Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are a magnificent combination of all that is great in the world: peanut butter, oats, and all the chocolate! No stand mixer, and no dough chilling required! These easy cookies are made without flour, butter, or refined sugar.
For those of you who love treats made with wholesome ingredients that still taste delicious, these Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are exactly that!
Made without flour, butter or sugar, the inputs are relatively clean but we end up with a delicious cookie!
They feature a blast of chocolate with plenty of peanut butter goodness and that traditional oatmeal cookie undertone.
I modeled them off of my 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies and simply made a few tweaks to give them a cocoa powder infusion to boost the chocolate content.
These flourless, dairy-free cookies don’t require a stand mixer, and are ready to bake the second the dough is prepared.
No chill time, no flour, no butter, and no refined sugar!
If you were to ask me about my favorite cookies, I would be hard-pressed to choose between this one and my Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
Every cookie has its place, right?
These double chocolate cookies are not only phenomenal during the holiday season for gifts or cookie exchanges, but they are marvelous year round.
I love that they are just the right level of sweetness so that they make you feel like you’re consuming something wholesome.
These double chocolate chip oatmeal cookies don’t have a standard cookie texture. Because there is no flour, butter, or sugar, we end up with a substantial thick cookie that isn’t as chewy on the inside as regular cookies but still has a crispy edge and a world of rich chocolate flavor.
Let’s chat about the simple ingredients for double chocolate oatmeal cookies.
Ingredients for Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies:
Unsweetened Creamy Peanut Butter: Taking the place of all purpose flour and butter, peanut butter brings structure and richness to the cookies. I recommend using natural peanut butter that has been well-stirred for the best results.
If you prefer almond butter over peanut butter, you can easily make the switch.
Eggs: A couple eggs give rise to the cookies and ensure they stay held together nicely. I haven’t tested the recipe using an egg replacer yet, although I suspect it may work with flax eggs.
Pure Maple Syrup: Used to sweeten the cookies to the perfect level of sweetness, we use a little pure maple syrup. If you decide to omit the chocolate chips, I recommend adding 1 to 3 additional tablespoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar to offset the loss of sweetness.
Avocado Oil: A little avocado oil brings a little chewy texture to these double chocolate chip cookies and keeps them moist. You can use melted coconut oil or melted butter instead if you prefer.
Pure Vanilla Extract: That all star ingredient that makes cookies taste so inviting!
Rolled Oats: Use quick oats, instant oats, or old fashioned oats for these flourless oatmeal cookies! If you need the cookies to be gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
Cocoa Powder: Part of the deep chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder. Use your favorite unsweetened cocoa powder! I like using raw cacao powder because it has a creamier, less bitter flavor.
Baking Powder: The leavening agent here. Baking powder helps the cookies rise and ensures they don’t spread out too far. It also creates the crispy edges.
Semisweet Chocolate Chips and/or White Chocolate Chips: While you can easily pick either regular semisweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips, I like using both for a little nuance. For dairy-free cookies, be sure you use dairy-free chocolate chips.
To lower the sugar content of the cookies, use sugar-free chocolate chips. Dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter chips all work in this easy recipe. You can also chop up peanut butter cups and add them in for a wild ride.
Ground Cinnamon and Sea Salt: Now, it may sound strange, but the ground cinnamon is one of my favorite parts about these cookies. It brings that subtle warm flavor that makes the cookies stand out from all the others. Sea salt is a big flavor enhancer, so be sure to include it!
Looking for ways you can change up these cookies? Here are some ideas.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add ⅔ cup of chopped walnuts or chopped pecans for some nutty texture.
- Omit the chocolate chips for a lower sugar option. Consider adding an additional tablespoon of avocado oil to make up for the loss of moisture.
- If you’re a dried fruit lover, add ⅔ cup dried cranberries or raisins.
These basic ingredients are easy to find at any grocery store! Ready to bake a batch of cookies? Let’s go!
How to Make Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Transfer the peanut butter, eggs, pure maple syrup, avocado oil, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and mix the wet ingredients together until a uniform sticky substance is formed.
Note: I mix everything using a fork, but you can use an electric hand mixer if you’d like.
If the peanut butter has been chilling in the refrigerator (or is not at room temperature), microwave it for 30 to 60 seconds or until it is easy to stir.
Add the oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt to the mixing bowl (dry ingredients) and mix until a thick dough forms.
Mix in the chocolate chips.
Drop mounds of dough on the prepared baking pan, making any size cookies you like. I make 9 huge cookies, but the recipe will make up to 20 small cookies. The cookies maintain the same shape throughout the baking process and they do not spread much.
For this reason, be sure to shape the dough into the final shape you’re looking for prior to baking. Press extra chocolate chips into the cookie dough balls if you’d like. If you have a small cookie scoop, feel free to use if here to make small cookies.
Bake cookies for 8 to 11 minutes for large cookies or 6 to 8 minutes for very small cookies.
Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Store cookies in an airtight container or a zip lock bag at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. These cookies freeze well! Freeze in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Love cookie bars? You can make my Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars which are the bar version of this recipe.
If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, you’ll find these cookies to be a real hoot.
Make them on repeat to have on hand for those times the sweet tooth is talking, or bake them up for a special occasion.
For those of you who are like me and love a sweet treat that isn’t packed with sugar, you may just love the recipes below as well.
More Healthy Cookie Recipes:
- Chewy Oatmeal Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Truffles
- Keto Snickerdoodles
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts
- 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies
- Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Nutty Banana Cookies
Chocolate and peanut butter lovers unite!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened natural peanut butter*
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil**
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups oats
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, optional
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, ***
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Transfer the peanut butter, eggs, pure maple syrup, avocado oil, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and mix the wet ingredients together until a uniform sticky substance is formed. Note: I mix everything using a fork, but you can use an electric hand mixer if you’d like.
- If the peanut butter has been chilling in the refrigerator (or is not at room temperature), microwave it for 30 to 60 seconds or until it is easy to stir.
- Add the oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt to the mixing bowl (dry ingredients) and mix until a thick dough forms.
- Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Drop mounds of dough on the prepared baking pan, making any size cookies you like. I make 9 huge cookies, but the recipe will make up to 20 small cookies. The cookies maintain the same shape throughout the baking process and they do not spread much. For this reason, be sure to shape the dough into the final shape you’re looking for prior to baking. Press extra chocolate chips into the cookie dough balls if you’d like. If you have a small cookie scoop, feel free to use if here to make small cookies.
- Bake cookies for 8 to 11 minutes for large cookies or 6 to 8 minutes for very small cookies.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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J
Sunday 3rd of March 2024
Great recipe. A chocolate lover's delight. No flour and no added sugar, easy and quick. I follow recipe with no deviations, use cookie dough scoop getting approx 20+/- cookies.
Julia
Monday 4th of March 2024
Thanks so much for sharing! I'm thrilled you enjoy the cookies and I appreciate the feedback! xo