These ORIGINAL Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cookies from 2015 are an easy recipe made with only 6 clean, real food ingredients. They’re ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes and are a delicious dessert treat you can feel good about eating!
These are the BEST Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies that you’ll ever make and you’ll love how easy it is to make this one-bowl recipe that takes about 5 minutes to prepare.
The hardest part is waiting for them to firm up in the freezer then they’re ready to enjoy!
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
I am so excited to have finally taken the time to re-make these classic Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Christmas cookies that I have enjoyed since I was a child.
My mother has been making these every year for our family Christmas get-together for years and years and of all the desserts there were to choose from, I would always go for these.
And I don’t mean just go for one or two. My obsession was so shameful, I had to wait until there was no one in the kitchen to grab 4 or 5 at a time so no one would see me.
Even though I eat clean desserts now, it doesn’t mean I’m never tempted by the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) desserts, especially when you’ve grown up with them, like this one.
Now I don’t have to miss out on one of my favorite childhood desserts anymore, and neither do you!
Are these No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cookies Healthy?
In my opinion, yes!
Most of the people making and sharing this recipe on Pinterest and their websites were probably not even born when the original version of this recipe started circulating well over 30+ years ago.
It’s popping up everywhere now because it’s a “trending recipe” on Pinterest in 2018 + 2019… and they have no clue about how unhealthy the original recipe was.
They’re just re-circulating the cleaned-up version.
My cleaned-up recipe from 2015 is much healthier than the traditional S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) version.
Here’s the ingredient list from my mother, which she had on a handwritten postcard many, many, many years ago (like way over 30+!) from a neighbor. I just love the cute title she gave the recipe lol!:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) “Real Good Chocolate Cookies (For a Busy Day)” aka Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies
Ingredients: 2 cups white sugar, 1 stick margarine, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ cup milk, ¼ cup powdered cocoa, ½ cup peanut butter, 3 cups oats
Indeed, they were “real good”, that’s no lie. But they were made with 2 cups of refined white sugar (2 cups!), an entire stick of margarine?! and milk.
Here’s what I did to clean up this recipe to make it with clean, real food ingredients:
- Instead of margarine –> organic coconut oil
- Instead of cocoa –> organic raw cacao powder
- Instead of refined white sugar –> organic maple syrup
- Instead of vanilla extract –> organic vanilla bean powder
That’s it!
I also omitted the milk and salt because I didn’t feel like it needed it, and if I would have used those ingredients, I would have used homemade almond milk instead of regular dairy and Himalayan pink salt instead of refined white table salt.
This healthier plant-based version is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, no-cook, no-bake, egg-free, contains no refined sugar, is Medical Medium compliant (with substitutions) and…tastes just as good!
Why You’ll Love My Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies:
- they’re fudgy + chewy
- they’re filling + satisfying
- they’re perfectly sweet
- they’re rich + “buttery“
- they’re chocolately
- they’re nutritious
- they’re a source of protein + fiber
- they’re easy to make
- they’re refined sugar-free
- they’re made in one bowl
- they take just 5 minutes to prepare
- they’re made with just 6 clean ingredients
- there’s no cooking required
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cookies?
This recipe is made with only 6 clean, real food ingredients that are nutrient-dense.
Try to buy organic ingredients whenever possible.
- Quick Rolled Oats
- Peanut Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Coconut Oil
- Cacao Powder
- Vanilla Bean Powder
Make sure you visit my “5 Fast Facts of Nutrient-Dense Foods” to see the nutritional benefits of the ingredients I used in this recipe!
How To Make The ORIGINAL Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cookies Recipe:
This just might be the easiest healthy no-bake recipe you’ll ever make…seriously!
And I’ll show you how to make it with step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Gather the Ingredients:
Gather and measure all the ingredients for the recipe, then add them to a medium-sized bowl.
If you need ingredient substitutions, just check the “Ingredient Substitution” section below.
Step 2: Mix all the Ingredients and Transfer to a Cookie Sheet:
This is basically the main part of the recipe and should take no more than 5 minutes to mix everything together.
- Mix the ingredients: You’ll add all the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and stir everything together until it’s well combined….it takes less than 5 minutes. That’s it!
- Prepare your cookie sheet: You’ll want to make sure you line your cookie sheet with parchment paper because it will make the cookies so much easier to remove once they’ve hardened in the freezer. And, it makes clean up easier too!
- Transfer the cookies to your cookie sheet: This part is super easy because these are basically “drop cookies”. You don’t have to use cookie cutters, cookie scoops, roll the mixture out, etc. All you do is take a spoonful of the cookie mixture and drop it onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Firm in the freezer: This is the hardest part – waiting for the cookies to firm in the freezer before enjoying them! I’ve been known to sneak out one (or maybe 2 or 3) from the freezer before they were ready because I just couldn’t wait!
Step 3: How To Store Your No-Bake Cookies:
Because of the clean ingredients used in this healthier recipe, it’s important to know how to properly store them.
The only difference between these and the original version is these will not keep their shape at room temperature like the traditional version.
They will need to be kept in the refrigerator or freezer in an air-tight BPA-free container until ready to serve or they will get soft and lose their shape if left out at room temperature.
Keep this in mind if traveling with them or serving them at a party or get together.
Storage suggestions:
- Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight BPA-free container for at least 1 week
- Freezer: Store in an air-tight BPA-free container for at least 1 month
Watch How To Make Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies Video:
Ingredient Substitutions for Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies:
- Peanut Butter. Substitute with your favorite nut butter like almond butter or cashew butter.
- Cacao Powder. Substitute with regular cocoa powder.
- Maple Syrup. -Substitute with another thick liquid sweetener like organic date nectar, organic coconut nectar or organic brown rice syrup.
- Vanilla Bean Powder. Substitute with organic vanilla extract, in the same amount.
Want More Healthy No-Bake Gluten-Free Vegan Desserts?
- Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
- Clean Eating Peanut Butter Fudge
- Crunchy Raw Protein Balls
- or my CLEAN DESSERTS Cookbook with 72 Plant-Based No-Bake Vegan + Gluten-Free dessert recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to hear about it! Please give it a rating and leave a comment below…it would make my day! 🙂
The ORIGINAL Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
These ORIGINAL Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cookies from 2015 are an easy recipe made with only 6 clean, real food ingredients. They're ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes and are a delicious dessert treat you can feel good about eating! { Plant-Based | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | No-Bake | No-Cook | Egg-Free | No Refined Sugar | Medical Medium* }
Ingredients
- 2 cups organic gluten-free quick rolled oats
- 1/2 cup organic peanut butter*
- 1/2 cup organic maple syrup
- 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
- 1/4 cup organic raw cacao powder
- 1/4 teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder
* Medical Medium Substitition:
- Substitute organic peanut butter with a Medical Medium approved organic nut butter
Instructions
Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and stir until well combined.
- Take a spoonful out at a time and drop it onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Transfer the cookie sheet to the freezer for approximately 30-60 minutes, or until the cookies are firm.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to serve because they will get soft and lose their shape if left out at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1 cookieAmount Per Serving:Calories: 195 Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 34mg Carbohydrates: 18g Net Carbohydrates: 16g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 7g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 4g
Is there another oil that can be used other than coconut oil?
Hi there Linda! I used coconut oil because in it’s liquid form, it stirs in easily with the other ingredients. Once it hardens (after being frozen), it’s what “holds” the cookies together.
So if you substitute the coconut oil with something else, it would need to be something that would harden or become solid once frozen and/or “hold” the cookies together.
The coconut oil was substituted for butter in the traditional recipe, so you may be able to use either vegan butter or regular butter (if you didn’t need them to be vegan) – but I haven’t tested them with this substitution.
I would not try to substitute with any other type of “oil”, like avocado oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, etc. because it doesn’t have the same binding properties as coconut oil.
Thank you for your question and I hope that helps! 🙂
These looks delicious! It’s great that they are gluten free too!
Hi there Vanessa! Thanks so much…I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Just made these but omitted the chocolate and added sunflower seeds and hemp seeds. Without the bitterness of the chocolate, 1/2 cup maple syrup was much too sweet for me. I’ll keep playing around with this recipe and try 1/4 c maple syrup next time.
Hi there Rebecca! Thanks for trying out the recipe and for the feedback…I hope you find the right combination of ingredients you’re looking for 🙂
These were AWESOME!! Made them twice, but I cut the coconut oil to 1/3 cup. Worked. Thx for sharing.
Hi there Edward! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for sharing the tip about reducing the coconut oil…that was very helpful!
I appreciate you trying it out and taking the time to let me know you liked it 🙂
I’ve made these 2 or 3 times in the past, just as directed, but today I got the idea to sub date sugar (dried, pulverized dates) for the maple syrup. Then I decided to just sub half of the maple syrup for date sugar this first time. Well, it definitely is not as sweet as with 1/2 c maple syrup and it’s a bit dry (probably should have used 2 scant cups of oats) but it still satisfies that craving for a treat. Next time I’ll either make it as directed or pull back a little on the oats. I will say, making it the way I did was firm enough that even at room temp the cookies stay fairly well shaped and can be eaten that way. It’s a great recipe, exactly as is, was just trying to make it a more “whole food” treat.
Hi there Mary! Thanks for the feedback and for sharing your adaptations…love them! 🙂
This might sound crazy but could you possibly bake these? My boyfriend cannot have oats uncooked, but all of the healthy oat cookie recipes I’ve found that you bake also contain “flax eggs”, he can’t have seeds so these are also no good. TIA
Hi there Sophie! On this particular recipe, you could not bake them due to the coconut oil, which is what “holds” them together. If you were to bake them, the coconut oil would turn into liquid and you would have a big mess 🙁
I do have this recipe that might help: https://thehealthyfamilyandhome.com/gluten-free-vegan-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies/
It does not have flax eggs and it’s a baked cookie so the oats would be “cooked”. It’s also flourless, gluten-free and vegan. If you wanted them to be chocolate, you could probably add 1 – 2 tablespoons of cacao powder and it should work (I’ve never tested it though).
Thanks for your question and I hope that helps 🙂
These are soooo good!! Growing up, my grandmother and my mom used to make the original version all the time. Never thought any other recipe could come close but yours is actually better!! So creamy and I love the coconut oil which gives them such a nice taste. Will definitely be making these again…Like tomorrow 😉 thank you!
Hi there Hayley! I grew up eating these too (probably way too many!) and I also prefer this cleaner version than the original. When I take a bite of the ones my mother makes with the original version, they are ~so~ sweet! Like nauseating sweet.
Thanks for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to let me know you liked it, I really appreciate it 🙂
Am I able to use vanilla extract instead of the powder? I have some on hand but do not have the powder. Will this mess up the consistency?
Thanks!!
Hi there Jessica! Yes, you can substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean powder, using the same amount.
Thanks for your question and I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Since I found the recipe, I’ve made these about 4 times in the last 2 weeks. My husband can’t get enough of them. These no bake cookies are fabulous.
Hi there Renee! I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying the recipe – especially your husband!
Thank you for trying it out and for taking the time to let me know how much you like the cookies…I really appreciate it 🙂
Hey there! This sounds amazing but i don’t have a liking for peanut butter sadly, what can i do to substitute the peanut butter in this recipe?
Hi there Shivon! What…no peanut butter?! Just kidding!! 🙂 🙂
I haven’t tried this, but if I were to use a substitute for the peanut butter I would try either cashew butter or almond butter. You could also make them without any nut butter at all, they just won’t have the extra creamy consistency.
Thanks for your question and I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Is there something I can use in place of the coconut oil? I am doing an elimination diet, and coconut is {unfortunately} on my list. Thank you!
Hi there Nicole! In the traditional S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) recipe, normally butter is used, in which I substituted with the coconut oil. I haven’t tried this before, but you could try organic butter or vegan butter (maybe even organic ghee) in place of the coconut oil.
Thanks for the question and I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
This recipe looks fantastic and perfect for the holidays! 8 was wondering if you had a specific brand you use for the vanilla bean powder.
Thanks so much!
Hi there Kelly! Yes, I had to make this healthier version so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat the ones my mother makes every year during the holidays that are loaded with butter, white sugar, etc. lol 🙂
This is the brand of vanilla bean powder that I buy: affiliate link —> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WHDC2Z4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00WHDC2Z4&linkCode=as2&tag=thfh-20&linkId=3ea2872970c214ab1f32fad785f98fe7 <— affiliate link and it will last you a good while since you only need to use 1/2 of what you would normally use when using vanilla extract.The general rule is 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract = 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean powder.Thanks for your question!
I was just thinking about making the standard no-bake cookies with all the sugar; now I’m looking forward to trying your recipe instead. Which to make first… these or the Healthy Peanut Butter Bon Bons? I’m glad that I have all the ingredients for both!
Hi there Monica! I think you will be very pleased with the cleaner version and am glad to hear you’d like to give it a try! I found once I stopped eating processed white sugar, I didn’t like it anymore..it was too sweet to me once I broke my addiction to it. Once you switch over to natural sweeteners (and less of them) the cravings and taste for white sugar will go away. And the good news is you don’t have to be deprived because you can still enjoy the bad desserts with cleaned up recipes.
And, I think you should make both lol! They are both really good and really easy to make.
I’d love to know how you like them 🙂