These no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies are easy to make and just 3 ingredients. They don’t contain any flour, eggs, added sugar, or oil. They don’t require any cooking or baking, though they can also be baked for a different texture. They make a great snack.

a stack of no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

These no bake cookies are such an easy snack. These are quick to make, and they store well. Keep in mind that no bake cookies do not have the same texture as traditional cookies. Instead, they have a texture similar to an energy bar. They are chewy and soft.

Readers sometimes ask if they can bake my no bake cookie recipes so for this version, I did test a baked version. You might like to try it if you prefer a baked cookie – the texture will be more like a traditional cookie. Whichever version you try, you only need three ingredients.

Ingredients

  • Peanut Butter
  • Dates
  • Oats

Peanut Butter: Make sure to use natural peanut butter for this recipe. This is the kind of peanut butter you need to stir before using and contains only peanuts and salt in the ingredient list. If you are looking for a substitute for peanut butter this recipe will also work with natural sunflower seed butter, natural almond butter or natural cashew butter.

Dates: These cookies are naturally sweetened with Medjool dates. Though this recipe doesn’t have added sugar, the dates contain a lot of natural sugar so these cookies are fairly sweet. This recipe uses Medjool dates which are the larger type of dates. If you don’t like dates, you can try my version using bananas. Please note though that the banana version is very low sugar and the cookies will not be as sweet as the dates version.

Oats: This recipe uses quick cooking oats. You can use regular old fashioned oats but you may want to pulse them in the food processor a few times before using them. Quick oats will soften easier. They will provide some texture for the cookies but not too much. Whole rolled oats will not soften as much and will add a lot of texture to the cookies.

overhead shot of the cookies.

Recipe Tips

Baked version: These are no bake cookies which means you don’t need to bake them. But if you don’t like the texture of no bake cookies, you can actually bake these to make them more like traditional cookies. Baking these cookies will make them firm on the outside and chewy on the inside. The instructions for baking these cookies are in the notes section of the recipe card below.

Dates: If your dates are not as fresh, you might want to soak them before using them in the recipe. This will rehydrate them and make it easier to blend them.

Storage: If you make no bake cookies, they should be stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them. They will keep in an airtight container for a few days. If you bake the cookies, you can store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

a stack of five no bake cookies.

More Easy No Bake Desserts

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5 from 11 votes

3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

These easy no bake oatmeal cookies make a great snack. They don't contain any flour, eggs, added sugar or oil. They are quick to make and store well.
Servings: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 packed cup (165 g) pitted medjool dates
  • 1/2 cup (128 g) unsweetened natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup (44 g) quick oats

Instructions
 

  • Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
  • Add dates to food processor and blend until a paste forms. If your dates are a little old and no longer super soft, you should soak your dates first before using them to rehydrate them. See notes for further explanation. If you are using a newly opened package of dates you should not need to soak them.
  • Add in peanut butter and oats. Blend until a thick dough forms and ingredients are evenly incorporated.
  • Using a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop dough and place onto prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Press down on each dough ball with the palm of your hand so that it forms a thick round disk (about 1/2 inch thick). This will be the final shape of your cookie so smooth the edges and reshape as needed.
  • Cookies can be eaten as is. However, I recommend placing them into the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour which will help them firm up and will let the oats soften.

Notes

  • Make sure to either use pitted dates or remove the pits from your dates before measuring them for the recipe.
  • If you are using an older package of dates or your dates seem dry rather than plump and moist, you will need to rehydrate the dates. To rehydrate them, soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes. Then drain out the water and pat dry the dates. The dates are now ready to go in the food processor.
  • These are no bake cookies which means they don't need baking. They will not have the same texture as baked cookies. See post for more details on the kind of texture to expect.
  • If you would like to bake these, preheat oven to 350F. Bake for about 10 minutes or until tops look dry. Cookies will not change in size during baking. Baking the cookies will produce cookies that are firm on the outside and chewy on the inside.
  • Rolled oats can be used instead of quick oats but I recommend you pulse them in the food processor a few times before using them. Whole oats will not soften as much in cookies so you will taste the chewy raw oats. Quick oats are small enough that they do soften so they don't have as much texture.
  • The oats do not need to be cooked before using. 
  • Natural peanut butter can be substituted with cashew butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter. Just make sure they are all in their natural form (no added oils in the ingredient list).
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 117kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, NET CARBS: 13
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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