Peanut Butter, Banana, Honey & Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Healthy gluten-free, honey-sweetened, oat-based cookies made with peanut butter, banana and chocolate chips! Everyone loves these sweet little treats.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 19, 2024
Hello from Portland! There are quite a few states between me and the peanut butter cookies in my freezer right now, but I’m looking forward to cookies when I get home. Which reminds me, I miss my Cookie! I’ve been a little overwhelmed by all the city hustle and bustle that I have experienced over the past few days. I’m looking forward to some quality Cookie and Kate time when I get back.
I made these cookies for Jessica’s virtual baby shower. I haven’t met Jessica yet, but I feel like I know her (especially after listening to her chat with Jessica Lively!). I’ve sung her praises before so I’ll try to contain myself here. Her baby is going to have one sweet, creative and hilarious mama.
Jessica loves to “trash up” her favorite base recipes by adding about as many flavors as possible. So I went ahead and added as many of my favorite flavors to these cookies as I possibly could (plus some sprinkles for good measure!). I think Jessica will approve.
If we’re being honest here, I really wanted these cookies to be served as one giant skillet cookie. After my fourth skillet cookie crumbled on me, though, I said good riddance. Skillet cookies are sort of inherently exciting and celebratory and I would hate to dash your hopes with messy, crumbling slices. Lucky for me, everyone loves a good cookie, and these are some good cookies.
I hope you’ll give these honey-sweetened, oat-based, peanut butter everything cookies a shot soon, whether you need a simple dessert to bring to friend or just need a treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
1 tablespoon cookie scoop (unnecessary but very handy for scooping out evenly sized cookies)
Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet (I used two)
Peanut Butter, Banana, Honey & Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Healthy gluten-free, honey-sweetened, oat-based cookies made with peanut butter, banana and chocolate chips! Recipe yields about 36 small cookies.
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey or real maple syrup
- ½ cup natural unsalted peanut butter*
- ⅓ cup mashed overripe banana (about 1 medium banana)
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted, or ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats, ground for 30 seconds in a food processor or blender
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Optional: 2 tablespoons sprinkles, plus more for sprinkling on top
- Optional: Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with two racks near the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (if you don’t have parchment paper, lightly grease the baking sheets).
- Measure out the honey and peanut butter—I found this easiest to do in a small liquid measuring cup. Add honey to the ½ cup line, then add peanut butter until you reach the 1 cup total liquid line.
- Pour the honey and peanut butter mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the mashed banana and melted butter and whisk until the mixture is well blended. Use your whisk to beat in the egg, scraping down the side of the bowl once it’s incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Switch to a big spoon and stir in the ground oats, rolled oats, chocolate chips and sprinkles until they are evenly combined. Drop the dough by the heaping tablespoon (a small cookie scoop is perfect for this) onto your prepared baking sheets. I added a few extra sprinkles on top for good measure.
- Bake the cookies, reversing the pans midway through (swap the cookies on the top rack with the cookies on the lower rack) until they’re barely set and just beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 16 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the pans. If desired, sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt now.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my maple-sweetened peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
*If your peanut butter is salted: Reduce salt in recipe to ½ teaspoon.
Make it nut free: I suspect that sunflower seed butter would work (sunbutter), although the end result will vary in flavor (for sure) and potentially in texture.
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats and oat flour.
Make it dairy free: Substitute coconut oil for butter and use non-dairy chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life brand.
Make it egg free: Substitute a flax egg for the regular egg.
Make it vegan: Substitute a flax egg for the regular egg, coconut oil for the butter, and make sure to use non-dairy chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life brand.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Ciao bella,
I’ve trying to find a good and healthy cookie recipe for my little one Aurelio (18months) we use to play-run on the beach and he use to walk-run for 1,400kilometro without any help! So a baby athlete needs of course a cookie for his “merenda” after play and spread lots of energy. I’ll cook today definitely.
greetings from Siracusa (Italia) where the life is really Bella :)
These turned out great! I added gluten free baking mix to it, too. Thanks for posting. :)
I DID make this recipe and I’m very pleased with the results. I used coconut oil and reduced the chocolate chips a bit (1 cup). I didn’t add any sprinkles, but DID sprinkle a bit of salt flakes on the cookies after I took them out of the oven. Next time I might add dried cranberries to introduce a bit of tart flavour! I really like using honey for the sweetener – it’s the best!
Just made these this morning. LOOOVE them!!!! Thanks for the great healthy recipes.
made these this morning ! they’re amazing !! the batter looked a little thin so i added a 1/2 cup of shredded coconut! mmmm.
Just made these. They are fantastic! My husband got a large paper plate and loaded it up. I’ll have to make more! Great job
Not sure what happened to my batch but they turned out crumbly. My 3 year old had a hard time eating them. They did taste delicious as I ate 6 before I could get them into the container haha
These are just what I was looking for today. I don’t do peanut butter though. Do I need to sub another nut butter or do you think there’s another ingredient that I could add in? Thanks. I’m excited to try those combo!
Hey Jill, I think you would need to sub another nut butter.
Thanks for the reply! I’ll try almond butter I think.
Decent cookie. If you can help yourself do not use coconut oil as you still have to use an eggs and that is dairy. Also, coconut oil overpowers the other flavors. I added a 1/2 tsp. of nutmeg since it is fall and wanted to add a nuttier flavor. Coconut still overpowered the flavor. Love all the ingredients involved and can’t wait to try this with butter instead.
Hi .. I have been looking for a healthy cookie receipe seems that I found it! But wanted to ask u what can I substitute banana with ? Let me know so can start baking! Thanx
Hi Karishma, I’m not exactly sure as I’ve always used banana. You might try yogurt.
Hi Kate.. I baked them with banana they were yum! My son loves them.. But I had an issue my cookies have cracks in them.. What could be the issue for that .. After making the dough I kept it in the refrigerator to cool for 20 min.. Is that the reason? I want to make another batch hence wanted to know about my mistake.. What can I do to rectify it !
Thanx
I’m newly committed to eating whole foods — cutting out white sugar, white flour, eating more leafy greens (including learning to love kale), etc. — so I did a search on “white whole wheat flour cookies” and found your wonderful blog. A few days ago I made these cookies with almond butter, and they were so amazing I immediately texted my sisters, nieces and daughter-in-law with the link. Prior to this effort I was feeling discouraged about finding good baking recipes, and now I’m feeling so inspired. Thank you! I love your site.
This recipe is just wonderful! I actually made two batches, omitting the chocolate chips in the second, as my four year old daughter isn’t keen on them, and just added 1/2 cup more oats to keep everything together. I used coconut oil and skipped the sprinkles altogether. They turned out great, everyone loved them! And while this might like an overkill, I had mine with hot cocoa made with almond milk and maple syrup and they go so so good together! Thank you!
Holy moly, these are very very good! Great alternative to a traditional cookie and perfect for when you need a 3pm sugar fix and don’t want your hand to wind up in the chocolate chip bag…again… I subbed in a flax egg for a real egg (just didn’t have eggs in the house) and they turned out awesome.
Oh my goodness, I feel you on the afternoon chocolate chip grab! So happy these satisfied your craving :)
Hey Kate,
I’m planning on making these for my dad tomorrow, but he absolutely HATES bananas. Is there anything else I can substitute them for?
PS: The addition of sprinkles is genius!
Oh no! So, those bananas operate like an oil would in the recipe. Is he okay with apples? If so, I’d try switching out the mashed banana with applesauce, or another fruit puree that he can tolerate. Let me know how it works out!
Love these! They are tasty simple and we feel a lot better eating these than most other cookie recipes. We love them refrigerated, hot out of the oven they are good, but they are dynamite after they are cooled off in the fridge for awhile. We use 60-70% dark chocolate chips. They are a perfect energy booster in the afternoon with a cup of coffee. Thanks Kate!
Great! I’m so glad you love these, Rich. That sounds like the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
These were so good! I substituted almond butter for peanut butter since that’s what I had, and threw in some shredded coconut in place of some of the oatmeal. Just finishing one now as an afternoon snack. Great, flexible recipe!
these are wonderful! I just put the whole thing in a pan and baked like a bar and it turned out really good. I love these!
Yum! Sounds great, Laurie.
Can I mix it in my vitamix?
Cookie batter is so thick that I’m doubtful it can be mixed in a Vitamix. These cookies come together in one bowl, though, so they’re pretty simple!
Can I substitute another banana or flax egg or gelatin for the egg?
I don’t see why not, Sinei! I haven’t tried it myself, but commenter Devan says that they turned out great with a flax egg. I say go for it!
These are very good! My dough was a bit wet so I gave it a short time in the fridge before scooping. I scooped one pans worth and put the remaining dough in the fridge while they baked. The second batch held their shape better so next time I’ll refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes before scooping and baking. I used honey, butter, salted PB (so only 1/2tsp additional), bittersweet chocolate chips and cooked one tray at a time turning once. We love them!
Great! Thanks for all the notes on this, Heather. These are super helpful.
Can’t wait to try this! Heading to my kitchen now!
Let me know how it goes, Suz!
This is a great Peanut Butter, Banana, Honey & Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe Kate, as you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely! Thx for sharing!
I made these last night and I loved them. So did my husband and the kids too. Thanks so much :)
Thank you for posting this recipe! These cookies turned out great – (whereas so many healthy recipe don’t always turn out!) My husband (who doesn’t like “healthy” food) really liked these cookies and I feel great giving them to the kids! Made a big batch to take camping!!! Such a relief to find a good recipe that doesn’t turn out wet or mushy or with funny texture! But still gluten free, dairy free, and paleo if you swap almond butter for the peanut butter!
Hi Kate,
I am a teacher and run a healthy cooking club for students after school. Due to food allergies, all recipes need to be peanut and nut-free. However, these cookies look so great and fun, and I think they’d be a great option to show kids they eat healthy and still have yummy, delicious treats. Is there any way I could avoid using peanut butter and instead use sunflower butter as an alternative? I appreciate any feedback. Thank you so much!
Warmly,
Jessica
Hi Jessica, I’m sorry for the slow response! I think sunflower butter will work pretty well. I just haven’t tried to be sure. I have more cookie recipes here.
Hi Kate,
I just made this recipe – it was absolutely delicious. I used coconut oil, and maple syrup, only because that’s what I had in my pantry. Also, I used 1 cup of mini chocolate chips. That amount was plenty of chocolate. I’d venture to say 1 1/2 of mini chocolate chips would be too much.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Welcome, Heidi! Thank you for your review.
Gorgeous pictures. I made these peanut butter banana honey oat chocolate chip cookie for the super bowl party and it was a crowd favorite. I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you and you’re very welcome, Jill!
Hi! I just found this recipe while searching online and gave it a go – OMG! The cookies taste amazing – thank you!! They’re so soft and delicious! My kids loved them too. We’ve eaten six between us in the space of three minutes!! Thank you
Wonderful!! I bet they were very worth it, Fatema. Thank you for sharing! Enjoy the rest of the batch.
These cookies are amazing! Absolutely in love, my new go to! Need to stop eating 5 a day tho..
It’s so hard not to eat more than one! I’m with you, Georgia. Thank you for sharing and for your review.
kids loved making them, and they taste wonderful as well :)
That’s great!
I made these cookies today for the first time and they were a hit with both kids and adults. They don’t taste like ‘healthy’ cookies that you want toss out LOL
That was the goal! Tasty and healthy. Glad they were a hit with everyone. Thanks, Carrie for sharing!
Amazing peanut butter banana honey and oat chocolate chip cookies! Definitely, try them! I found your post from Pinterest! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing!
Let me know what you think, Bella!
These are the BEST cookies ever. Gluten free, but no fussing around with weird ingredients. Highly recommend.
Thank you, Jennifer!
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I searched for healthy alternatives to meals and desserts and everything I’ve made from CookieandKate has been better than I could imagine. It has made for an easy transition during this difficult time. These cookies are delicious, I made them gluten free and in a bar instead of individual cookies just because of time, but still fabulous!
I’m so sorry to hear that! I’m glad the blog was able to help. Happy Holidays!
The sprinkles are a perfect touch to these cookies! Hurry back, can’t wait to hear about your adventures!
Thank you!
Amazing! Awesome flavor and very moist. They are a hit in my book. I switched out the raisins for chocolate chips. I even made some without raisins and they were fantastic.
Thanks for sharing, Glenda!
Hey! Can i get rid of the banana?
Hi! You can, and I have a recipe for that.
Delicious!!! I made them with raisins instead of chocolate chips – sooo yummy! Thanks for another great recipe!
You’re welcome, Amy!
Hello. This looks a perfect kookie, I m really want try it for my kids. Your recipes don’t have metric quantities? Cups are a little difficult for a portuguese girl. Thank you
Hi Isabella! Unfortunately, I don’t cook with metric measurements, only US measurements. Some readers have found myrecipes.com a helpful tool when converting the two.
HI ; Kathryne, I made these cookies 2 days ago, they are great. I look forward to trying your other recipes. Is your dog Cookie, a Blue Healer cross?
Hi Peter! I’m glad you love these cookies. Cookie is half schipperke and half dachshund/Australian koolie mix.
the photos have made me crazy, I bp adored the recipe I will ask my wife to prepare for e weekend but I will add more chocolate
I like your receipes.Being a pure vegetarian how can I substitute egg in your Receipes.
Vegetarian, you can have eggs. But if you still like to avoid them and be closer to vegan, you can typically use a flax egg. I hope this helps!
Amazing! I loved this recipe! Thanks for another great recipe! They tasted so good! I found the ‘dough’ a little sticky and couldn’t quite get it to bind so I had trouble shaping the cookies but it was worth it! I ate 3 as soon as they had cooled!
Hooray! Thanks for your comment.
My daughter & her boyfriend made these with cocoa nibs turned out perfect! I was looking for a recipe that used fig paste. I love your recipes, thank you so much for sharing them, yum.
These were amazing!! I can’t wait to give them to my kids after school with some milk. Trying your roasted veg enchiladas this eve!
Hey Kate! I want to make these but don’t want to grind up the 1 and 1/2 cup oats to make the oat flour. I’m assuming it’s not going to be a direct transition if i want to use store bought oat flour. How much should i use?
Hi Caryn! You can use store bought oat flour if you like, it’s the same thing :) Unless the ingredients are noted otherwise.
Made them today!
It was hard to be very precise with the measurements, especially with the banana and coconut oil, so i ended up with a fairly sloppy cookie dough. I added in a bit of flour and they turned out great! (I just used all purpose because it was convenient, but one could grind up more oats) I didn’t have chocolate chips so I improvised and cut up a dark chocolate bar.
In the spirit of trashing up flavors, I decided to add some craisins and shredded coconut for fun! So Yummy!
These were delicious! Thank you so much! I actually replaced the ground oat flour with 1 cup of almond meal and 1/2 cup flour and they still taste amazing!
The cookies turned out great.. can you freeze them?
That’t great! Yes, these should freeze well.
Thank you for the recipe. We made these again tonight. I can always count on this recipe to produce fabulous cookies. :)
These were so easy to make with my 27 months old Toddler. He absolutely loved it. My 15 month old didnt touch it but that’s his lost ! Haha . Thank you so much for the recipe . It was delicious. I added some hemp seed for extra goodness and used chocolate blocks instead of the choc chips and it turned out great . Just wanted to ask how long these will keep if I put it in the fridge ? Thanks Kate !!! Love all your recipes
Hi Joanne! I’m so glad to hear it! In the fridge, I think these will last 5 to 7 days. They will keep for several months in the freezer.
I think they’ll be gone by then haha but thank you! I’ll freeze them the next time I make another batch