Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Remember the chocolate oatmeal cookies you used to eat as a kid? Sometime back, I decided to play around in the kitchen a bit. These Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are what I came up with as a much healthier version.

Made with peanut butter, bananas, applesauce, and oats, these delicious cookies are loaded with fiber and other healthy nutrients. Believe it or not, they are much lower in fat too.

They go perfectly with a glass of almond milk or some herbal tea or coffee. I vote for curling up with a great book and enjoying them.

You’ll love these vegan cookies because they’re…

• Healthy
• Chocolatey
• Easy to make
• Oil-free
• Perfectly sweet

Of course, the main ingredient is oats, and that’s about all the traditional recipe had going for it, but that’s not the case with these cookies.

Those older cookies were laden with butter, white sugar, and milk. But, these are dairy-free, gluten-free, and oil-free!

How to make chocolate oatmeal cookies

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

These healthy cookies are so easy to make, even the kids can help with them.

Begin by heating the oven to 350°F, and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and to make clean up a breeze.

Next, mash 2 ripe bananas in a large bowl mixing bowl with a potato masher or fork.

Once the bananas are mashed well, add the applesauce, peanut butter (or PB2 for lower fat), brown sugar (or another sweetener), cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract, and mix well.

Making your own applesauce

Often I get messages from people who live in countries other than the United States saying that they don’t have apple sauce where they live and asking if they can make their own. The answer is YES!

Making your own applesauce is actually the best way to ensure you are familiar with all the ingredients. To make two cups of applesauce, simply:

• Core, peel, and slice four apples
• Steam the slices in a covered pot with enough water to nearly cover the apples for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
• Turn the apples into a sauce by pureeing with an immersion blender or a high-speed blender.

You will only need 1/4 cup of the applesauce for this recipe, so you can save the rest to snack on or add to other recipes like my Banana Oatmeal Pancakes.

Next, in the recipe, add the old-fashioned oats to the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined.

Then, drop rounded spoonfuls of the batter onto a prepared baking sheet and gently press with a fork to flatten a bit. I use the fork to help round up the edges a bit as well.

Bake for 15-20 minutes then remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve and enjoy!

These cookies are loaded with chocolatey flavor and will bring back childhood memories!

*Originally published November 2017.

Your chocolate oatmeal cookie questions answered:

• Q: Are these cookies gluten-free? Yes, oats and all other ingredients are naturally gluten-free. Just make sure when purchasing the oats that they are guaranteed not to have gluten from contamination of other products in the producer’s facility.
• Q: Can I use date paste or another sweetener? Yes, date paste at a ratio of 1:1 or other sweeteners should work just fine in this recipe.
• Q: Are the cookies hard or gooey? These chocolate oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy and absolutely delicious.
• Q: Can I make them without peanut butter? Absolutely. The peanut butter can be left out. If the batter needs a little more moisture, just add an additional tablespoon of applesauce.
• Q: What if I can’t find applesauce? No problem. I’ve included instructions for how to make your own applesauce in the recipe above.

More plant-based desserts

• Glazed Carrot Cake
• Hot Fudge Cake
• Apple Sauce Cinnamon Muffins
• Chocolate Cake | Sugar-Free

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

Continue to Content

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: 12 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Remember the chocolate oatmeal cookies you used to eat as a kid? Sometime back, I decided to play around in the kitchen a bit. These chocolate oatmeal cookies are what I came up with as a much healthier version.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 whole bananas, very ripe
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or prepared PB2)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (or date paste or other sweetener), more if you like very sweet
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Begin by heating the oven to 350°F, and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and to make clean up a breeze.
2. Next, mash 2 ripe bananas in a large bowl mixing bowl with a potato masher or fork.
3. Once the bananas are mashed well, add the applesauce, peanut butter (or PB2 for lower fat), brown sugar (or another sweetener), cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract, and mix well.
4. I've included instructions for how to make your own applesauce above for those that might not have access to it in their area.
5. Next, in the recipe, add the old-fashioned oats to the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined.
6. Then, drop rounded spoonfuls of the batter onto a prepared baking sheet then gently press with a fork to flatten a bit. I use the fork to help round up the edges a bit as well.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes then remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Boxiki Kitchen Nonstick Baking Sheet Pan | 100% Non-Toxic Rimmed Stainless Steel Baking Sheet, No Chemicals or Aluminum | Dent, Warp & Rust Resistant Heavy Gauge Steel Oven Baking Sheet (1)
• 
  PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter,6.5 oz

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 142Total Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

Did you make this recipe?

Please rate and leave a comment because I love hearing from you. Remember SHARING IS CARING!