These oatmeal cookies and are a quick and easy recipe. They are just 3 ingredients and don’t contain any flour, eggs, refined sugar or oil. They are firm out the outside and chewy on the inside.

overhead shot of the cookies.

Oatmeal Date Cookies

This is my current favorite oatmeal cookie recipe right now. I love that they are naturally sweetened with dates and are chewy on the inside. You can enjoy them as is, but you can also customize them with other mix-ins.

Ingredients

  • Dates
  • Almond Butter
  • Quick Oats

Dates: This recipe uses Medjool dates. Dates add natural sweetness to these cookies, act as the binding agent, and provide the cookie texture. If you don’t like dates, you can try my 4 ingredient oatmeal cookies that use bananas instead of dates. The texture will not be the same as the cookies made with dates.

Almond Butter: Make sure to use natural almond butter (just almonds in the ingredient list). Almond butter can be substituted with natural peanut butter.

Quick Oats: Quick oats can be substituted with rolled oats. But you should pulse them a few times before using them to break them down into smaller pieces. Because the cookie dough does not have a lot of moisture, whole rolled oats won’t get soft enough.

Optional Mix-In Ideas: I like that you can add other ingredients to change the flavor of these cookies. Here are some ideas:

  • Nuts: Try mixing in chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
  • Baking chips: Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or other baking chips you like would work well.
  • Spices: Mix in some ground cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves.
  • Dried fruit: Raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit that you like.

a stack of oatmeal cookies.

Cookie Texture

These cookies are firm on the outside and chewy on the inside. They don’t have the same texture as classic oatmeal cookies but are still delicious and enjoyable.

How to Make 3 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

To make these cookies, the dates are blended until they form a paste. The paste acts as a binding agent and creates the chewy texture.

The almond butter and oats are then mixed in until a dough forms. The dough is scooped onto a cookie sheet, and then the cookies are ready to be baked.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes at 350°F or until the bottoms are light golden brown and the tops are set.

close-up photo of a stack of cookies.

More Easy Oat Recipes

4.50 from 2 votes

3 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

These easy oatmeal cookies are just 3 ingredients. They don't contain any flour, eggs, refined sugar or oil. They are firm on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Servings: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Ingredients

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

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
  • Add dates to a food processor and blend until a paste forms. You may need to scrape the sides of your food processor a few times with a spatula to help the processor mix and blend. If your dates are a little old or dry, soak your dates first before using them to rehydrate them. See notes for more details. If your dates are soft and moist, you do not need to soak them.
  • Add in almond butter and oats. Blend until a dough forms and ingredients are evenly mixed.
  • Using a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop dough and place onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing 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). Smooth edges of cookies if needed.
  • Bake cookies for about 10 minutes. They will not rise, spread or change much in shape but the surface should look dry and the bottoms should be a light brown.

Notes

  • If you are using an older package of dates or your dates seem dry, 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. Then add dates to food processor to make the date paste.
  • Please see post if you have questions regarding ingredient substitutions.
  • Make sure to use natural almond butter (no added oils in the ingredient list).
  • Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • I use a Nordic Ware aluminum baking sheet pan* to bake these cookies.
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 114kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, 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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