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
Mary T says
They are so easy to make and delicious! I Earth Balance Peanut butter made with coconut oil and added dark chocolate chips...Amazing!
Thank you for the recipe!
Sarah says
Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Teresa says
I was looking for a healthy alternative to my very delicious chocolate chip cookies and this was it!
I only had regular oatmeal , so I lightly pulsed in my food processor. I measured out 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas , (about 2 1/2 bananas). Added 1 Tablespoon of ground flax and a pinch of Himalayan sea salt . I doubled the amount of chocolate chips to 1/2 cup and ooolala...a healthy yet sweet tooth satisfying treat...thank you for your inspiration!
Lisa says
Made these again tonight, and this time I added shredded coconut, vanilla, and chopped walnuts. They are soooo good!! The combo was a wild success, tons of flavors, a little crunch, and still so healthy! Will make these again and again.
Andrea foster says
Would you be able to freeze them or are they best just refrigerated
Sarah says
You could freeze these. That would be find.
Denise says
Just made these for the first time. I used Crazy Richard's peanut butter so no sugar and added a few drops of vanilla extract and a handful of dried coconut flakes, not the sweetened ones. They're fabulous!! A keeper for sure.
Sarah says
So glad they were a hit. Thanks for sharing your modifications. I've gotta try these with coconut! Sounds wonderful.
Patricia says
Love this recipe - thank you. Second batch this week is in the oven as I write this.
Second round vanilla and cinnamon was added, not for it was needed, we just wanted to experiment.
?????? Simple, healthy, and delicious ??????
(Unfortunately, I cannot seem to get the 5 stars to highlight, via iPad)
Sarah says
Thanks Patricia. I'm glad to hear it's a hit!
Sandy says
What are the calories per cookie? I need a breakfast that I can eat in the car while driving. These sound perfect.
Sarah says
I don't have a calorie count on them. If you do the math, let us know what you come up with!
Kelli says
I used almond butter, a splash of vanilla, and a pinch of salt. I also added an egg for richness and cohesion. Great base recipe. I'm sure my gluten sensitive friends will love these.
swag says
Yummy I added cocoa powder and work just fine
Sarah says
Nice! Thanks for sharing!
Heather C says
Thank you! We are not vegan, but I am always on the lookout for gluten free recipes for my niece who is allergic. Me and my kids loved this (I did add some cinnamon and maple flavor)!
Sarah says
Glad it was a hit!
Maria says
THIS IS AMAZING!!! I loved it! Might take the chocolate chips out cause its too sweet for me, but this is amazing! Thank you
Sarah says
Thanks, Maria. You could try adding raisins next time instead of chocolate chips if you're looking for something a little less sweet.
Olga says
I made them! They were delicious! Even my picky daughter liked them. Thank you!
Sarah says
Glad they were a hit! Thanks for sharing, Olga.
plasterer bristol says
wow these sound awesome. Thanks so much for this recipe. can't wait to make these.
Simon
Rob says
I just made these - double recipe- added a teaspoon of baking soda and an egg ( not a vegan) nice and healthy treat. We shall see if the teen boys like them but I do:-). Note to the others - don't over think it - add what you want, refrigerate, etc. use common kitchen since and all will be good:-). Thank you for this simple delicious treat!
Vanessa says
Very very good and so easy to make. Perfect healthy snack for my toddler. It is perfectly sweet and there is not even sugar in it! 15 minutes was perfect for cooking time. I will also try to replace the peanut butter with almond butter and chocolate for coconut next time. No guilt snack 🙂 Definitely my new go to recipe for healthy cookies.
Carly A. Siegel says
I made these tonight with unsweetened tahini, added a bit of cinnamon, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. They are PERFECT! Moist, sweet but not overpowering, and with a slight savory hint of sesame. Yum!