Name: Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (37g) coconut oil (softened); ½ cup (128g) peanut butter; ½ cup coconut sugar; 1 flax egg or regular egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup (96g) gluten-free rolled oats; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon sea salt (skip if your peanut butter is salted); Melted chocolate (to drizzle on top, optional)

These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are incredibly soft, chewy, and loaded with peanut butter flavor. They use natural peanut butter that’s made with just peanuts, and gluten-free rolled oats. They’re also vegan and refined sugar-free. This simple cookie recipe will become a quick favorite for any peanut butter fan.

Six Peanut Butter Cookies on a small round cooling rack on a silver baking sheet. Small bowl of peanut butter on the top left and rolled oats to show the ingredients of the cookies.

It’s always fun for me to experiment with super unique and different recipes. Sometimes though, I just want to make something homey, warm, and comforting. Cookies usually do that for me. The ritual of making cookies always reminds me why I love baking, and it’s even better when you can make the dough with just the basics: a bowl and a wooden spoon.

I’m constantly using my stand mixer and subsequently doing a whole bunch of dishes, but for this recipe, you can skip it. A little elbow grease is all you need. The simple ingredients are the star of the show here. No need for too much fuss, just a little love!

And not to toot my own horn…but I’m kind of a gluten-free and vegan cookie queen. They’re one of my favorite things to make!! I have an entire collection of gluten-free cookie recipes and another full of vegan cookie recipes! Both are collections that cookie lovers will go nuts for. And if you want more…I also have a whole chapter of delicious cookies in my best-selling cookbook!

Peanut butter cookies are one of the best kinds, in my eyes. And while I love peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and peanut butter and jelly tartlets, and peanut butter oatmeal raisin cookies…sometimes you just want to keep it simple.

Close up of peanut butter oatmeal cookie with bowl of peanut butter in the corner.

How do you make these Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies?

The ingredients for these vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are super simple (you probably already have them in your pantry) and the recipe comes together quickly. To start, we use a little bit of coconut oil. The rest of the fat comes from peanut butter, which makes these cookies incredibly soft and flavorful. I always use natural peanut butter that’s made with just peanuts. Maybe some salt, but no added oils or sugars, please!

To sweeten the cookies, we use coconut sugar, which provides a caramelized kind of sweetness that pairs so well with the peanut butter. These are flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies, so no need to get out any of your fancy gluten-free flours. Rolled oats are the main “bulk” of the recipe. Make sure you’re using certified gluten-free oats if you’re gluten-free or serving these to anyone who is!

After the dough comes together, I like to put it into the fridge for at least 20 minutes. It’s not entirely necessary to refrigerate the dough, but it helps hydrate the oats, making the cookies chewier. It also makes the dough easier to work with and helps the cookies stay super thick.

If you’d like, you can toss in some chocolate chips (I must admit, I was tempted to) or drizzle the top of the cookies with some melted chocolate. I drizzled about half the batch in chocolate because I couldn’t help myself. But honestly, you don’t need the chocolate! I loved the simplicity of these cookies without them. Totally up to you to go chocolatey or stick with straight peanut butter goodness!

Close up of peanut butter oatmeal cookies with bowl of peanut butter in the top right corner.

Frequently Asked Questions!

Are rolled oats gluten-free? Oats are inherently gluten-free, but oftentimes, they are processed on the same equipment as wheat flour and other wheat products, which leads to cross-contamination. I recommend seeking out specifically gluten-free oats to make sure your cookies are truly gluten-free.

Rolled oats vs. quick oats for baking? These are the same base product, but quick oats are rolled thinner and in smaller pieces. I prefer using rolled oats in cookie recipes because they have a thicker texture that gives a delicious toothsome bite to cookie recipes. Quick oats can also absorb extra liquid, which may make the cookies too dry.

What’s a substitute for rolled oats? If you’re looking for a grain-free substitute for oatmeal, coconut flakes work well as an oat substitute. Of course, it will add some coconut flavor, but works deliciously. You can pulse them for a smaller flake that better mimics the size of oats.

What’s the best natural peanut butter? Any peanut butter that has just one ingredient, peanuts, is best. My favorite brands are Santa Cruz (I love the dark roasted one) and Spread The Love, but whichever you use, make sure the oil is fully incorporated! Using a hand mixer with one beater attached is a great easy way to mix up your peanut butter if it has separated.

How to make a flax egg for vegan baking? To make a flax egg, simply whisk together 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water. Let them sit and gel for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring to incorporate all the water as needed and before adding to the recipe.

Can I make these cookies ahead of time? Yes, they keep super well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, and you can also freeze the dough! To freeze, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet. Freeze until firm, and then transfer the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag to store for up to 6 months. To bake from frozen, increase the bake time by a few minutes.

Close up of peanut butter oatmeal cookies, drizzled with dark chocolate, with bowl of peanut butter in the corner.

These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are nothing fancy, but they’re nothing short of delicious either. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did! If you decide to try them, I’d love to hear what you thought in the comments below!

More delicious gluten-free + vegan cookies recipes:

These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are incredibly soft and loaded with peanut butter flavor. They're vegan, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free. This simple recipe will become a quick favorite for any peanut butter fans.

Rachel Conners