Easy 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies that take right around 15 minutes to make from start to finish! This simple healthier cookie recipe is vegan, gluten-free, flourless, dairy-free and contains no added sweetener.

3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies with chocolate chips - a healthier cookie recipe with no added sweetener. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free

Have you tried one of my banana-sweetened treats yet?

My 3-Ingredient Chocolate Banana Cookies4-Ingredient Healthy Samoa CookiesHealthy Apple Muffins and 4-Ingredient Flourless Healthy Brownies and now this recipe for 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies all have one thing in common.

They are sweetened entirely with bananas!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

The way I see it, these 3 ingredient cookies are an excellent baking project for kids as there are so few ingredients and minimal cleanup. 

Because these healthy cookies are made with all whole foods, this is also an awesome recipe for those of us who simply love a healthier sweet treat.

White plate stacked with healthy banana oat cookies with a ripe banana to the side and the baking sheet of the rest of the cookies to the side.

Iโ€™m constantly looking for ways to get my sweet fix without going overboard on sugar, and Iโ€™ve found fruit, certain vegetables (root vegetables and winter squash in particular), and various ingredients like almond flour and unsweetened coconut to be useful in generating sweet flavor without the need for excess sugar.

So what weโ€™re making here is a refined sugar-free, egg-free, flourless, gluten-free vegan cookie using three simple ingredients.

Of course, we can easily use more than three ingredients in order to change up the flavor profile and make them even tastier (more on that later). You can use this great recipe as a blank canvas for all sorts of flavors.

At a minimum, all you need is ripe banana, almond butter (or peanut butter) and rolled oats.

Letโ€™s discuss these ingredients for 3-ingredient banana oatmeal cookies in detail!

Easy 3-Ingredient Vegan Oatmeal Cookies - gluten-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, quick and easy to make!

Ingredients for 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies:

Ripe Bananas: Be sure you use very ripe bananas that have plenty of brown spots for the best result. The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be, which will ensure these oatmeal banana cookies turn out perfectly sweet for the best results.

As previously mentioned, the banana serves as the sweetener of the cookies and also provides moisture.

Can you taste the banana? Yes, absolutely! The banana shines through very well, which is great for those of us who love them. If you donโ€™t like bananas, you wonโ€™t like these cookies!

Almond Butter or Peanut Butter: Unsweetened almond butter or natural peanut butter is the glue that holds these cookies together, eliminating the need for eggs or a leavening agent. It also adds delicious flavor! 

If youโ€™re fine with the added sugar, use sweetened peanut butter or almond butter to ramp up the sweetness of the cookies. If you prefer keeping the cookies refined sugar-free, go with an unsweetened nut butter.

Quick Oats or Rolled Oats: Taking the place of flour, oats give that amazing earthy nutty flavor to the cookies with that oaty texture. Quick oats, instant oats, old-fashioned oats, and rolled oats all work.

I like using quick cooking oats because they are pre-cooked which gives them a chewy texture. For gluten free cookies, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.

I use gluten-free sprouted oats, but you can use regular oats if you arenโ€™t concerned about the gluten content.

For a recipe for banana cookies without oats, make my 3-Ingredient Nutty Banana Cookies, which are grain-free.

Optional Additions: 

  • 1/2 cup to 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 to 3 Tbsp brown sugar or pure maple syrup

While certainly not mandatory, these additions level up the deliciousness of the cookies quite a bit! I personally like adding them all. 

The chocolate chips provide delectable little goo pockets, the vanilla extract provides nice warming flavor, and the ground cinnamon gives the cookies a richness with that iconic oatmeal cookie vibe.

Sea salt enhances all of the flavors and makes the cookies taste sweeter without the need for additional sweetener.

If youโ€™re looking to keep the cookies low in sugar, skip the chocolate chips!

Letโ€™s bake a batch!

3-Ingredient Vegan Oatmeal Cookies - flourless, gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free, egg-free, no added sweetener

Letโ€™s bake a batch!

How to Make 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray it with cooking oil).

Mash the banana into a large mixing bowl until most of the chunks are out (it can be a little chunky just not overly chunky).

Mash the bananas and mix in the peanut butter and oats

Add the peanut butter and oats and mix everything together until a sticky dough forms.

If the peanut butter (or almond butter) has been chilling in your refrigerator rather than at room temperature, microwave it for 30 to 40 seconds or until is is very easy to stir.

If youโ€™d like, stir in the chocolate chips. You can also add your favorite mix-ins here like chopped nuts, dried cranberries or raisins, etc.

Add chocolate chips to the oatmeal cookies
Easy 3-ingredient chocolate chip oatmeal cookie dough.

Use a spoon or a small cookie scoop to drop the oatmeal cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, creating any size of cookie you like (note very small cookies will require less bake time).

The cookies wonโ€™t spread, so form them into the shape you want them to be in. I stick with round mounds for a regular cookie shape.

Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on a baking sheet

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are slightly golden-brown around the edges.

Allow the cookies to cool for at least 15 minutes before using a spatula to remove them from the cookie sheet to serve. 

3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies with chocolate chips - gluten-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, healthy

How to Store Leftover Cookies:

Store leftovers in an airtight container or a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze cookies in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months for longer storage.

Baking sheet of oatmeal banana cookies with a bite taken out of one of the cookies.

Thatโ€™s it! A 3-ingredient cookie recipe that anyone can make and everyone can enjoy.

Make these healthy cookies the next time you’re craving a sweet treat but you don’t want to go overboard with sugar. They are the easiest cookies to make, full stop!

You don’t need extensive baking experience to have great success with this delicious recipe. Plus the fact that they are so customizable means you’ll end up with the best banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies every time.

3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies on a white plate with a ripe banana to the side.

Make a double batch of these healthy banana oatmeal cookies and store cookies for afternoon snacks or a quick treat.

These healthy oatmeal cookies are the perfect grab and go treat for busy mornings.

Bake them for a cleaner option any time the desire strikes!

Enjoy these chocolate chip banana oatmeal cookies on constant rotation to honor that sweet tooth with chewy cookies.

Banana + oatmeal + nut butter OH MY!

3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies with chocolate chips on a white plate, ready to eat, fresh out of the oven.

3-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

4.30 from 202 votes
A 3-ingredient cookie recipe that anyone can make and everyone can enjoy. Bake them for a cleaner option any time the desire strikes!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 10 Large or 16 Small Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 large ripe bananas mashed (1 ยฝ cups)
  • ยฝ cup almond butter or peanut butter*
  • 2 cups rolled oats**

Optional Additions:

  • โ…“ to ยฝ cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray it with cooking oil).
  • Mash the banana into a mixing bowl until most of the chunks are out (it can be a little chunky just not overly chunky).
  • Add the peanut butter and oats and mix everything together until a sticky dough forms.
  • Use a spoon to drop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet, creating any size of cookie you like (note very small cookies will require less bake time). The cookies wonโ€™t spread, so form them into the shape you want them to be in – I stick with round mounds.
  • Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are slightly golden-brown around the edges.
  • Allow the cookies to cool for at least 15 minutes before using a spatula to remove them from the baking sheet to serve.

Video

Notes

*For sweeter cookies, use sweetened nut butter. For refined sugar-free cookies, go with an unsweetened nut butter.
**I use gluten-free oats

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 10 ยท Calories: 138kcal ยท Carbohydrates: 16g ยท Protein: 4g ยท Fat: 8g ยท Fiber: 3g ยท Sugar: 5g
Author: Julia
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 3 ingredient cookie recipe, 3-ingredient oatmeal cookies, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, gluten free cookies recipe, healthy cookies, oats, sugar-free, vegan cookies, vegan oatmeal cookies
Did You Make This Recipe?I want to see it! Tag @the.roasted.root on social media!

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3-Ingredient Vegan Oatmeal Cookies - an egg-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free healthier cookie recipe that takes 15 minutes to make!

Julia Mueller
Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a recipe developer, cookbook author, and founder of The Roasted Root. She has authored three bestselling cookbooks, – Paleo Power Powers, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, and The Quintessential Kale Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in several national publications such as BuzzFeed, Self, Tasty, Country Living, Brit.co, etc.

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Questions and Reviews

  1. This is a lifesaver! I missed homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but they had so much butter and sugar. I made these and they are delicious! And healthy! I will definitely make them again! Thank you!

    1. Hi Amy! I’ve never tried that! My guess is the keto granola may be too dry? I’m not sure how it would work out and I would hate to have you go through all the trouble if they don’t turn out. I guess the worst case scenario is the cookies would fall apart – if you’re okay with running that risk, I would say go for it. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Great recipe! I made half the recipe with peanut butter and half with applesauce (instead of the peanut butter). Applesauce cookies were softer but yummy. Added dried cranberries to the applesauce variation with some walnuts and a 1/4 cup of shredded coconut! Baked at 350 but for a longer period of time (about 25 minutes).

    1. Hi Maxine,

      I don’t have a medical background so I’m not qualified to make that judgement. Can you ask your doctor their opinion? I know some folks with diabetes can eat a small amount of sugar or carbs and be okay, whereas others need to be very cautious. I assume as long as you aren’t eating a great deal of additional carbs or sugar the rest of the day it would be fine, but I think it depends on your personal medical situation and what else you’d be eating. I hope that helps!! xo

  3. Hi…I have to eat a low fat diet because of a health issue. If I substituted half of the almond butter with applesauce, would that still work to bind it? Or could I sub half the nut butter with something else?
    Thank you!

    1. Hi there!

      Ooh, that’s a great question. I’m truly not sure, as I’ve never tested it myself. It may work by subbing half of the almond butter for applesauce, or you could try to use more mashed banana as well. My only concern would be that they won’t hold together very well, but it may be worth the shot. If the “dough” seems too crumbly when you make it, you could try making bars instead of cookies. Let me know if you try it!