Ready under 20 minutes, these healthy, chewy and soft banana & oatmeal cookies are made with only 3 simple ingredients. They are a very simple and light version of the traditional oatmeal cookie with added dark chocolate chips. Flourless, eggless, low-calorie and low-fat these delicious cookies are made without butter, brown sugar or baking soda. Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free this recipe is friendly to most diets trending right now. Are you on a low-cholesterol diet? Give these a shot!
What’s more awesome than a batch of healthy, 3 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies? Ok well, maybe a slice of this healthy and decadent chocolate cake is… But I promise this recipe is a close contender!
What I like best about oatmeal cookies is their texture. In fact, I would say I prefer chocolate chip cookies made with oatmeal to the iconic, traditional all-purpose flour chocolate chip cookie (Sacrilege! I know!).
I love them so much that I would eat oatmeal cookies for breakfast any day of the week. And with such a healthy recipe, there is no shame in doing so!
This recipe couldn’t be simpler: With only 3 ingredients you can have a batch of these oatmeal cookies (or 3!) whipped up and baked in literally 20 minutes from now, and I would safely bet that you have those 3 ingredients in your pantry right now!
There is a twist to this recipe that will not only give these cookies the perfect texture but also allow you to use pure oatmeal instead of instant oatmeal (which, by the way, is way more healthy).
Simply give the oatmeal a quick spin with a mixer or food processor. Do not turn the oatmeal into a fine flour though, you want it to retain some texture! 1-2 seconds will do the trick.
Most oatmeal cookie recipes require lots of ingredients or lengthy preparation steps like chilling the dough before cooking so you don’t end up with thin, flat cookies.
Not with this recipe.
These delicious cookies are made without butter, flour, brown sugar, baking soda or eggs and no need to refrigerate the dough before baking!
Quick.
Simple.
Done!
And the best news is… they are 100% healthy!
Need some ideas to spice them up a little bit or change the flavor profile?
Here are a few ideas to replace the chocolate chips:
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- Macadamia nuts
- Dark chocolate chunks
- Raisins
- Cranberries
- Walnuts
Got more ideas? Leave a comment below!
More Oatmeal Recipes
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment & rating below! Don’t forget to Follow Me on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for more delicious recipes. I also LOVE seeing your creations, take a pic and Tag @onecleverchef on Instagram!
3 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 1 cup Rolled Oats (Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free)
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips*
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Give the oatmeal a quick spin in a food processor or mixer, for about 1-2 seconds. Do NOT turn the oatmeal into a fine flour if you want your cookies to have a nice, crumbly texture. This process is important for your cookies to hold together.
- Pour all of your ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Spoon preparation onto the lined baking sheet and mold the cookies with your fingers. I made 6 cookies, but you could make them smaller!
Transfer to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
* For the Vegan version, use vegan dark chocolate chips
Hi, can i use instan oat instead?
Yes, instant oatmeal is perfectly ok for this recipe! Happy baking! 🙂
Is it okay is I used quick oat instead of rolled oat or does it have to a specific oat to use
You can use quick oats no problem!
i was trying this recipe (from another site) for the first time and mistakenly added an extra half cup of rolled oats and the dough wouldn’t hold together. I was looking for some ideas and came across your site and your suggestion about processing the oats (which is a great idea).
However, since I was way past that stage I wound up adding another banana and throwing the whole thing into a food processor and pulsing it a few times. Problem solved. Thanks for the tip.
Hi Bill!
Yes, cookie dough holds much better with flour (any type), hence why I processed some of the rolled oats into oat flour. Also, I’ve learned that the secret to the perfect cookie lies in the consistency of the cookie dough, which shouldn’t be too liquid nor too thick. In a perfect world, it shouldn’t stick to your hands when rolled. The adjustments you made to your recipe were spot on.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe and tips!
Wanted to know how will it’s texture be ? Is it soft or hard? I made it but still feel that the banana is a little bit soft
Hi onecleverchef 😊
If I were to replace the chocolate chips for cranberries, would I be using dry cranberries or frozen/thawed and cut up or fresh? 🤷🏻♀️
Hi Agnes!
I would definitely go with dried cranberries, as it would not change the consistency/moisture of your cookie dough. I haven’t tried myself, but I am pretty sure that using fresh/thawed cranberries would make the dough too wet.
Hope that helps!
Happy baking 🙂
So, so yummy!!!
Hi Danielle,
I’m glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
Can I use frozen thawed banana?
Yes, definitely! 🙂
Hi was hoping to make a batch with raisins as i dont have chocolate chips.. but can i add some protein powder.. i have pulsin pea protein and maybe some almonds to for crunch. Also i know this is stupid but how many grams of the ingredients do u need? Sorry im from the uk
Hi Aneesa,
Yes, you can definitely add some protein powder. Be warned: plant-based protein powder, such as pea protein powder, will absorb much more moisture than whey protein. In fact, this type of powder can be used to replace some of the flour in any given recipe, on a ratio pretty close to 1:1. Simply put, if you use 1/2 cup pea protein, then remove the same amount (1/2 cup) of oatmeal from your recipe. Please note that every brand is different and results may vary.
Here are conversions in grams:
– 1 cup oatmeal = 80 grams
– 2 mashed bananas = around 200 grams
– 1/3 cup raisins = 50 grams
Hope that helps
Happy baking! =)
Delicious! I let the cookies sit a little bit before putting them in the oven so the oats had a chance to absorb some of the moisture. Added some unsweetened shredded coconut and vanilla with the cholocate chips. Great snack 🙂
Hi Sage,
Thanks so much for sharing this awesome feedback!!! =)
Delicious! I used gluten free muesli instead of oats and added a scoop of peanut butter to make them stick.
Hi Avery!
What a clever idea, thanks for sharing! =)
Do you need to store these in the fridge?
Hi Sara,
You don’t need to, but they will definitely preserve longer in the fridge (1 week) as opposed to 2-3 days at room temperature.
I’m impressed that you answered our friend from the UK so sweetly. I’m looking for healthy recipes for my grandchildren. I will make this cookie recipe soon. I just wanted to thank you for the nice layout!
Hi Linda!
My readers are very precious to me and I always love to help 🙂
Thank you for your kind words and I hope your grandchildren will love the cookies!
P.S. Depending on how many grandchildren you have, you might want to double (or triple!) the recipe, as this recipe will make between 6 to 9 cookies, depending on the size.
Happy baking! =)
Hi! I came across your recipe while trying to find some healthy chocolate cookies to satisfy my sweet tooth. I was wondering if I can make adjustments to your recipe by adding say….two table spoons of coco powder and for sweetness , a big of coconut sugar or dates? What do you think I should do to make it into chocolate cookies? Thanks!
Hi!
I think 1-2 tbsp of both maple syrup/coconut sugar and cocoa powder should do it
I would love to try this recipe with pumpkin purée instead of banana- I will of course need to add some sweetener and pumpkin spices. Do you think this would work well? Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
Yes, I do think it would work! What a brilliant idea, thanks for sharing! =)
SO delicious. Just what I needed for a mid day dessert pick-me-up. Healthy, but also perfectly sweet with the chocolate chips. I added a bit of honey (1-2 teaspoon) and some cinnamon as well. These would be great for children as well…they’d never know the difference. They were the best cookies to eat straight from the oven!
My husband loves this. Since I hate using my food processor unless absolutely necessary, I tried using my stick blender for the quick pulses of the oats. It worked! I used a paper plate as a cover so the oatmeal would not go flying out of the bowl. I used a sharp knife to cut an X in the center of the plate and stuck the immersion blender through it. I always add cinnamon to this recipe and my husband does prefer the raisins to the chocolate. I made four for me with chocolate and raisins… I also added some almond butter as another reviewer did. Doubled the recipe, too!
Instead of chocolate chips, could you use diced apples and add a little cinnamon?
Hi Laurie,
It should work just fine. The only thing though is that it might make your cookies moister, you might have to increase baking time by a little.
Happy baking!
Tried this recipe but instead of the chips added almond slicesand cranberries. Came out delicious
Very nice twist! Thank you for sharing! =)
I just popped them in the oven!! So excited to try these cookies.
Thank you
I’d love to know how they turned out!
Enjoy! =)
Delicious! And so fast!!
Made these for an after dinner snack. Soooooo delicious. I used raisins in place of chocolate chips. This is going into the favorite recipe book!
I am so glad you liked them! =)
Do these cookies freeze well?
Hi Lolla,
Yes absolutely! They can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. =)
Loved them! Will definitely make them again. I always have these ingredients in the house.
Yay! So happy you liked them! =)
Hi, I was wondering how many grams of oats did you use in the recipe?
Hi,
All of my recipes’ measurements are volume based. 2 cups rolled oats converts to 180 grams, according to Google (I can’t confirm myself).
Have a great day!
I have a canister of organic old-fashioned rolled oats in front of me. For this product, the nutrition facts say that 1/2 cup is 40g. That would be 80g per cup. US products typically have serving size in cups (volume) with the corresponding grams in parentheses. So, from my canister, 2 cups would be 160g. Hope this helps.
I’ve added cinnamon and pine nuts. Yummy!
Yay!!
So happy you enjoyed them! =)
Making these right now. I used half of the recipe with what you have here and decided to add in a heaping tbsp of natural PB to the mix…crossing fingers. 🙂
Ooooh these must’ve been so good. I’d be interested to know how it went!
Cheers!
I love these cookies.I added tart cherries and walnuts also the chocolate.
Oh wow, what a great idea, thanks for sharing! =)
Can I freeze these? If so, how should I thaw?
Yes, these can be frozen up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature.
Hope this helps!
How long is the cooling time and can I add honey 🍯
Hi Bev, you want to wait for at least 15-20 minutes before touching them. You could add 1-2 tbsp honey without any problem.
happy baking!
These were very good, though not that sweet at all (perfect for me, but I was making this recipe for two young children and they weren’t a fan, more for me!)
If you’re wanting more sweetness, I remade the recipe with three bananas (I happened to need to use three), 1 1/2 cups quick oats, substituted the chocolate chips for raisins, added a scoop of vanilla whey protein powder (wanting to sneak more protein into my kids’ diets), a tablespoon of brown sugar, a tablespoon of pure maple syrup, two teaspoons of ground cinnamon, and a tablespoon of wheat germ. I baked them in a muffin pan so they could be evenly portions and hold shape, baked at 350 for 17 minutes. They would have disappeared at one sitting if I didn’t hide half!
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for sharing! =)
I’m confused. At the top of the recipe it says prep time 5 minutes and bake 15 minutes. In the instructions at the bottom it says bake for 20 minutes. Which is correct?
Hi Jean,
Baking time is 12 to 15 minutes. Thank you for pointing this out.
Have a great day
Hi there!
What’s the texture you got or what’s the texture you were looking for?
I followed your recipe yesterday and after all night, my cookies are soft and chewy. Not bad! Really good taste (I added some almond and cinnamon), but that was not the texture I was looking for and I’m wondering if maybe the bananas I used were too big.
Thanks, and greetings from Barcelona, Spain.
Hi Willy!
Since there is no fat in these, the texture is a little bit more spongy than a regular cookie recipe. This is a very old (but still very popular) recipe on my blog and I will need to update the ingredients list with a fixed amount of mashed banana (like I always do now), instead of saying “2 large bananas”, as this can lead to a little bit on confusion. Generally, though, 1 large banana equals 1/3 cup mashed banana.
Hope that helps!
I saw someone mention protein powder. If I were to add whey protein, what would the conversion be? Would it still be about a 1:1 conversion? We’re on a crazy diet and need to get lots of protein in and this would be perfect!
Hi Jessica!
You remind me that I need to make a protein version of this!
In the meantime, here is a very similar recipe, made with whey protein powder. Simply replace the raisins with chocolate chips and skip the ground cinnamon: https://www.onecleverchef.com/oatmeal-raisin-protein-cookies/
Hope that helps!
(There is coconut oil in it, and I highly recommend using some, or any other type of flavorless liquid fat, as it really improves the texture)
Hi,
Do the cookies have to be refrigerated or can they stay on the counter? Do you know how long they will stay good?
Thanks,
Christine
Hi Christine!
I always recommend not to let any of my baked baked goods on the counter for more than 3 days, in an airtight container. Past that, you want to place them in the fridge for 4 more days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thanks for stopping by!
Loved these!!!! So easy to make. I added cinnamon and pecans. Thanks so much!
So happy you liked them, thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day! =)
Hi! What can I use to replace the bananas? Should I add milk or flour or something else?
Hi Karen,
While I don’t suggest it, you could try replacing the bananas with 2/3 cup applesauce. Yogurt would also work, but it would be denser.
Hope this helps!
These were absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing. I’ve tried so many healthy cookie recipes and none have ever been THIS GOOD 🤤🙌🏻
Oh great! Thank you so much for sharing! =)
I love these cookies. I am a vegan and trying to add more flaxseed into my diet. Do you think I could add some? What might I need to adjust?
I live adding lots of cinnamon and some vanilla extract to your recipe. I love the idea of adding nuts, too!
Hi Maria!
So glad you love the recipe! It’s always a pleasure to know that these recipes help people. About your questions, I think you could a teaspoon of flax seeds to the recipe without changing the recipe too much. They will absorb some moisture thought, so adding too much might make your cookies dry.
Hope this helps!
Hi One Clever Chef
Thank you for this recipe and all the responsive replies to us the viewers here.
You mentioned very clear on the freezing part – freezer can keep up to 3 months.
My question along this line is, would it be okay to store the mix in the freezer and bake it later?
which way will produce better texture? Freeze before baking or after baked?
Regards
Kim
Hi Kim!
I don’t have a definitive answer on this matter, as I haven’t tried it myself, but I would guess that baking them before freezing is the best option. My guess is that the oats will soak up more moisture while sitting in the freezer (before the mixture is frozen solid) and that the thawing process will change the consistency of the dough as well, potentially making it mushier. I may be wrong, but since there is zero fat in them, I personally would not risk it. I’d love to know how it turns out, should you try it. Have a great day!
These look fantastic and I’ll be making these this week! What can I add to make them just a tad sweeter and how much?
Hi Gina!
While I can’t say for sure, as I haven’t tried it myself, I would guess that adding 1-2 tablespoons of a granulated sweetener would be ok. I usually suggest coconut sugar, as it has a much lower glycemic index than traditional sweeteners (but feel free to use what you have on hand). You could also use stevia drops, but I can’t advise on the amount, as I am not used to this ingredient.
Happy baking!
I tried making these and they were definetely not ready in 20 minutes. They took more like 40 minutes. What did I do wrong? I did make a double batch, maybe it was that? Or maybe my bananas were too big?
Hi Lindsey,
It is hard to say, maybe the bananas were too big, or you made the cookies too big (that would be my guess since you made a double batch).
Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. My grandson, age 3, cannot have dairy or eggs. I am making these a second time for the holidays. Nice to have a treat for him that is safe.
Hi Lissa!
I am so glad I could help your grandson spend a more enjoyable holiday! My son is about his age and I can only imagine how hard it must be to have to restrict him because of food intolerances, especially for treats!
Feel free to browse my collection of healthy vegan treats over here: https://www.onecleverchef.com/diet/vegan/
And let me know if you have any questions!
Have a wonderful Holiday
These cookies are amazing! I haven’t found 1 person who don’t Love them. Thank you for sharing. I need to browse your recipes for different variations. Meaning something different to replace the bananas. I did see you told someone else to try applesauce or yogurt. I think I need to try peanut butter. Thank you again.
Hi Kim!
Thank you so much for the nice comment, it is really appreciated!
There is peanut butter and dates in this recipe: https://www.onecleverchef.com/3-ingredient-breakfast-cookies-healthy-vegan-gf/
Let me know if you try them!
Happy Holidays!
I mashed the banana in the food processor then added the oats. It seemed to work well and less dishes!
These are amazingly tasty! I added a few chopped walnuts and a little cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. I loved the texture and the flavor, I will be making them again within the week!
How much fat would be in one serving if I left out the chocolate chips?
Hi these are so good ive shared this recipe with alot of people and they say the same.
But my question is can these be frozen?