4-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies (2024)

Healthy vegan cookies are made with just 4 ingredients - banana, oats, peanut butter, and chocolate chips for a quick and healthy snack you can feel great about giving the kids. Vegan and gluten-free!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

This post was sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

You're going to love these healthy vegan cookies! They are chewy, sweet, and filled with flavor in every bite. They are so good, you're not going to believe that they are made with just 4 easy ingredients!

Yep, these cookies are made from a combination of peanut butter, oats, bananas, and chocolate chips for a delicious and healthy treat that you can feel great about eating.

And best of all? This vegan cookie recipe is highly versatile! Feel free to swap out the chocolate chips for peanuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, or cranberries. Whatever you do you are going to love these easy vegan cookies.

Table of Contents show

Step-by-Step Recipe Video

Recommended Ingredients & Equipment

Nothing fancy to see here! This vegan cookie recipe requires only 4 easy-to-find ingredients; most of which you probably already have on hand! And this recipe offers a ton of variation!

Here is everything you'll need:

Ingredients & Substitutions

Old Fashioned Oats - Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to brand of rolled oats and the only one I recommend. They offer a great selection of non-GMO whole grains to support healthy lifestyles for all. Read all about why I love Bob’s Red Mill below. Note: If you are gluten-free, make sure to look for Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats.
Bananas - Use overly ripe bananas. This gives the recipe more sweetness and flavor while also being easier to mash and incorporate with the other ingredients.
Natural Peanut Butter - Allergic to peanuts? No problem! This can be replaced with any nut or seed butter.
Vegan Chocolate Chip - Feel free to swap these out for raisins, cranberries, or a variety of nuts and seeds.

My Go-To Oats

Bob’s Red Mill is a 100% employee-owned company, one of only 8,000 companies in the US to achieve this spectacular feat. If that weren’t enough to celebrate, they also have one of the largest lines of organic whole grain foods in the country.

For over three decades, the company has been committed to providing people everywhere with the best quality, whole grain foods available. All of their products are certified Kosher and made with ingredients grown from non-GMO seeds. Their minimally processed foods are about as close to nature as you can get, and they package everything in clear bags so you can see the quality of their products for yourself!

And you can taste the difference! These oats are thick, rich in flavor, perfectly textured, and simply the best on the market.

Find Bob’s Red Mill at your local grocery store to see why I’m such a huge fan of their fabulous product line.

Recommended Equipment

For this cookie recipe, you will need a mixing bowl, basic kitchen equipment, a baking sheet, silicone baking mats, and a wire cooling rack. (<<affiliate links)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step One – Mash the Banana

First, place the bananas in a bowl and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon until mostly smooth. A few lumps are okay!

Pro Tip: Use overly ripe bananas. This gives the recipe more sweetness and flavor while also being easier to mash and incorporate into the remaining ingredients.

Step Two - Combine Ingredients

Next, add the oats and peanut butter. Stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips or your preferred mix-ins.

Taste and adjust. If the dough is too dry, add a little more peanut butter. If the dough feels too wet, add ¼ cup more oats.

Step Three - Bake the Cookies

Finally, drop spoonfuls of batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown on the outside with a thin crust.

Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Serving and Storing

Serving - Serve immediately as an afternoon snack or evening dessert. These cookies are healthy, delicious, and kid-approved!

Storing - Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Let thaw for 30 minutes before enjoying.

Tips and Tricks

Make sure to use very ripe bananas. This adds sweetness to the recipe. Ripe bananas are also easier to incorporate into the batter.
I use natural peanut butter which tends to be looser than conventional peanut butter. If you are using conventional peanut butter, consider adding ¼--½ more banana.
These cookies are delicious on their own but also make a great base for so many add-in options. A few of my favorite add-ins are raisins, chia seeds, nuts, and vanilla extract.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Yes! For a gluten-free cookie, use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Oats which are certified gluten free!

Can I replace the peanut butter?

For sure! If you have a peanut allergy, or simply don't like peanut butter, you can swap it out for any other kind of nut or seed butter.

Why is my dough falling apart?

Because all nut butters have slightly different consistencies and bananas are different sizes, you may just need to make minor adjustments to get the right texture of the dough. If the dough is too sticky, add extra oats. If it's falling apart, you will need to add a little more nut butter. In the end, the dough should hold together easily without sticking to your fingers.

More Vegan Cookie Recipes

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Snickerdoodles
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Double Chocolate Cookies

Healthy Vegan Cookies

4.79 from 32 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 cookies

Calories: 77kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

1 ½ cups Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Oats
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
⅓ cup peanut butter
¼ cup chocolate chips, or mix-ins of choice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the bananas in a bowl and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Mash them until the bananas are mostly smooth. A few lumps are okay.
Once the bananas are mashed, add the oats and peanut butter, stirring until everything is well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Taste and adjust. If the dough is too dry, add a little more peanut butter. If the dough feels too wet, add ¼ cup more oats.
Drop bite-sized spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Until lightly brown. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

Serving and Storing -Serve immediately as an afternoon snack or evening dessert. These cookies are healthy, delicious, and kid-approved! Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Recipe Tips

Make sure to use very ripe bananas. This adds sweetness to the recipe. Ripe bananas are also easier to incorporate into the batter.
These cookies are delicious on their own but also make a great base for so many add-in options. A few of my favorite add-ins are raisins, chia seeds, nuts, and vanilla extract.
If you have a peanut allergy, you can swap it out for any other kind of nut butter
For gluten-free cookies, make sure to look for gluten-free oats.

Variations - For a gluten-free version, use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats.

Troubleshooting - Because all nut butters have slightly different consistencies and bananas are different sizes, you may just need to make minor adjustments to get the right texture of the dough. If the dough is too sticky, add extra oats. If it's falling apart, you will need to add a little more nut butter. In the end, the dough should hold together easily without sticking to your fingers.

Nutrition

@mydarlingvegan on Instagram

If you give this recipe recipe a try, snap a photo and share it on Instagram. Make sure to tag @mydarlingvegan so I can see your creations!