Flourless Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Um, I think I may have found my new favorite cookies… right here within my own kitchen. Hear me out: flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips enveloped in a soft and chewy cookie dough that’s sweet and a little salty. 

I vaguely remember how I stumbled upon the inspiration for these little balls of delight: I figured that if I could make a peanut butter oatmeal bar, it shouldn’t be that difficult to make a spin-off… and so, here we are! 

I present to you: the most satisfying gluten-free peanut butter oatmeal cookies. 

I used to only fully enjoy cookies during the Christmas season (does anybody still leave cookies out for Santa?) because the ones I’ve had were always way too sugary, crumbly and dry. 

But these ones? Their flavors are well-balanced. They’re crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside. I’d be happy to have them all year round! 

If I haven’t convinced you yet, these cookies are so easy to make. This is the most fool-proof cookie recipe for beginners to veteran bakers. Simply mix the ingredients with a whisk and a bowl – no stand-mixer required, hooray! Roll the dough into small balls and bake them. It comes together in less than half an hour, plus baking time – not even kidding! 

Is This Recipe Gluten-Free? 

These flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies will be a hit with your gluten-intolerant friends as it is a 100% gluten-free and dairy-free recipe. 

These cookies are free from wheat, rye, or barley. Instead of using regular wheat flour, I have used old-fashioned rolled oats. Rolled oats are naturally free from gluten, but may contain traces of wheat, so to be completely safe, you simply need to use gluten-free rolled oats. 

Other recipes have omitted using any oats at all, which seems to produce a really dense cookie batter made entirely of peanut butter and chocolate chips. However, the oats make the cookies a little fluffier and give it more volume. 

If you are looking for other gluten-free desserts, be sure to check out my flourless banana chocolate chip muffins recipe. 

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe makes 15 to 18 gluten-free peanut butter oatmeal cookies. Let’s start with the wet ingredients: 

• Creamy peanut butter – For this recipe, I like to use natural creamy peanut butter instead of the chunky types with lots of sugar, oil and preservatives. Natural peanut butter, such as almond butter, is nothing more than blended nuts and salt. 
• Dark brown sugar – Pack a ¾ cup with dark brown sugar which will give these cookies a rich molasses flavor that tastes sweet yet slightly burnt. I’ve tried using coconut sugar in this recipe and it is just as yummy.  
• Pure vanilla extract – And of course, this cookie needs to have some vanilla in it. Measure 1 ½ teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
• Eggs – To moisten and hold the dough together, we will need 2 large eggs, whisked. 
  • Pro Tip: This recipe can be easily made vegan by substituting eggs with flax eggs. Mix one tablespoon of flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water and let it sit in the fridge to make one flax egg. 

Now, for the dry ingredients: 

• Rolled oats – Instead of wheat flour, we will use ¾ cup of rolled oats (either regular or gluten-free oats).
• Chocolate chips – Grab your favorite bag of baking chocolate chips! I use ¾ cups of mini chocolate chips for a 1:1 ratio with the oats. 
• Pro Tip: There are so many kinds of chocolate chips, like semi-sweet, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and various sizes. I simply prefer the cute, petite ones!

• Baking soda – Measure ½ teaspoon of baking soda. These help the flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies to rise in the oven. 
• Sea salt – Use sea salt flakes as an optional topping after cookies are out of the oven.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

• Pro Tip: This recipe makes 15 cookies and we will need to leave 2 inches between each cookie dough on the sheet. If you don’t have a large baking sheet, simply use two medium baking sheets or bake the cookies in batches.  

Step Two: In a large bowl, mix together the oats and baking soda. Set aside.

Step Three: In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Mix in the peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with a large rubber spatula until smooth.

Step Four: Add in the dry ingredients to make the cookie batter, then gently fold in the chocolate chips. Your cookie dough is ready! 

• Pro Tip: This dough can be frozen for future use. See Storage Instructions for details.  

Step Five: Roll the cookie dough into 2-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly flatten the top of the cookie with your hand to encourage the cookies to spread more while baking. (Don’t worry if the cookie dough is quite sticky – that is quite normal with this recipe due to the peanut butter.)

Step Six: Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes and remove them from the oven when the edges just begin to turn a golden brown. 

• Pro Tip: The cookies may look a little undercooked, but they will continue to cook once you remove them from the oven. 

Step Seven: Let the cookies cool down for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt flakes and serve.

Storage Instructions

To store baked peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies: 

Baked cookies should be sealed tightly and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. Over time, they will start to dry and the moist texture will begin to turn crunchier. 

To freeze cookie dough for future use: 

Planning to create a cookie stash for emergencies? I’m all for it – especially when the emergency involves sweet, baked goodies that’ll have anyone grinning from ear to ear.

Once you have mixed the wet ingredients with dry ingredients, roll the dough into 2-inch balls. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze them until solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months. 

When ready to serve, arrange the cookie balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet to thaw and bake at 350°F.