I know that the last recipe I shared with you featured peanut butter. But if you’re even a little bit familiar with this blog, you’ll know that it’s at least 37% powered by peanut butter. I have a long-time affection for it, and I don’t anticipate it will be going away anytime soon.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
I’ve made all sorts of things with peanut butter, from bars to pies to cakes to cheesecakes. But cookies may very well be my favorite way to bake with peanut butter. There’s something so comforting and nostalgic about peanut butter cookies. I know I can certainly never resist them!
While I often make Classic Peanut Butter Cookies and 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies, these particular peanut butter cookies stray just slightly from the traditional with the addition of oats. As oatmeal cookies are another favorite of mine, I am downright giddy to combine those two cookies into one!
And quite a cookie it is! These guys are big, thick, significant cookies. There’s nothing dainty about them. You’re going to want to hold on to these with two hands while you enjoy every single bite!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
These big, thick Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are perfectly sweet, nutty, chewy, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the oats. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Drop the dough by 1/4 cup (4 tablespoon) portions* onto the prepared pans. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*A 4-tablespoon cookie scoop works wonderfully for portioning the dough.
These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are my addition to April’s Cookie of the Month. This year, some blogging friends and I are baking cookies every month. This month’s theme is peanut butter, one of my favorites! Be sure to visit these blogs and see their tasty peanut butter creations!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cut Out Cookies from Tastes of Lizzy T
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies from The Cooking Actress
- Rolo Peanut Butter Blossoms from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints from Crumb: A Food Blog
- Peanut Butter Cookie Pockets from Kelli’s Kitchen
- Peanut Butter Compost Cookies from Gotta Get Baked
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Cups from 365 Days of Baking and More
- Peanut Butter Cup Sandwiches from Posed Perfection
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47 Comments on “Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies”
I adore oatmeal cookies—and adding peanut butter only makes them more irresistible!!!
A simple, classic cookie! I love how thick these are. Pinned!
These look delicious! I bet they would even qualify for breakfast since they have oatmeal in them 😉 Have a great week!
Blessings,
Nici
We love peanut butter cookies and we love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, so Im sure my family would adore these. Can you tell me if they are chewy and moist or more of a crispy cookie? Im assuming that with all the brown sugar they are chewy…but just wanted to make sure. We are a chewy family all the way!
Hi, Bryn. They’re definitely chewy and soft!
These cookies look delicious and yet so healthy! They are perfect for after-practice snacks for kids!
These look great Jennifer. I think it is great we have other nut butters available if PB ever needs a sub but I’m with you on it being the greatest!
Jennifer, don’t ever apologize for posting another PB recipe! Besides chocolate, it’s the only other substance flowing through my veins 😉 These cookies look so thick ‘n chewy! You’re totally right – nothing beats the comfort, nostalgia and straight-up deliciousness of PB cookies.
The only way peanut butter cookies could get better (other than chocolate) is by adding oats! These look delicious, and I love that you used crunchy peanut butter. 🙂
Peanut butter and oatmeal are two of my all-time faves… and now, finally, I don’t have to choose between the two! All you need to do is add chocolate chips and I’ll never ever need another cookie recipe ever again. 🙂
(Also, I totally hear you on the whole running-on-PB thing. My husband and I go through, like, a jar a week!)
It’s ONLY 37% powered by peanut butter?? I think mine is closer to 87%. Haha! Love this flavor combo!
Great cookie, Jennifer! I love the “37% powered by peanut butter”. That’s awesome!
Peanut butter in an oatmeal cookie makes for a great treat…and the oatmeal makes them healthy so you can eat more, right? 😉
What aclassic! I love any and all oatmeal cookies (the texture is unaparalleled) and I love peanut butter 🙂 So yum!
there’s never too much peanut butter! I love how chewy and hearty these tasty cookies look!!!
Gotta love a good peanut butter cookie! Great idea to add oatmeal. Then I can eat it for breakfast, right?
Its look so yummy and healthy.I really appreciate you for share this healthy cookie recipe.I am waiting for more.:)
Thanks
🙂
I made these cookies but I thought it wasn’t sweet enough. The first batch I flatten them, seemed better. I don’t think I’d make these again. I’ve tried so many of your baking things and enjoyed them. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, Barbara. You can try adding another 1/4 cup of brown sugar if you’d like these sweeter.
I made these are they were horribly dry. They actually resembled the dog cookies I make my pups at Christmas time! Anyway to make them more moist?
Hi, Julie. I found these to be nicely moist, but there are always differences in measuring techniques and oven behavior. I would suggest adding another 1/4 cup of brown sugar if you don’t mind a bit more sweetness. Alternately, maybe a tablespoon of milk.
I also found that they were horribly dry and didn’t spread out like they should have. 🙁
Thank you Jennifer for your comment. I will try them with a little more sugar. A friend suggested to add walnuts and raisins.
too.
THIS IS THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPE!!!! I FOLLOWED THE RECIPE EXACTLY WITH THE ADDITION OF ALMOND EXTRACT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECIPE.
I’m so glad you liked them! 🙂
Just made these & they are so good! Thank you for the recipe! My only mod was I did heaping tablespoons instead of 1/4 cup each. Next time I might try adding walnuts & a dash of something-cinnamon or maybe even pumpkin pie spice.
I’m glad you like them, Aimee! I love the idea of adding some spice!
I followed the directions, no substitutions. They are exactly as I had wanted mild taste of peanut butter not overpowering like some, definitely a make again recipe.
That’s great to hear, Agnes!
Followed the recipe exactly. The cookies didn’t spread at all and were rather heavy and dry. Shouldn’t they have baking soda in them instead of or in addition to the baking powder?
Hi, Lisa. There are several reasons cookies might not spread. Too much flour (or not enough fat), a dark pan, and inaccurate oven temperature are the usual reasons. Your description of them being heavy and dry makes me think there was too much flour in the dough. You might want to read through my tips for measuring flour to make sure you’re not inadvertently using too much. They shouldn’t need more leavening, as this amount of baking powder will do the job. Of course, if you prefer a flatter cookie, you can always adjust the leavening if the other things I mentioned don’t need to be adjusted.
This is the first time that my mom let me bake myself. 🙂 I absolutely love peanut butter cookies, but I don’t get to have them very often. I decided to try this recipe, and overall I really like them. However, there were some tweaks that I made- four tablespoons per cookie seemed a bit huge, so I made them more like two tablespoons. It yielded a little over two pans, and the first one I learned that instead of eyeballing them, it would be easier to weigh them. One ounce balls worked perfectly. Also, flattening them a bit is a good idea because they don’t spread at all in the oven. They still bake fine without flattening them though, so if you don’t mind them in more of a ball shape that works too! Of course I had to decrease the baking time as well. Flattened out, they baked for about 7-8 minutes, but you have to keep an eye on them to avoid over-baking. I would definitely make these again!
Hi, Alex! Sounds like you did a great job on your own. I’m glad you liked the cookies!
Too dry. Not sweet enough. And they are crumbly and fall apart. I won’t make again.
These are just wonderful! I followed your instructions and mine turned out perfectly – they had the right amount of sweetness and they were very moist. Thank you for taking the time to create and share this recipe! 🙂
Hello! We tried this recipe at home and it was interesting. The cookies turned out nicely but they are too dry. The peanut butter taste is delightful and the oats added a lovely texture. I want to make them again but with an improved recipe.
How do you think I can make the cookies more chewy and soft, and less dry and crumbly?
Hi, Monica. I don’t find them dry at all, so my first guess is that your batter had too much flour added to it. I’d recommend reviewing my tips on how to measure flour. If you’re still having troubles, try adding a little more brown sugar (a couple of tablespoons) or maybe an egg yolk.
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Hi, Mary Kate. I don’t recommend baking with margarine. The fat to water ratio is too different from butter to work as well.
These cookies came out amazing!! The whole family loved them!! Crunchy on the outside, moist and creamy on the inside. Yummy!! I am making them again today but this time I will be doubling the recipe!!
I’m glad you liked them, Lisa!
I just made these. Followed the directions to a T (I know how to measure), and my dough came out squarely in the “dry as a bone” consistency. I won’t make these again.
I’m sorry you had troubles! Îf you’re sure you measured accurately, then I’d look at what kind of flour you’re using. Not all all-purpose flours are created equally, and those variations can sometimes create different results. I’m a big fan of King Arthur Flour, as it is a consistent product all across the country, as opposed to some national brands that have different protein percentages in different regions.
I made these and decided they needed some Honey! Came out perfect. Thanks. Love texture too.
Honey sounds like a great addition! Glad you liked them!
Very good. I refrigerated dough. That seemed to work well. I only bake a few at a time. Too much temptation if I bake the while recipe at one time.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies, Catherine!
I had high hopes for these cookies, but I was very disappointed. They were very very dry, and put me in the mind of a hockey puck. I could barely form them into a ball in order to bake them because they would fall apart in my hands. Even when I pressed them down when baking they were overly thick and very dry inside.