.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to use very ripe bananas. This adds sweetness to the recipe. Ripe bananas are also easier to incorporate into the batter.
- I use natural peanut butter which tends to be looser than conventional peanut butter. If you are using conventional peanut butter, consider adding ¼--½ more banana.
- These cookies are delicious on their own but also make a great base for so many add-in options. A few of my favorite add-ins are raisins, chia seeds, nuts, and vanilla extract.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! For a gluten-free cookie, use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Oats which are certified gluten free!
For sure! If you have a peanut allergy, or simply don't like peanut butter, you can swap it out for any other kind of nut or seed butter.
Because all nut butters have slightly different consistencies and bananas are different sizes, you may just need to make minor adjustments to get the right texture of the dough. If the dough is too sticky, add extra oats. If it's falling apart, you will need to add a little more nut butter. In the end, the dough should hold together easily without sticking to your fingers.
For sure! This recipe is highly versatile! Feel free to swap out the chocolate chips for raisins, peanuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Double Chocolate Cookies
Healthy Vegan Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Oats
- 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup chocolate chips, or mix-ins of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the bananas in a bowl and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Mash them until the bananas are mostly smooth. A few lumps are okay.
- Once the bananas are mashed, add the oats and peanut butter, stirring until everything is well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Taste and adjust. If the dough is too dry, add a little more peanut butter. If the dough feels too wet, add ¼ cup more oats.
Notes
- Make sure to use very ripe bananas. This adds sweetness to the recipe. Ripe bananas are also easier to incorporate into the batter.
- These cookies are delicious on their own but also make a great base for so many add-in options. A few of my favorite add-ins are raisins, chia seeds, nuts, and vanilla extract.
- If you have a peanut allergy, you can swap it out for any other kind of nut butter
- For gluten-free cookies, make sure to look for gluten-free oats.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
RAyo says
So yummy! I subbed the chocolate chips with sweetened cranberries for a little less sugar and less fat. I also like rewarming them before eating them by popping them in the microwave for 10sec.
Aimee B. says
These surprised me, lol! They are much tastier than I expected from a healthier cookie treat. I omitted the chocolate chips and opted for raisins. I also added in some cinnamon. Mt family enjoyed them and I would make them again. 🙂
Wout Thielemans says
These are excellent. Pro tip: you can also use unsweetened apple sauce to cut down on the peanut butter and make them a bit less calorie-rich.
Other options: add cocoa powder to the oatmeal to give a more chocolatey punch, and - though you may not want to do this if you are SOS - add some sea salt (big crystals) to the mix.
Jody says
Do these turn out with a "cake like" texture? I find baking cookies with banana makes them too soft, almost cakey.
Joanne McGrath says
Great little no-sugar snack!!! Love these. Thank you for giving us so many healthy alternatives, Sarah! 🙂
Natasha Bidsted says
So easy, loved it! It was late, I had overripe bananas and with ingredients already in my pantry within 15 min. I had yummy, healthy cookies.
LAMAR GAINES says
Nice Yummy 🙂
Debrata Viswas says
The simplest cookie one can find. Little ones love it. Thanks for sharing but except total calorie value nutritional facts are missing,
Stephanie says
Costco's Kirkland chocolate chips are vegan. They do have soy (for people concerned with allergies). I like these since I can buy them in huge bags. Also, my local coops all have vegan chocolate chips in their bulk sections for a zero waste option.
Lisa says
These were surprisingly tasty. I highly recommend them. Soft, chewy, simple, quick.
Margaret says
Hi. Love the simplicity of this recipe and can't wait to try it. Can the chocolate chips be replaced by raisins or something else? I don't eat chocolate. Thanks
Sarah McMinn says
For sure!!
Heathwr says
I have a batch of these constantly ready. They are a great pick-me-up snack. I take them with me to tennis matches and give them to kids after school. My husband eats them like bon bons. They are a very easy way to use up ripe bananas. My little extra is to sprinkle each with the tiniest bit of sea salt before the oven. The flavors explode when you eat them. I see someone adds extra protein powder, but this unnecessarily changes the taste and texture. In addition to all the protein from the PB, oats are nutrient dense, including protein. Even the banana has protein. We’ve been marketed to by businesses wanting to make us believe we NEED MORE PROTEIN...but, unless your lifestyle demands more, eating a balanced diet will get you what your body needs.
Jules says
Hi! Do you know that you've got a paragraph on the best oats to use for this recipe, and then in the recipe itself you list the wrong kind? Thought you'd want to fix it.
Sarah McMinn says
Thanks! I made the adjustment.
Miranda says
So easy! I also added some plant-based protein powder before baking to boost the protein.
S says
Can these be frozen?
Sarah says
Yeah, just freeze them in an airtight container.