These peanut butter cookies with oats are a wholesome homemade treat with a rich nutty flavor and rustic bakery-style texture, made with just 5 pantry staples and no butter or oil in the dough.
If you love simple peanut butter treats, try our Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies, Snickers Energy Balls, or Peanut Butter Energy Balls for more homemade snacks with that rich, nutty flavor.
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Why you’ll love our peanut butter cookies with oats!
These peanut butter cookies with oats have a rustic, bakery-style texture, a rich nutty flavor, and that old-fashioned homemade feel I love. 🥜 They’re made with just 5 pantry staples, including 100% natural peanut butter and wholesome oats.
Unlike traditional peanut butter cookies, there’s no butter, no oil in the dough, and no refined wheat flour. Instead, blended oats add fiber, a slightly hearty texture, and a wonderful nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with peanut butter. 🌾
Louise and I love keeping a batch around for an afternoon snack or a little something sweet after dinner. They’re a more wholesome homemade treat, with some protein and fiber from the peanut butter and oats, and just enough brown sugar to satisfy a sweet craving.
Best of all, we’ve tested this recipe with 100% natural, unsweetened peanut butter, so you can confidently use the kind made with just peanuts. Simply mix, shape, and bake for 10 minutes. 🍪
P.S: For more homemade cookies with wholesome ingredients, try our Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies, Banana Peanut Butter Cookies, or Oatmeal Date Cookies.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Creamy peanut butter: We use 100% natural, unsweetened peanut butter made with just peanuts. Regular creamy peanut butter with added sugar and oils should work too, although the cookies may be slightly sweeter and the texture may vary.
- Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness, moisture, and a subtle caramel flavor. Dark brown sugar works too, giving the cookies a deeper molasses flavor. Coconut sugar is another option, but the cookies may turn out slightly drier.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together and helps create a tender but sturdy texture. Use a large egg for the best results.
- Rolled oats: Blend into a fine flour for that rustic, slightly hearty texture. You can use store-bought oat flour instead. Choose certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free peanut butter cookies.
- Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness and brings out the nutty flavor. Skip it if your peanut butter is already salted.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies
Step 1. Prepare the oven and oats
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
If using rolled oats, blend them into a fine flour. You can skip this step if using store-bought oat flour.
Step 2. Make the cookie dough
In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, brown sugar, and egg with a sturdy spoon until smooth and well combined.
Add the oat flour and use one hand to squeeze and mix everything together until you have a soft, compact dough that holds its shape.
Step 3. Shape the cookies
Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie. Squeeze each portion into a ball, then flatten it between your palms into a disc.
Arrange the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving 1–2 inches between them. They won’t spread during baking, so shape them as you want them to look.
Lightly spray a fork with oil and gently press a crisscross pattern onto each cookie. Hold the cookie in place with your other hand if needed.
The edges may crack slightly. That’s normal and gives these old-fashioned peanut butter cookies their rustic appearance.
Step 4. Bake and cool
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes.
The cookies will be very soft when they come out of the oven. Leave them on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before moving them.
As they cool, they’ll firm up into sturdy peanut butter oat cookies with a tender center and rustic edges.
Tips
- Stir natural peanut butter well. If the oil has separated in the jar, mix it back in before measuring. This helps the dough come together evenly. Room-temperature peanut butter is also easier to mix.
- Blend the oats into a fine flour. You don’t want large oat pieces in the dough. A fine texture helps the cookies hold together while keeping their rustic, slightly hearty bite.
- Use your hands to bring the dough together. After adding the oat flour, squeeze the mixture with one hand until it forms a soft, compact dough. It may look crumbly at first, but pressing it together helps it hold its shape.
- Shape the cookies before baking. These cookies don’t spread during baking, so flatten them into discs rather than leaving them as balls. Try to make them the same thickness so they bake evenly.
- Oil your fork lightly. A quick spray prevents the dough from sticking when making the classic crisscross pattern. Press gently and don’t worry about small cracks around the edges. They’re part of the rustic look.
- Don’t overbake them. Ten minutes at 350°F (180°C) is enough for this recipe. The cookies will still feel very soft when you take them out, but that doesn’t mean they’re underbaked.
- Let them cool before moving. This is especially important! Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes. They’ll firm up as they cool and become much easier to handle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! We tested this recipe with 100% natural, unsweetened peanut butter, but regular creamy peanut butter with added sugar and oils should work too. The cookies may be slightly sweeter, and the texture may vary.
Absolutely! Store-bought oat flour works just as well and saves you a step. These oat flour peanut butter cookies have a rustic texture without needing any wheat flour.
The dough may look crumbly at first, especially if your peanut butter is thick. Use your hands to squeeze the mixture together until it forms a soft, compact dough that holds its shape.
That’s normal! These 5-ingredient peanut butter cookies don’t spread during baking. Flatten them into discs and make the crisscross pattern before putting them in the oven.
Bake them for 10 minutes at 350°F (180°C). They’ll still be very soft when you take them out, but they’ll firm up as they cool. Don’t wait for them to become firm in the oven, or you risk overbaking them.
Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4–5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months, separating layers with parchment paper. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
More Easy Homemade Cookies to Try
- Almond Croissant Cookies
- Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
- Healthy Breakfast Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Almond Cookies
- Easy Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
If you try this Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Peanut Butter Cookies With Oats (Rustic Bakery Style)
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter we use 100% natural, unsweetened peanut butter
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup rolled oats blended into flour, or use oat flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt omit if your peanut butter is salted
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and oats: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If using rolled oats, blend them into a fine flour.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix 1 cup creamy peanut butter, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, 1 large egg, and ¼ teaspoon salt with a sturdy spoon until smooth. Add ½ cup rolled oats blended into flour and squeeze everything together with one hand until you have a soft, compact dough.
- Shape the cookies: Take about 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie. Squeeze into a ball, then flatten between your palms into a disc. Place on the baking sheet, leaving 1–2 inches between cookies. They won't spread in the oven. Lightly spray a fork with oil and gently press a crisscross pattern onto each cookie. Small cracks around the edges are normal.
- Bake and cool: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes. The cookies will be very soft at first. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before moving them. They'll firm up as they cool.
Notes
- Creamy peanut butter → Regular creamy peanut butter with added sugar and oils (cookies may be sweeter and texture may vary).
- Light brown sugar → Dark brown sugar or coconut sugar (may make cookies slightly drier).
- Egg → No tested substitution. Use a large egg.
- Rolled oats → Store-bought oat flour or certified gluten-free oats.
- Salt → Omit if using salted peanut butter.
- Stir peanut butter well: Mix any separated oil back in before measuring.
- Blend oats finely: A fine flour helps the cookies hold together.
- Squeeze the dough: Use your hands to form a soft, compact dough.
- Shape before baking: Cookies won’t spread, so flatten them into even discs.
- Oil the fork: Prevents sticking when making the crisscross pattern.
- Don’t overbake: Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (180°C). They’ll still be soft.
- Cool before moving: Leave on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes to firm up.
- Storage: Keep airtight for 4–5 days at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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