These oatmeal peanut butter cookies are soft, chewy, and ridiculously easy to make. Add raisins for a little extra sweetness, or keep them simple and enjoy that classic peanut butter flavor.
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Watch my 4-ingredient oatmeal peanut butter cookies recipe video below and see just how easy these little cookies are to make. Give the video a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more simple homemade cookie recipes!
Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
This is the kind of cookie recipe I love making when I want something homemade without spending all afternoon in the kitchen.
The dough comes together in one bowl; you do not need a mixer, and the cookies only take about 10 to 12 minutes to bake. Let’s be honest… simple cookies that taste this good are always worth keeping around.
You can also change them depending on what you have at home. Raisins, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips all work really well.
Texture and Flavor
These cookies have a warm peanut butter flavor with a little chew from the oats and just enough sweetness from the brown sugar.
They stay softer in the middle when baked closer to 10 minutes. Leave them in for another minute or two if you prefer a slightly crispier cookie.
The raisins add small, sweet bites throughout, but the cookies are also super delicious without them.
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter like this (256 g)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (90 g)
- ⅓ cup raisins (about 50 g), optional
Peanut Butter
Creamy peanut butter gives the dough a smooth texture and makes it easy to mix.
Chunky peanut butter also works if you like little pieces of peanut in your cookies.
Note: If your peanut butter feels too firm, warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds so it softens slightly and becomes easier to work with.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper flavor and helps them stay a little softer.
Regular granulated sugar will also work, but the cookies may turn out slightly crisper.
Rolled Oats
Old-fashioned rolled oats give the cookies a nice chewy texture.
Quick oats can also be used, but the finished cookies will be softer and have less chew.
Optional Add-Ins
Raisins add sweetness and a little extra chew, but you can replace them with:
- Dried cranberries
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Chopped pecans
- Chopped walnuts
Did You Know: Brown sugar contains molasses, which is what gives it a deeper flavor and softer texture in baked cookies.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Cookie scoop or tablespoon
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the oven rack in the middle.
Step 1: Add the peanut butter
To make these delicious peanut butter oatmeal cookies, start by adding 1 cup, or 256 grams, of smooth peanut butter to a large mixing bowl.
If your peanut butter feels too firm, warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds so it softens slightly without becoming hot or runny. This makes it much easier to work with.
Step 2: Mix in the brown sugar
Next, add ½ cup, or 100 grams, of brown sugar to the peanut butter, then mix the two together until the sugar is fully worked in and the mixture becomes smooth, thick, and evenly combined.
Regular white sugar will also work, but brown sugar helps the cookies stay softer and gives them a deeper, slightly caramel-like flavor.
Step 3: Add the rolled oats
Next, add 1 cup, or 90 grams, of old-fashioned rolled oats, then fold and press them into the peanut butter mixture until everything comes together into a thick cookie dough and you no longer see any loose oats sitting at the bottom of the bowl.
The mixture may look a little crumbly at first, but keep folding and pressing it together until the dough holds its shape.
Top Tip: Press a small amount of dough between your fingers. If it holds together, the dough is ready, even if it still looks slightly crumbly in the bowl.
Step 4: Add the raisins
Next, add ⅓ cup, or about 50 grams, of raisins and gently fold them into the dough until they are spread evenly, so you get a little burst of sweetness in almost every bite.
Dried cranberries work just as well if you prefer something slightly tangy, or you can swap them for semisweet chocolate chips when you are in more of a chocolate mood.
Step 5: Shape the cookies
Next, take a cookie sheet and cover it with parchment paper, then scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. You should get around 11 to 12 cookies by the time all the dough is used.
Roll each scoop gently between your hands until it looks smooth and round, then place it on the prepared cookie sheet with a little space between each cookie.
Step 6: Flatten the cookies
Use the bottom of a cup or the back of a spoon to gently press each ball of dough down until it has a flatter, more even cookie shape.
This dough does not spread very much in the oven, so the shape you make now will stay fairly similar while the cookies bake. Press them a little thinner if you like crispier cookies, or leave them slightly thicker if you prefer a softer centre.
Top Tip: If the dough sticks to the cup or spoon, lightly dampen the bottom before pressing the cookies.
Step 7: Bake
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes, until your kitchen smells absolutely amazing.
Take them out closer to 10 minutes if you like softer cookies, or leave them for another minute or two if you prefer a slightly crispier texture. Keep an eye on them near the end because they can brown quickly if they bake too long.
Step 8: Cool
Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes after taking them out of the oven.
They will be very soft at first, so giving them a few minutes to rest helps them firm up before you move them to a cooling rack.
Related Recipe: If you love simple homemade cookies like these, then also check out these absolutely yummy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with olive oil and sea salt here.
Soft Chewy 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
These 4-ingredient peanut butter oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and full of cozy peanut butter flavor. They are quick to mix, easy to bake, and even better with sweet little bites of raisins throughout.
12
servings15
minutes12
minutes200
kcal27
minutesIngredients
1 cup 1 (256 g) creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup 1/2 (100 g) brown sugar
1 cup 1 (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup 1/3 (55 g) raisins
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Add 1 cup of smooth peanut butter to a mixing bowl. Soften in the microwave if needed.
- Mix in 1/2 cup brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
- Fold in 1 cup rolled oats until evenly coated with the mixture.
- Gently fold in 1/3 cup of raisins.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls.
- Place on the sheet and press into cookie shape with a cup or spoon.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set.
- Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Best Peanut Butter Choice: Regular creamy peanut butter gives the dough the most reliable texture. Natural peanut butter can separate and may make the cookies oily or crumbly, so stir it very well before measuring.
- Easy Raisin Swaps: Replace the raisins with the same amount of dried cranberries or semisweet chocolate chips. Avoid adding much more than ⅓ cup, or the dough may become harder to shape.
- Choose Your Texture: Press the cookies thinner for crispier edges, or leave them slightly thicker for softer cookies. Since this dough has no leavening, the cookies will not rise or spread very much in the oven.
- Choosing the Right Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats give the cookies the best chewy texture. Quick oats will also work, but they absorb the peanut butter more quickly and make the cookies softer with less chew.
Nutrition Facts
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 200kcal
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Protein: 7g
Storage
- Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Place parchment paper between the layers if you need to stack them.
- You can also freeze the cookies for up to 2 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before eating.
How to Soften These Oat Peanut Butter Cookies
If the cookies become a little firmer after a day or two, warm one in the microwave for about 5 to 8 seconds.
That is usually enough to soften the peanut butter and make the cookie taste freshly baked again.
Serving Ideas
These cookies are sooo good while they are still slightly warm, especially when the raisins are soft and the peanut butter flavor is at its best.
You can also serve them with milk, crumble one over vanilla ice cream, or make a little cookie sandwich with peanut butter in the middle. How can you not?!
More Easy Cookie Recipes
If you love simple homemade oatmeal peanut butter cookies like these, check out the other easy cookie recipes below for more yummy ideas.
- Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Just a Few Ingredients) – These soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are made with just a few simple ingredients, making them an easy homemade treat for any time of day.
- Classic Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe – Make soft, buttery peanut butter cookies right in your air fryer with this quick and easy recipe that’s perfect for small batches.
- Best Almond Cookies Recipe – No Flour Just Almonds – These flourless almond cookies are crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and packed with delicious almond flavor.
And if you make these peanut butter oatmeal cookies, leave a comment or ask me any questions below or in the YouTube video comments. I always try to reply to every comment and question!