Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

These healthy peanut butter banana cookies contain only 4 ingredients and are SO easy to make! They are soft, chewy, dairy free, gluten free, plant-based, and contain no refined sugars. 

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with a drizzle of peanut butter

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Cookies in Minutes

 

I’m bringing back one of my easiest NITK recipes with some shiny new photos! This recipe for healthy peanut butter banana cookies has been a long time favourite because it is seriously so easy, you could pretty much prepare them with your eyes closed and hands tied behind your back… ok maybe not, but you get the idea, ha!

These peanut butter (and almond butter!) packed cookies are sweetened only with banana so they are subtly sweet, rich, and nutty. My toddler loves them and they are definitely appealing to kids and adults alike. 

Stack of Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with a bite taken out of one

Is peanut butter and banana good together?

 

Heck yes! This classic combination is so delicious and it combines a perfect balance of carbohydrates and fibre from the banana with healthy fats and protein from the peanut butter.

Peanut butter and banana is a common post-workout snack, so these cookies, because they contain no added sugar are a delicious post-workout option too (although I’d also recommend extra protein if you’ve done a resistance training workout!). 

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

 

These delicious and incredibly easy cookies are made with only 4 main ingredients. That’s it, that’s all my friends! While I’m sure you could find a ton of variations of this cookie out in the blogosphere, I think keeping it simple is sometimes the best approach.

You can definitely make additions or swaps which I suggest below, but the classic 4-ingredient version is just perfect too.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Peanut butter (natural, unsweetened)
  • Almond butter (for a little variety and more nut butter goodness, you can also omit this and just use extra peanut butter)
  • Banana (ripe, or a little over-ripe/spotted is fine, avoid under-ripe/green) 
  • Cinnamon (for extra delicious flavour!)

Optional: Sea Salt (this isn’t necessary but I feel it takes up the flavour a notch!) 

Close up of Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Recipe Add-Ins or Swaps/Substitutions:

 

I love how versatile these simple peanut butter banana cookies are. If you are a fan of extra texture or different flavours you can play around with the optional additions or swaps below!

  • Swap the almond butter for more peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter
  • Swap smooth peanut butter for crunchy peanut butter for extra texture
  • Swap the cinnamon for cocoa powder and use 1 tablespoon instead of 1 tsp for a touch of cocoa 

 

  • Add in 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup for a sweeter cookie
  • Add in 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips for a chocolatey twist
  • Add in 1/4 cup hemp seeds for extra protein and texture 
  • Add in 1/4 cup of shredded coconut for extra flavour and texture

Peanut Butter Banana Cookie Recipe Tips

To make these cookies all you need to do is add the banana to a bowl and mash, mash, mash. Then the rest of the ingredients and stir, stir, stir …then stir some more (you’ll need to use a little muscle!) until you have a ball of batter. Then, you scoop that batter into little balls, place them on a pan, and press with a fork. 

Sometimes however, depending on your ingredients you might have to do some troubleshooting. Here are some tips!

  • If your peanut butter is “runny”: If your peanut butter/almond butter has a runny consistency (rather than a thicker consistency, this often depends on the brand) you might find the cookie batter is too runny to form into balls. Simply add 1 tablespoon of coconut flour at a time and stir until your batter begins to naturally form into a ball, like the batter pictured above. 

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies on a plate

  • If your bananas are under-ripe/over-ripe: Over-ripe or spotted brown bananas are totally fine to use and shouldn’t cause any issues. If your bananas are still a bit green however, I recommend waiting a day or so until they are ripe to make the recipe, or if you don’t have the patience, add 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup to the bananas during mashing. 

 

  • If you don’t find the cookies sweet enough: Because this recipe doesn’t contain any added sugars, and the only “sweetener” is the banana and some people may not find them sweet enough. Amp up the sweetness with 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup OR raw honey and add in 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips to the batter before baking. That should do the trick!

Stack of Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with a glass of dairy free milk

While these cookies definitely aren’t super sweet, they are rich, moist, and buttery, with a slight sweetness, and they are soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 

I know many people who have made resolutions this year to cut back on sugar (myself included!), so if you are one of them, this peanut butter banana cookie recipe is a great option to satisfy sweet cravings without any refined sugars.

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies on a plate with banana slices

Do you have an extra 15 minutes to whip up these cookies today? Tell me how they work out in the comments and be sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save this one for later!

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies with a drizzle of peanut butter

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

Yield: Makes 10 Cookies
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

These delicious and healthy cookies are made with just 4-ingredients and come together in a flash for a healthy, vegan, low sugar, gluten free treat!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter*
  • 2 tablespoons all natural almond butter (or swap for peanut butter)*
  • 1 small banana, mashed until no clumps remain
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch of sea salt (optional)

Optional Add-Ins

  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips, unsweetened shredded coconut, or hemp seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mash banana in a large bowl until no clumps remain
  3. Add in peanut butter, almond butter, and cinnamon and mix well to combine.
  4. While mixing the dough will slowly come together into one big ball of batter and nothing should be stuck to the sides of the bowl.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Roll or scoop the batter into 10 balls and arrange on the the cookie sheet, then press each cookie ball down lightly with a fork.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.
  8. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the sea salt, if using.
  9. Let cool completely and enjoy!

Notes

If your peanut butter is "runny": If your peanut butter/almond butter has a runny consistency (rather than a thicker consistency, this often depends on the brand) you might find the cookie batter is too runny to form into balls. Simply add 1 tablespoon of coconut flour at a time and stir until your batter begins to naturally form into a ball, like the batter pictured above. 


If your bananas are under-ripe/over-ripe: Over-ripe or spotted brown bananas are totally fine to use and shouldn't cause any issues. If your bananas are still a bit green however, I recommend waiting a day or so until they are ripe to make the recipe, or if you don't have the patience, add 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup to the bananas during mashing. 


If you don't find the cookies sweet enough: Amp up the sweetness with 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup OR raw honey and add in 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips to the batter before baking.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 86Total Fat: 6.7gCarbohydrates: 4.9gFiber: 1.2gSugar: 2.3gProtein: 2.7g

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Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

 

Have a great weekend!

Author: Christal Sczebel

Christal is the creator of Nutrition in the Kitch. She's a Certified Nutritional Consultant, twice published author, gluten and dairy free recipe developer, food photographer, speaker, wife, and mama. Christal loves good food, all things wellness, and loves to travel. Her wellness philosophy is centred around balance and sustainable health, life's way too short for boring diets and restriction!

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  • Hey! These sound awesome, but can I use all almond butter, no peanut butter? I’m trying to stay away from peanuts.

    Thanks!

  • Trr Ting this tomorrow thanks! Another great cooky recipe is dates bananas and oat meal. Mix about 2 banans. 1 cup chopped dates and a cup of oats. Let bake at 350 to 400 for 20 min. Oo it comes out best when set aside for an houre before bakeing. It lets all the flavors meld together.

  • Can I make this with peanut butter thats not natural? I have a ton of peanut butter still left at home, but its not natural.

    • By “natural” I mean without any added oils or sugars. So I’m not sure what kind of peanut butter you are referring to, but if it’s peanut butter you can use it! 🙂

  • Oh my goodness!!! I have been struggling with my new found food intolerances (soy, peanuts, egg whites and cows milk) for a few years now and found your recipe via Pinterest. I have to substitute cashew butter, and added a about 1/4 c of rice flour to keep the dough from sticking. I also added a handful of chopped walnuts and a handful of mini chocolate chips. Thank you so much- I can finally start to enjoy a treat and not have bad reactions. Yum!!!!!

    • Yum! That all sounds like delicious additions to the recipe! I’m so happy you have found something you can enjoy and feel confident eating Susan! 🙂

  • Hi Christal 🙂 Saw your post on Katie’s site, I’m thrilled to discover yours !
    These look delicious ! Do you think they’d be good with a little stevia for something that’s a little sweeter ?

  • Hey these look great! Thank you for sharing the recipe! I was wondering..is there a substitute for the nutmeg or do you think they would still be good without that ingredient? Thanks again!

  • Will be trying these soon! After they are cooked do you need to store them in the fridge or at room temp? If I made a bigger batch could I freeze some? Thanks Christal!

    • No need to store them in the fridge although I do just to keep them longer, because I only get a limited amount! Yes you could definitely freeze them and then just sit them on the counter to defrost.. don’t microwave! Oh, and Kim … you must use natural peanut butter (and don’t add any brown sugar!! Lol!)