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Home » Recipes » Sweets & Desserts

Peanut butter oatmeal cookies (GF)

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: Mar 10, 2025 | Published: Oct 29, 2020
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Peanut butter oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy and full of peanut butter flavor. They take just 20 minutes to make using on-hand ingredients and are naturally gluten-free. They make a great lunchbox treat or midday snack!A stack of peanut butter oatmeal cookies on a white plate with a glass of milk in the background

I have some peanut butter fanatics in my house. Both my kids love the stuff.

But in true kid form, they have preferences on their brand of peanut butter. No, I’m not kidding. My daughter likes one kind, my son likes a different one. Of course.

So in addition to always having plenty of peanut butter on hand, I always have plenty of TWO kinds of peanut butter on hand.

(Thankfully, they don’t care what I bake with and can’t taste it after. It only matters when it’s served straight up, like for peanut butter toast or peanut butter sandwiches.)

Here are a few of our favorite peanut butter recipes:

  • Peanut butter banana baked oatmeal
  • Whole wheat peanut butter banana bread
  • Whole wheat peanut butter banana muffins
  • Creamy peanut butter yogurt dip

And today, I’m so excited to share these peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

Peanut butter oatmeal cookies on a cooling rack

They are so soft and chewy and just filled with peanut butter flavor.

They remind me so much of the lunch line cookies we used to have at school. It’s like an old fashioned peanut butter cookie that will just give you all the cozy vibes.

(And have you coming back for seconds and thirds!)

And they are super easy to make! About 10 minutes to mix up the batter and another 10 minutes to bake them off.

Also, we’re using just very basic ingredients here, so you’ll be able to whip these up anytime you like. (I know I do!)

(Oh, and if you’re looking for a PB cookie recipe using flour, not oats, check out these classic peanut butter cookies. They are from my friend Mary’s cookbook and are so good!)

OK, let’s get to baking.

A large metal cooling rack with baked cookies scattered over it A white plate full of oatmeal peanut butter cookies with scattered oats and a spoonful of peanut butter nearby

Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up on how to make peanut butter oatmeal cookies. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on peanut butter oatmeal cookies:

  • We’re making cookies on the big side. You’ll do about 1 ½ tablespoons for each cookie and they spread out quite a bit while they bake.
  • The recipe calls for quick oats and they make the best texture for these cookies. Only have old fashioned rolled oats? No worries, you can pulse those a few times in the food processor to break them down a bit and then they’ll work perfectly.
  • You’ll need 2 baking sheets, each with 10 cookies, to make all of these at once. (Or double the recipe and do it in two batches in the oven!)

A plate full of old fashioned peanut butter oatmeal cookies and teal napkins underneath A stack of peanut butter cookies on a white plate with a glass of milk in the background

Quick warning: This is a wet, sticky dough. It’s supposed to be, so don’t worry. The cookies will bake up just fine. (The oats absorb a lot of that extra as they bake.)

You can wet your fingers with a bit of water to work with the dough if needed.

Also to note: As is, these cookies are completely gluten-free. Just make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.

And I must point out that peanut butter is in the title of this recipe, so yes, ahem, it does contain peanuts.

If you have an allergy or want to send one of these to a peanut-free school, you could certainly try making the cookies with almond butter or another alternative nut butter instead.

A hand picking up a large cookie from a stack of cookies on a white plate

As for storing, the extras will keep, stored in a plastic container or plastic bag, at room temperature for up to a week. I seriously doubt they’ll last that long though.

Whether for a lunchbox treat, an afternoon snack or an evening dessert, I hope you give these peanut butter oatmeal cookies a try.

I think they'll be a fast favorite in your house.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

A stack of peanut butter oatmeal cookies on a white plate with a glass of milk in the background
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Peanut butter oatmeal cookies

Peanut butter oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy and full of peanut butter flavor. They take just 20 minutes to make using on-hand ingredients and are naturally gluten-free. 
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Yield: 20 cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350.
  • Beat the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the peanut butter and beat again until well combined.
  • In a separate small bowl, combine the quick oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir well to combine.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix together by hand until well combined. The mixture will be wet and sticky.
  • Scoop the batter onto an ungreased baking sheet, using about 1 ½ tablespoons per cookie. (You’ll need two baking sheets, each with 10 cookies, to make the entire batch.) Wet your fingers if needed to help transfer the batter without it sticking to you.
  • Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until the cookies are brown around the edges and set in the middle.
  • Let sit on the baking sheets for a few minutes to cool slightly before moving. (They’ll be soft and crumbly right out of the oven but they set up as they cool, so don’t move them too quickly.)
  • Store, covered, at room temperature for up to a week.

Notes

The recipe calls for quick oats and they make the best texture for these cookies. Only have old fashioned rolled oats? No worries, you can pulse those a few times in the food processor to break them down a bit and then they’ll work perfectly. You'll need a little more than 1 ½ cups to make 1 ½ cups of measured quick oats. (Also, be sure not to pulse the oats into oat flour. Just want it broken up a bit.)

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
A stack of peanut butter oatmeal cookies on a white plate with a text overlay on the photo

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julia

    November 01, 2020 at 9:13 am

    For non USA cooks what does a cupful actually weigh? I can not work out how much butter to use as I have a pat of solid butter not a bucket of soft butter. Thank you

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      November 02, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      Hi Julia! I use pats of solid butter, too. One cup is 8 ounces or 16 tablespoons. I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Julia Baker

        November 02, 2020 at 3:14 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
  2. Monika

    November 02, 2020 at 10:37 am

    Will the natural (nothing added) peanut butter work?
    I have crunchy, natural...

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      November 02, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      Yes, that should be fine because we have enough sweetness and salt that even a peanuts-only ingredient list type of peanut butter should be fine. I'm not sure about a crunchy version versus smooth, however. It might affect the texture a bit. Would love to hear if you try it!

      Reply

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Meet Kathryn

Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

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