These 3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies are super easy to make and healthier than traditional cookies. Perfect for kids, parties and even adults! I love cookies. They’re the perfect sweet treat. If you’re with me, then you’ll love these 3 ingredient no bake peanut butter cookies. Serve them warm and they go great with a glass of cold milk. Bake up a batch today!
PEANUT BUTTER NO BAKE COOKIES- JUST 3 INGREDIENTS!
Easy and delicious peanut butter no bake cookies made with just 3 ingredients! Made with peanut butter and oatmeal, these soft and chewy cookies are a healthy and wholesome dessert, ready in minutes!
3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies recipe. 1 bowl, 5 minutes, and 100% vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free.

Growing up, there were two standard cookies that would be made weekly. Either the 3 ingredient flourless peanut butter cookies or classic no bake cookies.
MY OTHER RECIPES
Now, I wanted to re-create the classic no bake cookies, but with a healthy spin on them- A recipe for no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies!
This recipe actually came together quite quickly, when I was going through my pantry staple ingredients.
A friend of mine asked me for a quick and easy cookie recipe, that required no baking and used cheap and affordable ingredients. I thought this would be the perfect recipe for her, as it is pretty foolproof, and uses simple ingredients you probably already have for breakfast- oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup!
Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
Now, classic no bake cookies tend to be made with milk, sugar, and butter, but mine?
Well, let’s see.
Peanut butter no bake cookies without milk, no granulated sugar, and without butter.
Yes, you read that correctly. They contain none of the traditional ingredients but you’d never tell.
Taste-wise, they are LOADED with peanut butter flavor, and with a natural sweetness, thanks to the maple syrup.
Texture-wise, they are soft, chewy, and stable at room temperature. I mean, nobody wants a no bake cookie that falls apart.
How do you make peanut butter no bake cookies
- Melt your peanut butter and maple syrup. Either use a microwave-safe bowl or a small saucepan. Combine your peanut butter with maple syrup and heat up/microwave until the peanut butter melts. Whisk is well, to combine them both.
- Fold through your oats. Add your oats and mix well, until a thick and sticky batter remains.
- Form balls and press. Lightly wet your hands and form 12-15 balls of dough. Place on a lined plate or tray, and press down each one into a thick, cookie shape.
- Refrigerate. Place the cookies in the fridge for at least an hour, to firm up.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Peanut Butter– You must use smooth and drippy peanut butter. Drippy peanut butter refers to peanut butter than can literally be poured from the jar onto a spoon or into a bowl. Try to use either all-natural or slightly salted. If you’d like to use another nut butter, smooth almond butter or cashew butter will work well.
- Maple Syrup– The maple syrup provides sweetness, but also compliments the peanut butter well. If you’d like an alternative, agave nectar and honey will also work. Be wary though, if you want these to be 100% vegan, honey is not suitable.
- Rolled Oats– These give the cookies the slightly chewy texture, while still being soft. For ultra-soft cookies, you can replace this with quick-cooking oats, which are often used for classic no bake cookies.

Can I make these without peanut butter or nuts?
Easily substitute the peanut butter for a nut-free alternative, to keep these cookies nut-free. Oh, and perfect for lunchboxes!
My two favorite nut-free spreads to replace peanut butter in all my recipes (that call for peanut butter) is either sunflower seed butter or tahini. They both have the same texture as peanut butter, but slightly different flavor profiles.
Can I bake peanut butter no bake cookies?
Well, I suppose you could, but they won’t have a particularly good texture, as they are designed to be un-baked!
Flourless oatmeal cookies, peanut butter oatmeal cookies, and no flour cookies are much better alternatives, with similar ingredients.
Can I make no bake peanut butter oat cookies without oatmeal?
It doesn’t use oatmeal, but still only has 3 ingredients AND takes 5 minutes.
Storing and Freezing Tips
- To store: As these cookies are a little fragile, I recommend keeping them stored in the fridge, in a sealable container. They will remain fresh for at least 2 weeks. Simply remove from the fridge 5-10 minutes before eating, or if you are packing it in a lunch box, wrap it up and place it in there directly.
- To freeze. Place leftover cookies in a ziplock container and place them directly in the freezer. They will keep well frozen for at least 6 months.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
The BEST easy peanut butter no bake cookies made with just 3 ingredients! Secretly healthy and refined sugar free, they take 5 minutes to make! Vegan, Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Servings: 24 Cookies
Calories: 97kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter * See notes
- 3/4 cup maple syrup ** See notes
- 3 cups rolled oats gluten-free, if needed
Instructions
- Line a large plate or tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl or in a small saucepan, combine your peanut butter with syrup and heat until the peanut butter has melted. Whisk together until combined.
- Add your rolled oats and mix very well, until fully combined and sticky.
- Lightly wet your hands. Form 24 balls of dough and place on the lined plate or tray. Press each ball into a cookie shape.
- Refrigerate the cookies for at least an hour, to firm up.
EASY 3 INGREDIENT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
These homemade cookies are soft, fluffy and full of creamy peanut butter with sweet sugar and a large egg, it is that simple. Only 3 Ingredients to make these deliciously desirable cookies!

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
These 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies are creamy and dreamy! Just what you are looking for to hit the cookie spot. They are so soft and moist that every bite literally melts in your mouth. There are seriously only 3 ingredients! Can you believe that?! These cookies are one of my favorites and for good reason. They are so simple to make and bake up perfectly every time. They are thick, rich and chewy. Full of peanut butter flavor and tastes so good with a big glass of cold milk. I literally make a batch of these and they are gone within minutes. I have learned quickly to double this cookie recipe and make sure that I always have some hidden for me to savor when the kids are in bed.
It is easy to double this recipe and make 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies any time you are needing a quick cookie. These are adorable and with only 3 ingredients that are a staple in the pantry and refrigerator. 3 Ingredient peanut butter cookies are light on calories and can be as low as 93 calories per cookie. These cookies are sweet and delicious. Add a drizzle of chocolate over top or some chocolate chunks to add the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Make these 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies over and over again, they are always a favorite!
Ingredients for 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies:
Yes! Only 3 ingredients for these peanut butter cookies. They are quick and easy to make and delicious warm right out of the oven. With only 3 ingredients these cookies are cooked in minutes and so delicious. Even save the cookie dough for later.
- Sugar: I used white sugar for this recipe but you can also use brown sugar in replace.
- Peanut Butter: Creamy is my favorite. It is rich and full of flavor.
- Egg: Simply whisk a large egg together to add to the peanut butter cookie dough.
How to Make 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies:
3 Ingredient peanut butter cookies are perfect for making a quick cookie recipe at any given time. They are light, fluffy and thick, rich cookie that has the perfect peanut butter balance. Once they are cooked golden brown in oven enjoy warm with a cold glass of milk.
- Mix the 3 ingredients together: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine sugar, peanut butter, and egg until smooth.
- Roll the peanut butter dough: Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Using a fork, make a criss cross pattern and lightly press on top of the cookie dough.
- Bake the peanut butter cookie dough: Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Enjoy!
What is the Best Peanut Butter to Use?
A creamy peanut butter is best. Natural peanut butter or an oil free peanut butter is not best. The texture and oils turn out too be too soft and doesn’t form. Here are a few of my favorite peanut butters for this 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies.
- JIF
- Skippy
- Peter Pan
- Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter
- Generic Store Brand Peanut Butter
Why Do Peanut Butter Cookies have Fork Marks on them?
The fork marks on peanut butter cookies are there to help flatten as well as design the peanut butter cookies. The 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies have more of a density because of the peanut butter texture. With the fork markings pressing down on top of the cookie dough before they are being baked help the cookies bake more evenly.
To make the fork marks, first roll the peanut butter cookie dough into a ball and place on a greased cookie sheet. Gently press down on the peanut butter cookie dough with a fork then turn the fork and press again in another direction creating an X mark with the fork. The are fluffy and chewier plus bake evenly with the help of the fork marks.
Tips for Making 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Ingredients:
- White sugar: Substitute brown sugar with the white sugar or do half and half for added sweetness.
- Egg: Add an extra egg for a lighter texture. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the peanut butter cookie dough since it will be stickier with the extra egg.
- Chill: Place in the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes once the peanut butter cookie dough is mixed together. This will help keep the cookie dough from spreading on the cookie sheet while baking.
- Toppings: Add chocolate chips, chocolate chunks or drizzle warm chocolate frosting over top the 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies.
- Sandwich Treat: Spread vanilla frosting or vanilla ice cream on one side of a peanut butter cookie then make a sandwich with another peanut butter cookie on the other side.
- Baking: It is best not to over bake peanut butter cookies. For soft and chewy peanut butter cookies under baking them is best.
3-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
Insanely delicious, tender, perfectly sweet peanut butter cookies made with just 3 ingredients! No baking required, easy to make, and the perfect snack or dessert!
PREP TIME10 minutes
TOTAL TIME10 minutes
Servings (cookies)
CourseDessert, Snack
CuisineGluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly1 month
Does it keep?1 Week
Ingredients
COOKIES
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 Pinch sea salt (optional)
- 3/4 cup medjool dates (pitted // measured after pitting)
- 1/2 cup natural salted peanut butter (creamy or crunchy // ingredients should just be peanuts + salt // we like Wild Friends brand)
CHOCOLATE GLAZE optional
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil (melted// measured after melting)
- 3 Tbsp cacao powder (sifted // or sub unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup (plus more to taste)
- 1 Pinch sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Add oats and salt (optional) to a food processor and blend into a flour. Add dates and blend for 30 seconds more or until finely chopped. Add peanut butter and blend until a dough forms.
- Scoop out 2-Tbsp amounts of dough and carefully form into mounds. Place on a parchment-lined pan or tray. Optional: Use the back of a fork to create a cross hatch on the top of the cookies (see photo).
- Enjoy as is, or prepare chocolate glaze (optional) by mixing ingredients in a bowl and whisking until smooth. Dip the cookies in (about halfway), let excess drip off, and place back on parchment-lined pan or tray. Freeze 10 minutes. Then dip again for extra thick shell. Chill again. Enjoy.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month. The chocolate shell can get soft at room temperature, so it’s best to store them in the refrigerator.
Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)
Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 164.5Carbohydrates: 24.5 gProtein: 3.8 gFat: 6.2 gSaturated Fat: 1.2 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.35 gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.79 gTrans Fat: 0 gCholesterol: 0 mgSodium: 3.9 mgPotassium: 229 mgFiber: 2.9 gSugar: 16.2 gVitamin A: 74.98 IUVitamin C: 0 mgCalcium: 22.51 mgIron: 0.56 mg