These Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies are an easy recipe made with only 6 clean, whole food ingredients. They’re ready in about 30 minutes and are a classic dessert treat you can feel good about eating!
These super easy Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies take about 5 minute to prepare and then all you have to do is wait for them to harden up in the freezer to enjoy.
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 Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies Healthy?
In my opinion, yes! They are 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
They were indeed “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 real, whole 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 white table salt.
This healthier version is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, no-cook, no-bake, egg-free, contains no refined sugar and…tastes just as good!
Want more healthy dessert recipes? Check out Crunchy Raw Protein Balls, Healthy Peanut Butter Cups, Clean Eating Peanut Butter Fudge or my Clean Eating Cookbook with even more clean eating recipes just like this one that you will love!
Are Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies Vegan and Gluten-Free?
Yes…they can be! All you need to do is substitute butter or margarine with coconut oil. And if you need the recipe to be gluten-free, just make sure you use gluten-free oats.
Ingredients Needed To Make Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies:
5 Fast Facts About Oats:*
- provides significant fiber
- helps control blood sugar levels
- can reduce hypertension and high blood pressure
- increases appetite control hormones
- lowers bad cholesterol
5 Fast Facts About Raw Cacao Powder:*
- super high in anti-oxidants
- promotes cardiovascular health
- contains essential fats
- can help to decrease blood pressure
- contains over 300 compounds including protein, calcium, copper, zinc and iron
5 Fast Facts About Coconut Oil:*
- super high in lauric acid
- rich in antioxidants
- contains natural microbial and anti-bacterial agents
- helps to improve metabolism
- improves cholesterol levels
5 Fast Facts About Maple Syrup:*
- contains manganese and zinc
- super high in anti-oxidants
- helps with inflammation
- 1/4 cup contains more calcium than the same amount of milk
- 1/4 cup contains more potassium than a banana
5 Fast Facts About Peanuts (Peanut Butter):*
- excellent source of vitamin E
- high in folate
- contains tryptophan which helps fight depression
- good source of fiber
- excellent source of vegan protein
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
How To Make Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies:
This just might be the easiest recipe you’ll ever make…seriously!
- Mix all the ingredients together: This is basically the main part of the recipe. 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!
- Storage: 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 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.
Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies
Ingredients
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!
Notes
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Copyright Notice: The recipe and photographs for "Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies" by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home website are copyrighted material and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and are Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA) protected. They cannot be used legally without my written permission.
Recipe Roundups: Food Bloggers are always welcome to use a photo and a link back to my original post to share on recipe roundups without requesting permission.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 18 Serving Size 1 cookieAmount Per ServingCalories 156 Total Fat 9.8g Sodium 31.8mg Carbohydrates 14.2g Fiber 1.6g Sugar 6.1g Protein 2.9g
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 🙂