These no bake peanut butter cookies are an easy snack or dessert. They don’t require any cooking or baking. The cookies are made with just two ingredients and don’t contain any flour, added sugar, eggs or butter.
a stack of six no bake cookies.

I love making these no bake peanut butter cookies for my family for snack and dessert. They only take a few minutes to make and they store well.

Ingredients

  • Peanut Butter
  • Dates

Peanut butter: This recipe uses natural peanut butter. This is peanut butter that contains only peanuts and salt in the ingredient list.

Dates: This recipe works best with Medjool dates. Medjool dates are a bigger type date and have more soft flesh which is used to make a date paste. Dates are a natural sweetener for these cookies and also act as a binder and provide texture. Need a substitute for dates? Some readers have shared that they’ve suddenly made these with prunes or raisins (soaked in warm water until plump). I’ve also got a no bake peanut butter cookie recipe that uses maple syrup instead of dates.

How to Make No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

The dates are first run through a food processor until they form a date paste. The peanut butter is then mixed in until a cookie dough forms. The dough is then rolled out and flattened into disks. You can make a criss-cross pattern on top using the back of a fork. If desired, you can eat the cookies right away. I like to put them in the fridge for about 30 minutes which helps the dough firm up a little more.
healthy no bake peanut butter cookies lined up.

Cookie Texture

These cookies don’t have the same texture as a baked cookie. They taste more like an energy bar but in cookie form. The dough does have a little bit of crumble to it, which makes it resemble a baked cookie. If you prefer a firmer, more cookie-like texture, I also have a baked version.
a stack of cookies with a bite taken out of the top one.

More No Bake Cookie Recipes

5 from 3 votes

2 Ingredient No Bake Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

Easy no bake peanut butter cookies that can be eaten for a snack or dessert. These cookies are just 2 ingredients and don't contain any flour, added sugar, butter or eggs.
Servings: 19 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup (256 g) unsweetened natural peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup (106 g) pitted and halved Medjool dates

Instructions
 

  • Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add dates to a food processor. If your dates are a little dry, see note section for how to rehydrate them before using. Pulse until dates form a smooth paste. You will need to scrape down the sides of your food processor a few times with a spatula to help your food processor mix the dates. Your date paste should also roll up into a ball when done.
  • Once dates are ready, add in peanut butter. Pulse until peanut butter is completely incorporated. Make sure to pause and scrape peanut butter from the sides and bottom of the food processor with a spatula to help mix the ingredients completely. When the peanut butter is fully incorporated, it should form a thick cookie dough.
  • Scoop 1 tbsp of dough. Place onto the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
  • Roll one piece of dough between your palms until it forms a smooth compact ball. Press down on the ball slightly with the palm of your hand until it becomes a thick round disk (about 1/2 inch thick). Repeat with remaining dough. Use the back of a fork to make criss-cross pattern on the surface of each cookie.
  • Cookies can be eaten right away but I prefer to put them in the fridge to firm up a little more. Place cookies in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour to let them firm up. The cookies will not change form. Placing them in the fridge just makes them more sturdy to hold. Store uneaten cookies at room temperature for 1-2 days or longer in the fridge.

Notes

 
  • Dates tend to start getting dry soon after you open them. If your dates are not soft and moist you may need to rehydrate them. To do so, soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes. Then pat dry and use.
  • Dates need to be pitted and halved before measuring them
  • If you don't have a food processor you can try buying premade date paste (make sure it's just dates in the ingredient list) or try making your own by hand with a fork (your dates will need to be very soft).
  • Make sure to use natural peanut butter (just salt and peanuts in the ingredient list). The dough will not form if you use regular peanut butter. 
  • See post for potential ingredient substitutions.
  • Dates provide a lot of nutrition and are a natural sweetener. However they are high in sugar so these cookies may not be suitable if you are looking for very low sugar cookies or have dietary restrictions. 
  • Measurements provided are in US standard units.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 100kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 19mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, NET CARBS: 6
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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