Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

by Alena
Pinterest Hidden Image

Healthy vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies are the perfect homemade treat for the whole family! Simple, wholesome ingredients are needed to create them in only 30 minutes total and they are perfect year-round.

This recipe for soft and crumbly oatmeal cookies infused with peanut butter has become a true family favorite for us.

They are so easy to make and can be customized with lots of add-ins to make any palate happy! Better yet, they are high in fiber, oil-free and require only a tad of maple syrup for sweetening.

Nutriciously Week of Bowls iPad

free 7-day vegan meal plan

Your next week of eating is planned out with these quick and delicious vegan bowls, meal prepping steps & full grocery list.

Healthy snacking just got super delicious! By the way, these vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies are made with aquafaba (chickpea liquid) to keep them egg-free and fully plant-based.

The reserved chickpeas can be used for edible cookie dough or this high-protein skillet cookie!

Other vegan treats you’ll probably love are these blackout brownies and almond lemon cookies.

five gluten-free vegan oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips on grey surfacepin it

Recipe overview & features 

  • Healthy treat for kids and adults
  • Soft and crumbly texture
  • Peanut butter infused
  • Low in added sugars
  • Gluten-free and can be made allergen-free
  • Made with everyday ingredients

Whenever your sweet tooth requests a delicious treat but you want to stick to more wholesome ingredients, these vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies are perfect!

food processor jar with blended oatspin it

Ingredients needed

  • Oats – classic vegan staple food easily ground into flour and naturally gluten-free; you can choose rolled oats or quick oats!
  • Natural peanut butter – adding some protein, wholesome fats and that delicious nutty hint.
  • Almond milk — bringing all of the ingredients together!
  • Vegan chocolate chips – because we all need some of those sprinkled into our lives sometimes!
  • Maple syrup – just a hint is needed for enough sweetness. You can also use coconut sugar if you like!
  • Aquafaba – this is where the healthy vegan baking magic happens!

Together with some baking powder, baking soda and a splash of lemon juice (optional), these ingredients are all you need to make healthy vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies!

In terms of kitchen equipment, a large bowl, food processor, baking sheet and parchment paper is all that’s required to make these treats.

white bowl with a wooden spoon and batter for vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookiespin it

How to make vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies

Before you start

Preheat the oven to 345 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the aquafaba

Add the chickpea liquid into a glass bowl and mix with a hand mixer for 5-7 minutes to obtain a stiff foam.

In a food processor, add the oat flour, peanut butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, almond milk, baking powder and baking soda. Process to obtain a sticky batter.

If you don’t have a food processor, use a large bowl and add the dry ingredients first, then stir in the wet ingredients and mix with a spoon until well-combined.

No matter how you create the oatmeal batter, it needs to be placed into a bowl and topped with the stiff aquafaba.

Using a spatula, gently mix everything to incorporate the aquafaba without destroying its texture.

Time for add-ins

Finally, add the chocolate chips to your cookie batter and mix to incorporate. You can leave them out if you just want to make vegan oatmeal peanut butter cookies or browse our list of suggested add-ins below for more ideas.

Make the cookies

Scoop the batter onto the baking sheet and press to obtain cookie shapes. 

Place the sheet in your preheated oven and bake the cookies for 15 minutes, until slightly brown and cross.

Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before serving.

5 Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies on top of each other next to some crumbles and almond milk on a grey surfacepin it

Storage & serving suggestions

These vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies taste best when still warm and freshly baked (of course!) but you can store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

We love them on their own, with a glass of dairy-free milk or perhaps a vanilla almond latte — hot or cold, your choice.

We sometimes like to add some crumbles of these vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies on our smoothie bowl or on top of our chocolate chickpea ice cream (which even makes use of the canned chickpeas).

They also pair well with some fresh fruit!

FAQs & tips

large mixing bowl with aquafaba that's being whiskedpin it

How to make aquafaba?

We highly recommend that you use chickpea brine from a can instead of saving the cooking water from chickpeas you cooked yourself at home — the texture will be much better.

Plus, canned chickpeas are just so much more convenient! You can try to get some lower salt ones for your sweet treats if you like.

Once you’ve separated the chickpeas from the brine, place the latter in a large bowl and grab a hand mixer or stand mixer. The liquid needs to be whipped for a couple of minutes until it becomes stiff, so don’t get discouraged along the way!

Unfortunately, whisking by hand won’t work. To make the aquafaba extra stiff (which is more relevant for other uses than our oatmeal cookies), you can add cream of tartar.

Use the chickpeas from the can to make chocolate chickpea ice cream, edible cookie dough, potato curry or green hummus!

30+ Aquafaba Recipes →

Can I replace the aquafaba?

Yes, you can use a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flax + 2 tablespoons of water) instead of the aquafaba and add less almond milk.

Store-bought egg replacers for baking can also be used.

Are these oatmeal cookies gluten-free?

Yes, they are gluten-free but if you need them to be free from any traces of gluten, choose certified gluten-free oats or oat flour at the store to be sure.

We haven’t tried making the cookies with any other flour.

woman wearing a grey top breaking a vegan oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips in halfpin it

What add-ins can I use?

We obviously love vegan chocolate chips in these peanut butter oatmeal cookies but here are more ideas:

  • Raisins
  • Goji berries
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Dried cranberries
  • Chopped nuts
  • Poppy seeds
  • Coconut flakes
  • Vegan sprinkles

Can’t have peanut butter?

No worries, just use almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini instead. 

Even canned coconut milk works for some creamy plant-based fat or choose the lower fat version I lay out in the paragraph below (minus the powder).

How to make these cookies lower in fat

Instead of using peanut butter, you can go for PB2 powder (about 1 tablespoon or however much you desire) plus some unsweetened applesauce which replaces the texture of nut butter.

vegan oatmeal cookies on a grey surface with more chocolate chip cookies in the backgroundpin it

More vegan treats to try

Intrigued by vegan desserts? We have so many more delicious recipes you need to check out for some healthy treats!

Did you make our vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies? Share with us in the comments below, rate this recipe and feel free to pin the recipe for later or tag us on Instagram if you tried them! We’d love to see your creations.

five gluten-free vegan oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips on grey surface

Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Healthy vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies are the perfect homemade treat for the whole family! Simple, wholesome ingredients are needed to create them in only 30 minutes total and they are perfect year-round.

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons chickpea liquid
  • 1 ½ cups oat flour (180 g)
  • 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 4 tablespoons almond milk
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • â…“ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (60 g)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 345 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Add the chickpea liquid into a glass bowl and mix with a hand mixer for 5-7 minutes to obtain a stiff foam.
  3. In a food processor, add the oat flour, peanut butter, maple syrup, lemon juice, almond milk, baking powder and baking soda. Process to obtain a sticky cookie dough.
  4. Transfer into a medium bowl and add the stiff foam (aquafaba) on top.
  5. Using a spatula, gently mix everything to incorporate the aquafaba without destroying its texture.
  6. Finally, add the chocolate chips and mix to incorporate.
  7. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet and press to obtain cookie shapes. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly brown and cross.
  8. Remove your baked vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies from the oven and let cool before serving.

Notes

  • You can make your own oat flour by processing rolled oats in a blender and even leave some rolled oats intact to add more texture to the cookies.
  • Reserve the chickpeas from the can for an upcoming recipe and use the brine for these cookies.
  • The maple syrup can be replaced with agave or rice syrup. If you use granulated sugar instead, add more almond milk.
  • Any vegan milk from soy to oat, coconut or almond milk works for these cookies.
  • If you cannot have peanuts, try any other nut or seed butter such as almond butter or tahini.
  • For a lower fat version, replace the peanut butter with applesauce and 1 tablespoon of PB2 powder.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 113Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 188mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated automatically, their accuracy is not guaranteed. Just focus on whole plant-based foods and eat until satiety!

Please rate & share if you like this!

Leave a comment on our blog or share on Pinterest or Instagram.

Browse these categories

Alena sitting in a cafe with a bowl of fresh plant-based food and a glass of coffee in front of her

About Alena Handwritten FontAlena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.

16 thoughts on “Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies”

  1. I have a question about almond milk. At home I usually buy 30 calorie per serving, which is one cup) Almond Breeze, can I use it in this recipe? Thank you for all your advice and inspiration, it is appreciated.

    Reply
    • sure, you can use any almond milk you wish for this recipe! Pretty much any plant-based milk works :) The calories for each cookie will just be slightly different but nothing to stress about.

      Reply
    • you can use a flax egg (flax meal + water) instead but I’d have to make them again to tell you the exact quantities – try 2 tsp with 3 times the amount of water :)

      Reply
  2. Hi — just a note to say these are absolutely delicious cookies.

    This may be the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve tried making that was plant-based and oil-free. And I’ve tried a ton.

    I also appreciate that they are not overly sweet, and the flavors don’t compete with each other. That’s quite the feat — thank you!

    Reply
    • Kate, thank you so much for sharing! This just made my morning a lot sweeter :) Really appreciate the feedback, cannot wait to share all of the other delicious recipes I have in store with the world.
      Warm wishes to you x

      Reply
      • Hi, I just tried to make these but the dough was very tough and sticky, I really couldn’t incorporste the aquafaba because it was almost like cement… any idea what went wrong? Is it that I used 100% peanut-butter instead of regular? Or did I add too little or much liquids?

        Also, what blade do you use in the food processor to make the dough?

        Cheers,
        Yesuke

        Reply
    • Hi Kim,
      thanks so much for asking this question! I totally agree, we should have written the amount of grams or tablespoons instead (I now changed that). Just to make sure I remember correctly, I made those cookies again tonight (hubby was very happy about that!) and it came down to about 5 tbsp of chickpea liquid. Hope this helps!
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  3. Hi Alena! Thank you for this recipe! I want to try it! It looks amazing!
    I have a question, Can I substitute the aquafaba for something other than applesauce?

    Thank you!

    esther

    Reply
  4. Hello! Just made this recipe… what a good cookie! I added some ground cinnamon and used raisins instead of chocolate chips, and instead of a lemon used a lime (didn’t have a lemon). I will probably double or triple it as I wasn’t sure how it would turn out…. this is a keeper!!

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Skip to Recipe