They’re here! My new favorite (no-bake) cookies are here!
And good news. They only require 1 bowl, 5 minutes, and 3 ingredients! Let’s (not) bake!
It all starts with oats and dates blended together. Then peanut butter gets thrown into the mix. The result is a cookie dough that’s perfectly tender, salty, and sweet!
Form into discs and press down with a fork for those classic cross hatch marks.
Stop there or go the extra mile and make a 3-ingredient chocolate glaze for dipping these beauties! Talk about a chocolate peanut butter match made in heaven.
We hope you LOVE these cookies! They’re
Simple to make
Easy
Salty-sweet
Tender
Satisfying
& Super tasty
These would make the perfect snack or dessert when you need something that’s on the healthier side fast. I could see these making great gifts. Or make in a large batch and keep them in the freezer so there’s always a healthier treat on hand!
Enjoy these as is, with a cup of Golden Milk or Homemade Dairy-Free Milk, or crumbled in Vegan Coconut Ice Cream!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
3-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIES
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 Pinch sea salt (optional)
- 3/4 cup medjool dates (pitted // measured after pitting)
- 1/2 cup natural salted peanut butter (creamy or crunchy // ingredients should just be peanuts + salt // we like Wild Friends brand)
CHOCOLATE GLAZE optional
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil (melted// measured after melting)
- 3 Tbsp cacao powder (sifted // or sub unsweetened cocoa powder)
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup (plus more to taste)
- 1 Pinch sea salt (optional)
Instructions
-
Add oats and salt (optional) to a food processor and blend into a flour. Add dates and blend for 30 seconds more or until finely chopped. Add peanut butter and blend until a dough forms.
-
Scoop out 2-Tbsp amounts of dough and carefully form into mounds. Place on a parchment-lined pan or tray. Optional: Use the back of a fork to create a cross hatch on the top of the cookies (see photo).
-
Enjoy as is, or prepare chocolate glaze (optional) by mixing ingredients in a bowl and whisking until smooth. Dip the cookies in (about halfway), let excess drip off, and place back on parchment-lined pan or tray. Freeze 10 minutes. Then dip again for extra thick shell. Chill again. Enjoy.
-
Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month. The chocolate shell can get soft at room temperature, so it’s best to store them in the refrigerator.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients/glaze.
*Prep time does not reflect time to prepare glaze and dip cookies.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 12)
- Calories: 164.5
- Fat: 6.2g
- Saturated fat: 1.2g
- Sodium: 3.9mg
- Carbohydrates: 24.5g
- Fiber: 2.9g
- Sugar: 16.2g
- Protein: 3.8g
Love the gooey texture of no-bake treats! Can’t wait to make these…couldn’t be easier!
Definitely saving this for the next party I host!
I literally just made these after I saw this post because I had all the ingredients. I shaped them into balls instead of flattening them like cookies but they are unbelievably tasty and easy to make!
Lovey – thanks Stacy!
Sounds like an awesome dessert since we LOVE peanut butter. We prefer to avoid coconut oil, however. Can you recommend a less fattening substitute for the glaze?
Thank you.
I used melted loving earth chocolate for the topping, ultra yummy!
I made these yesterday. Very easy. They were gone in 20 minutes. So sweet and salty absolutely delicious. And I got the peanut butter fix I’ve been craving, without all of the sugars. Thank you for a great recipe.
Lovely, thanks Laura!
Hi this has nothing to do with this recipe, but I figured since this is a new recipe, you’d be most likely to see my comment here. While browsing your website, I came across a post for 10 BEST Tofu Recipes. On that post, you featured a chickpea scramble recipe, and I’m assuming you meant to feature your tofu scramble recipe. Hope this is helpful to you! Love your site!
Oh, thanks for mentioning that. we’ll amend!
Hey! This looks delicious, thanks for sharing!
Might be a stupid question, but do you think I could replace some (or all) of the peanut butter with peanut butter powder? I feel like the stickiness would already be here thanks to the dates…?
Thank you!!
Hmm, if you do that just scale back on the oats to compensate. Good luck!
I made them with peanut powder. They were delicious. I just mixed the powder with some water before adding to my food processor. Super delicious.
I made these today after I saw the Instagram post and I am so pleased I did! I did sub the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter and they are delicious! Quick and easy to make. I plan on making these all the time. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Lovely – thanks for sharing Shelby!
Awesome! My son has a peanut allergy and I was hoping someone had tried a different “butter” with positive results.
Hi
WOW butter is my go to NoPeanut butter. It tastes great and even comes with stickers to put on containers for sandwiches that go to Peanut Free schools. Your little guy can have his PB sandwich.
P
I made them with organic raw almond butter and they are phenomenal!!!!
Yay!
Thank you because of the mold warming on peanuts I was wondering log almond butter would work. I will try these this week
We hope you love them, Kitty!
I just made them with sunflower seed butter (Trader Joe’s, unsweetened)
they came out great!! SO easy to make and everyone loved them!
Great! Thanks for sharing! :D
Hi,
Really looking forward to making this!
Does it matter which type of dates I use? (I think I have some that aren’t quite as soft as medjool dates)
Thanks
If dates are not soft you may want to soak them for 10-15 minutes in hot water to achieve desired texture, something that has worked for me in the past.
Could I use quick oats instead of rolled oats for this recipe?
I think so. Let us know if you try it out!
I used quick oats and they worked wonderfully
Another awesome recipe! I made two batches since I had leftover chocolate.
The first one was a bit dry which made it hard to make the dough stick, but that’s because I was using up the last of a jar of peanut butter (which usually gets a bit drier when it gets down to the end). The second batch was perfect with a new jar of PB. Thanks Dana!
Lovely – thanks!
Delicious recipe! In hot weather I shape small cookies around a big vegan chocolate button instead of dipping in chocolate. Each cookie is a mouthful and the chocolate crunch comes last. :)
Thanks Mareile!
I’m wondering, have you tried this with any other grain? I have an oat allergy in my family. Thanks!
I’m wondering if buckwheat flour or even almond flour would work?
Just this morning I was thinking about making cookies but didn’t want to turn the oven on in this 95 degree heat we’re having in Ohio. This recipe came just in time and will be perfect!
These look amazing! Sadly, my husband is very allergic to coconut. Do you have any recommendations for a substitution?
They were great without the chocolate. I didn’t have all the ingredients for the chocolate, so I made them without.
You could also sub melted cocoa butter.
These look fabulous!
Thank you Dana! I am making this weekend!!
Perfect for summer! I made these with sunbutter due to a peanut allergy and raisins (soaked in hot water for a few minutes) because I didn’t have dates on hand. I also added in about a tablespoon of ground flax seed to sneak in a little more nutrition for my picky eater who won’t turn down a cookie ;) I had to add a little more sunbutter to make the dough sticky enough to mold, probably just due to the other subs/changes I made, but these turned out super yummy!
SMART! Thanks for sharing!
These were a hit with my mom vegan family and friends, I made them without dipping them in chocolate (though that sounds like an amazing combo) and they turned out perfect!!❤️
Yay, thanks Theresa!
Delicious!! Ate 3 within a minute. Thank you!
Ha! That’s a good sign!
Can you use steel rolled oats as a substitute? I’m not a serious baker and don’t want to ruin the dish! Thank you? Super excited to make this!
No, that would be too crunchy.
What can be used in place of the dates? Also, I can’t use honey, maple syrup or agave
Check out this recipe for date-free inspo. https://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-pb-j-energy-bites/
My daughter is a vegan but also on the Fodmap regime because she has IBS. She therefore cannot eat dates. Can you suggest an alternative?
Thank you.
Lynne
Check out this recipe for inspo! https://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-pb-j-energy-bites/
I want to try this recipe but peanuts do not agree with me. I always have almond butter in the house.
Hi Dana! These look amazeballs! Just curious, have you tried them with other nut butters? I’m considering using almond butter in place of peanut…
Sounds like others have tried almond with success. I’d also think sunflower butter and cashew butter would be amazing!
I made these for my hubby today, and he loved them! I added in a good sprinkle of cinnamon, which gave them a nice flavor. Thanks for the easy recipe Dana!
Yay! Thanks, Lauren.
I LOVE peanut butter cookies but trying to keep away from baking powder and flours. So this recipe caught my interest right away! However, as a nutritionist, I worry about digestion of dry oats. Your thoughts?
Hmm, they don’t seem to bother me. But if a person does, they could sub almond flour instead.
This looks so yum! I’m trying to avoid sugar right now, what’s something that could replace the dates? Do they bind the mixture together, so maybe something else sticky but low-fructose?
Try this recipe instead! https://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-pb-j-energy-bites/
Has anyone tried with a substitute for the dates? I was thinking of trying with maple syrup?
Try this! https://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-pb-j-energy-bites/
Hello, I’m just wondering what happens to raw rolled oats in the tummy? Curious since I only eat baked oatmeal or cooked.
Grazi
You could toast the oats before if you’d like. You could also sub shredded coconut or even almond flour instead of oats!
Just made this! So easy and delish. I threw some coconut oil in the cookies bc mine weren’t sticking enough. Maybe I didn’t use enough dates, when measuring them do you pack them down in the measuring cup?
Thanks for this recipe, sure to be a go-to when I’m craving sweets! I feel like you can substitute all kinds of nut butters and maybe even tahini….
I do pack them down.
I too am looking for a replacement for the dates, as I cannot eat them or prunes. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Try this! https://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-pb-j-energy-bites/
Thank you!!!
Just made it. Yum!!
Gosh just made these! Was sceptical of using dates (not a fan + they’re super expensive in Paris) but they turned out amazing! Already had 7! Need to make more tonight! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipes!!
I just made these today. I don’t normally leave reviews (though I should, because EVERY SINGLE THING I’ve tried from this blog has been incredible) but these were so good that I felt I had to!
I am currently on a very strict elimination diet per my doctor so I swapped the peanut butter for organic raw almond butter and it was still SO GOOD!! Highly recommend these. My whole family loved them too — even my brother who “doesn’t like dates”. 10/10!
Woot woot! Thanks for sharing, Hanna!
They almost looked exactly as the photo and were easy to make but most of all they were delicious ?
I saw this and haven’t made anything from your site since I made my still much beloved peanutbutter shake. Had all the ingredients and just had to try this. I loved it. I really needed a healthy type of snack and this was perfect!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Melissa!
Hi, made them yesterday, they are amazing, even better today than yesterday, the chocolate is enough for two batches, thank you!
Woot woot! We are glad to hear it! :D
This recipe looks amazing. I’m currently on the Candida diet though so can I replace the peanut with almond butter instead?
Yep!
Yee haw!
Dana, these look incredible! I love using dates as a natural sweetener in desserts as well because they are rich in flavor and contain loads of minerals!
This was simple, and it came out superb. The chocolate dip idea added a fine dimension to the recipe!
Excellent cookie recipe! :D Thank you Dana!
Can I substitute almond or cashew butter for peanut butter?
Yep!
These were delicious! However, they ended up being very crumbly. Any idea what I did wrong? Thanks!
Perhaps your dates weren’t sticky or wet enough OR you didn’t add enough. So try that next time!
I only had 3 dates and really needed a PNB fix, so I used prunes! Seemed to work, texture-wise. Perhaps not as sweet ,so I added some maple syrup too. I decorated with the chocolate, and had my PNB fix.
I would make again, and perhaps use dates!
Great idea, Rosemary! Thanks for sharing :D
This looks great – I have unsalted peanut butter, so how much salt would you say to add to get the right saltiness? (I bet even a teaspoon of miso would be add an interesting/funky salty taste.)
I would just add a pinch more sea salt!
I couldn’t stop eating them. Luckily I made two batches so there’s some for the family visiting tomorrow. It’s the second recipe I have tried on your site and I am excited to try more. The last one was the cake balls, also really good.
Delicious! I just made this – so fast and so yummy (and so healthy)! I substituted almond butter and didn’t use any salt, and they came out great! I put one dark chocolate bit in the middle instead of the glaze, which made them look festive and give just a bit of chocolate taste :-)
Great idea, Barbara!
Delish! I didn’t have salted peanut butter, so I put a pinch of pink Himalayan salt in and then finished with a pinch of maldon. I also soaked the dates to soften, plus I like to peel off the papery outer skin and soaking helps to do that. instead of the chocolate glaze, I pressed some cacao nibs into the top for a little crunch. However, spooning it out into two tablespoon servings gave me only nine cookies – no big deal, they didn’t last long anyway. I’ll double the next batch so I have some for a pre or post workout power snack! Thanks for this keeper!
Can quick oats be used as a substitute for the rolled oats? Thank you
I think so. Let us know if you try it out!
Just fabulous!!! Everybody loved them and they were gone so fast….
The cookies were delicious, my new favorite breakfast cookie and/or bedtime snack! The chocolate glaze . . .not so much. I think I must have made that wrong, it was pretty bad. But LOVED the cookie!
I was thinking of a cookie recipe a couple of days ago, that I could make for my kids during Canada day vacation … and boom!! This lands into my inbox.
Dana, your recipes are mind-blowingly good and insanely quick and easy… I have two dozen vegan cook books and I always use just yours :-) And when my newly plant based friends ask for resources, I say, don’t bother buying a tom of books, just get this one and follow the bolg too. And not for nothing.
Now Dana, you’re your own worst competition with the new ones you publish online :-) It seems we were borne by the same mother as our tastes are so similar, from hot meals to Asian bowls to deserts :) This will sound weird (blame it on the -many- cookies I just sampled) but if they ever clone you, I’m getting one of you home :P
For this recipe, I was inspired for a shortcut… the chocolate sauce seemed like too much work (it’s 45 Celsius in Montreal today), so I added some chocolate chips to the mix, at the end, and pulsed. Some melted, some didn’t. The cookies are all marbled differently and taste DIVINE :)
(Plant) God bless you, you’re making daily healthy eating so much easier and so much tastier! You are a mastermind to me :))
Be well and stay inspired !
So kind! We are so glad you are enjoying our recipes, Aza! Thank you for sharing your shortcut for the chocolate sauce!
This is a keeper!! Amazing. Used almond butter to make it camp-friendly for my boys. Need to remember to make a double batch next time, since we could easily eat this all in 1 sitting.
Yay! Glad you and your boys enjoyed these!
These are fabulous. With as good as they taste, I would have been happy if they had quadruple the ingredients and needed to be baked, but the minimal ingredients and the no-baking are going to ensure that they make frequent appearances in my cookie rotation. Sometimes peanut butter cookies can be a bit dry, but not these since there are more dates and oats than peanut butter—just enough PB to give it a wonderful taste. Of course mine don’t look as pretty as yours—not shaped as nicely and I actually smeared the chocolate over the entire top instead of just half—but the taste was 100% perfection. Served it with Mexican frozen hot chocolate instead of my usual iced coffee–living large!
Diana, regular oats, meaning ‘not quick cooking’ ok for this recipe, correct?
Correct!
These look absolutely delicious! I’m excited to try making them tomorrow. I’m wondering though if the dates can be subbed for maple syrup? Thanks Dana! :)
I think so! See the above comments for a link to a similar recipe.
I used 1/4 cup maple syrup in place of the dates then omitted the maple syrup in the chocolate glaze. It worked! I loved the cookies so much that I had 3 right after making them. Definitely adding this to my list of favorite recipes :) Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Arla!
If you like Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups these will satisfy. Amazing taste. Easy recipe to make. Delicious and healthy!!
I try to not use oil. In most recipes I am able to use applesauce. I don’t think that will work for the chocolate glaze. Do you have a suggestion for a substitute?
I love your site. We’re vegan and one of us is gluten free. So all my cooking is vegan and gluten free. I use your recipes all the time and recommend your site to my friends trying to be vegan. Thanks!
Hmm I am not sure, Maureen..The oil is pretty key but if you try something else, report back!
Here’s what I did to change your recipe a little. I didn’t want to use the glaze and was trying to lower the fat a little. I added 1/4 cup of navy beans (probably any bean would have been fine), 1/4 cup peanut butter powder (no added ingredients), 2 Tablespoons water, 2 Tablespoons cocoa. I did reduce the peanut butter to 1/4 cup. Last night I had the original cookie from your recipe. Loved it. Then decided to try my version it was OK but I felt next time it needed more cocoa and more peanut butter. This morning I had mine first and I loved it.
These were so easy and delicious! No one believed they had no sugar. The chocolate glaze will be my new go to also. Best of all – my sugar crazed 8 year old loves them!
Everything came together in less than 10 minutes, delicious!
Absolutely amazing! I thought I took a picture but I guess not. They didn’t last long enough to not have taken it asap. I am out of cocoa, so I just melted some vegan chocolate chips (Kirkland brand). It was fabulous. Peanut butter is just the best and so are you Dana. Use your website first almost every day.
We are glad you enjoyed them, Margie! If you make them again, we’d love to see a photo! Use the hashtag #MinimalistBaker on Instagram :D
These were a bit dry using fresh peanut ground butter but I just added more peanut butter and dates and they came out absolutely delicious. So glad I dipped them in chocolate! My 4-year-old said they taste just like Hob Nobs!
Smart! Thanks for sharing, Morgan.
I made these today and can’t wait to taste them. They look so so so good. Very sexy cookies :) I had some of the mixture before forming them as cookies and it was delicious. The ingredients made 11 cookies. So easy. Love your easy recipes. Yet so so delicious.
Glad you enjoyed them, Romina!
I have made these twice. The first time I used NuttZo from Costco. Cookies were a little dry (it could be because I was at the bottom of the jar like so many others have noted :-)) so I added dairy free and gluten free chocolate chips and they tasted yummy. The second time I used peanut butter and they were awesome!! I dipped them in chocolate as outlined in the recipe.
Next time, I’m going to try to use chocolate/peanut butter PB Fit and see how it turns out.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s perfect when you want a little something sweet. I will probably make these every week! They are so easy to make.
Delicious! I scaled the ingredients, but needed to add more peanut butter and dates to get the dough sticky enough to hold together. I honestly just ate it and didn’t form any cookies. Even more delicious the next day from the fridge!
These are amazing and SO easy. I love the chocolate glaze recipe but my kids don’t like the coconut flavor from the oil in anything! Can you recommend a substitute oil for the chocolate sauce? Thanks so much!
Good cookie!
We made these twice this weekend because our whole family loved them so much! This is coming from a New Orleans family that grew up on butter and flour in everything. Even our nephews and moms who won’t try anything vegan ate these up! They taste like peanut butter cookie dough. We made them with freshly ground peanut butter the first time and while very good they were crumbly. The second time we made them with trader joes creamy peanut butter and they were perfect!
This was great! I used a blender instead of a food processor though and it was fine. I added vegan mini chocolate chips instead of dipping in chocolate. I made little balls and put them in the fridge. Now I know to quadruple the recipe next time. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Ani! We are glad you enjoyed them!
I just made these and seem super yummy. The chocolate sauce was too thick for dipping. Any suggestions for thinning it out more? I love your recipes! Thanks !
Hi Norah! If the sauce is too thick, add more coconut oil and that should do the trick.
These are fantastic! I used quite dry dates so I added a bit of water. Delicious and easy to make! Thank you.
Both I and my friends love this recipe but I prefer the more bitter taste real dark 75% fairtrade chocolate for the glaze to compliment the natural sweetness of the dates.
Definitely a keeper.
Sooooooo good. Made them with homemade almond coconut butter and went straight to heaven. Thank you for the simplicity!!
My neice, Ashley Yoder (apparently she knows you), introduced me to your website and also gifted me with your cookbook! We love your recipes! Can’t wait to try this one! Thank you so much!
Ashley is the sweetest! Hi there! So glad you enjoy the recipes : )
These were AMAZING!!! Wow that chocolate shell just brought them over the top!
Yay! Glad to hear that, Jessica!
These are amazing! I used closer to a cup of dates and instead of a chocolate glaze, I threw in a handful of mini vegan chocolate chips. I also rolled them into little balls to make it quicker and easier.
Thanks for sharing your subs!
These are delicious and so easy! I am going to keep them in the freezer for whenever I’m craving something sweet and peanut butter-y. One recommendation I have is freezing the cookies BEFORE dipping them in the chocolate, as a couple of mine crumbled and broke apart when I was trying to dip them. Other than that, they are awesome just as the recipe specifies!
I’ve made these four times now! They are the perfect treat for my late night sweet tooth and my toddlers enjoy them too. Super easy to make and perfect for summer since they’re no bake! Though I suspect I’ll continue having these well into winter. Thanks for another household favorite Dana!
Yay! We are so glad to hear that, Anna!
I have noticed that several people have asked for a substitute for the coconut oil, I didn’t see a response.
Is there none?
Not that we’ve come across, Judy but if you experiment with it, report back!
So simple, so quick, yet so good!
Medjool dates are delicious but quite pricey… had good results using more basic dates (smaller and dryer dates such as Deglet Noor), that I first soaked in hot water. Thanks for a perfect hot summer cookie recipe!
Just made these! I added mini chocolate chips. So good!!! Thank you!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Danita!
So I just made these. And let me tell you something: Thank you. Now, as someone who likes baking and trying new things, I’m experienced enough to know that these cookies are not the most difficult to make, and well, they are made of only 3 ingredients so you’d think they’d taste normal, average. I couldn’t be more wrong. 3 ingredients go a LONG (LONG) way. These are my new favorite cookies, in all its peanut-y flavored glory. I just love them.
I can’t wait to make this, I have been making the classic 3 ingredient PB cookies for years(1 egg, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup peanut butter) and love them, but this is such a great option! It’s hard for me to find time to bake lately, and I’m definitely a chewy-underbaked cookie person. Plus, no wait time, no processed sugar, and extra protein and fiber! Thank you so much
Hey there,
Would a vitamix work instead of a food processor?
Another reader had success when using a blender in an above comment, but we haven’t tried it!
This is my go to recipe whenever I want a guilt free cookie. I sometimes make them several times In a week. They are SO GOOD. My husband absolutely loves them. They are such a great post or pre workout snack. OATS DATES AND PEANUTBUTTER SOOOOO good. The only thing I do differently is melt vegan chocolate with a little coconut oil and use that for the sauce.
Yay! We are so glad to hear that, Stephanie!
These look so good! Is it possible to refrigerate as I don’t have a freezer or would it just not work?
Hi Emma! Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month. The chocolate shell can get soft at room temperature, so it’s best to store them in the refrigerator.
Hi Dana,
I have now made this recipe twice… shared with a family member and friend.
I like the simplicity and everyone enjoyed the flavor….. thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Ellen!
Perfect last-minute no-bake cookies when needing something sweet for my son who’s allergic to gluten, milk, other nuts and seeds!