Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Banana and Cacao

Last Updated on April 10, 2021 by Chenée Lewis

Welcome to Day 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies celebration! Today, we're taking a brief break from the parade of sweet, rich, decadent cookie recipes (that we all love) for a more... wholesome option. These vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies are the perfect gluten free breakfast cookies for a weekday morning! They're delicious, filling, and full of great good-for-you ingredients, so they'd be ideal as a breakfast treat, an afternoon snack, or for a dessert that is as good for you as it tastes!

Nutrition

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? So if I'm telling you these are "breakfast cookies," then they should have all the nutrition you want to start your day, and none of the nonsense you don't! So what makes these vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies healthy?

• gluten-free whole grain rolled oats are among the most nutrient-dense foods out there, rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants called avenanthramides, which may help reduce blood pressure and have anti-inflammatory effects. Oats are also high in soluble fiber, which can improve cholesterol levels, reduce blood sugar response, and improve digestion.
• natural peanut butter contains fatty acids that manage blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. It's also a good source of antioxidants that can reduce the risk of cancer, obesity, heart disease, and cognitive decline. Peanut butter is also full of healthy fats, proteins and fiber, which help us to feel full and satisfied and prevent overeating.
• bananas are known as a great source of potassium, which is important for heart health, and strong bones and muscles. But what you may not know is that bananas are also a great source of fiber, prebiotics for gut health, and lots of vitamins and minerals.
• cacao nibs are what's known as a superfood because of their high nutrient density. For instance, they've got 11 grams of fiber, 64 milligrams of magnesium, and 183 milligrams of potassium per one-ounce serving! They're also a better source of flavonoids than red wine -- flavonoids improve heart health, decrease cancer risk, and fight inflammation.

Note that this information is not a substitute for the advice of a diet/nutrition expert or medical professional -- please see my nutrition disclaimer.

Ingredients

Now that we know how healthy these vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies are, let's get into what you'll need to make them. Many of these ingredients you'll already have on hand!

• ripe bananas - I like to use bananas that are fully ripe, with lots of brown and black spots, to make sure they're naturally sweet.
• natural peanut butter - my favorite for this vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies recipe is Smucker's Natural Creamy peanut butter, which has only two ingredients: peanut butter and salt. Many other peanut butters have added sugar or palm oil, but I love the simplicity of this brand. You can also substitute almond butter or sun butter if you prefer.
• coconut sugar - an unrefined sugar that offers a rich sweetness similar to brown sugar. You should be able to find coconut sugar in the baking aisle of your supermarket, but if necessary you can also substitute maple syrup.
• pure vanilla extract - make sure your vanilla extract is gluten-free. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home!
• gluten-free rolled oats - my favorite is Bob's Red Mill gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats.
• almond flour - perfect in this vegan banana oatmeal cookies recipe because the textures of the oats and almond flour work well together, and the mild almond flavor complements the nutty flavors of the peanut butter and bananas.
• baking powder - helps to add a little lift to these vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies!
• salt - brings out all these great flavors really well.
• ground cinnamon - I love the addition of cinnamon in this recipe, because it adds a fun hint of flavor that fits so well.
• cacao nibs - give you a bit of deep, complex cocoa flavor, plus a bit of crunch! I use these cacao nibs.
• optional pecans or walnuts - I threw in a handful of pecans to give these vegan oatmeal cookies a little more crunch. You can feel free to omit these or substitute another type of nut to your preference.

Equipment

This is a simple vegan breakfast cookies recipe that doesn't require any special tools. The main tool that I'd recommend is a cookie scoop to get evenly round scoops onto your baking sheet. Other than that, you'll mostly just need a baking sheet and liner, as well as a mixing bowl and spoon. Here are my full equipment recommendations for these vegan peanut butter oatmeal cookies:

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