These peanut butter oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy and filled with peanut butter goodness. The oatmeal adds tons of texture for a quick and easy recipe that all peanut butter fans are sure to love. This recipe is also perfect because there’s no need to chill the dough. 
**This post was updated June 22, 2022 with new photos and recipe tips. The recipe has remained the same**
If you love peanut butter cookies – then you need to try these peanut butter oatmeal cookies. They’re soft and chewy with a delicious crisp to the edges. The oats add texture and combine with the peanut butter flavor to create one highly addictive cookie. Although, I doubt you’ll eat just one. They combine the best of both worlds when it comes to chewy oatmeal cookies and peanut butter cookies.
Making the Cookies – Step by Step
These peanut butter oatmeal cookies are quick and easy to make. There’s no need to chill the dough, although you can make it in advance and chill in the fridge overnight if you prefer. Here’s the rundown with photos and tips.
- As always, you’ll start by preheating your oven and lining your cookie sheets. I always line my cookie sheets because I find it stops the cookie bottoms from getting too crispy.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, peanut butter and sugars. This recipe uses a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar for more flavor. I always recommend using commercially prepared smooth peanut butter (instead of something natural or homemade) as it has a consistent amount of oil and you don’t need to worry about it separating.
- Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Carefully mix in the flour, baking soda and salt. I always like to do a few stirs by hand first to avoid the flour blowing everywhere when you turn on the electric mixer. Note that the dough will feel a little sticky at this point, that’s totally expected.
- Then gently stir in the oats. For this recipe, we’re using a combination of quick oats and large rolled oats (often called old-fashioned oats).
- Spoon the dough into balls about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons in size each. I always use a cookie scoop because it makes the process so much easier and avoids you getting sticky fingers.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 9-12 minutes, or until the tops are just set. The cookies will puff up slightly as they bake, but flatten as they cool. You should always bake 1 cookie sheet at a time on the middle rack of your oven. This ensures the cookies bake much more evenly than if you bake multiple cookie trays at a time on different racks.
Chilling the Dough
If you’d like to chill the dough for extra thick cookies, or simply to have cookie dough balls in your freezer, you have a few options.
- After making the cookie dough, wrap the bowl in plastic and place in the fridge for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake, form the dough into balls and bake as directed in the recipe.
- To freeze the cookie dough balls, make the dough and form into balls. Place the balls in a freezer bag in a single layer and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake as directed in the recipe. The cookies will likely need 1-2 extra minutes. Do not thaw the dough balls before baking.
A Note About Oats
I recommend using a combination of quick oats and old-fashioned oats (AKA large rolled oats or large flake oats). I love the combination because I find it creates cookies that are extra soft and chewy without being dry thanks to the quick oats. But they still have lots of texture from the old fashioned oats. If you only have quick oats or old-fashioned oats on hand, you can use exclusively old-fashioned oats or quick oats (you’ll need 1 ¼ cups of oats in total). Do not use instant oats for this recipe – they are too small and will behave more like flour instead of oats.
So if you love peanut butter, extra chewy cookies, and chowing down on about 10 cookies at once (ok – that part is optional) – then you should definitely try these oatmeal peanut butter cookies.
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies – Recipe Video
If you love peanut butter cookies, make sure to try these other favorites:
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams) softened
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (100 grams)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66 grams)
- ½ cup peanut butter (120 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (94 grams)
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup quick oats
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C or 170C fan forced). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugars, and peanut butter until creamy and no lumps remain.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Add in the flour, baking soda and salt. Do a few stirs by hand first, then turn the mixer to a low speed and beat together until combined.
- Turn off the mixer and stir in the quick oats and old-fashioned oats.
- Form the dough into balls about with about 1 - 1.5 tablespoons each. They'll be about the size of a ping pong ball. Place 2 inches apart on a lined cookie sheet. Do not flatten.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time for 9-12 minutes in the middle of the oven, or until the tops are just set.
- Remove from the oven. Cool cookies on the cookie tray for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and continue cooling.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: I highly recommend using commercially prepared smooth peanut butter and not using natural or homemade. You don't want to use peanut butter where the oil sits on the top, as it will lead to different amounts of oil in the batter and therefore inconsistent results.
- Oats: I used a combination of quick oats (not instant oats) and old-fashioned oats (AKA large rolled oats). You can substitute the quick oats with more old-fashioned oats or the the old-fashioned oats with more quick oats. Make sure to use 1 ¼ cups in total.
- Chilling the Dough: This is not necessary in this recipe but will result in thicker cookies if you choose. After making the dough, wrap the bowl in plastic and place in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Then bake as directed in the recipe.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 24 equal-sized cookies.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Absolutely the best Ever! I double the receipe and very glad I did! I’m back to make them again….I’m thinking of adding dark chocolate baking powder…. hence “dark chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies”. Thinking reducing flour, adding equal chocolate baking powder… 😀
these were excellent! will make again- My kids love too- although not the healthiest, I’ll try to make with coconut oil or half the butter/sugar