Healthy No-Bake Cookies
Posted Aug 15, 2016, Updated Jul 14, 2024
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Healthy no-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies! Made with 8 nutritious ingredients, these healthy no bake cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan & refined sugar free!
I remember the first time I ever triedย no bake cookies…I was in heaven. I hunted down the maker of those cookies and begged for the recipe. They were easy to make, but I wasn’t a fan of the nutritional profile.
Since my first encounter with these little bits of chocolate/peanut butter heaven, it became my mission to create a healthier version! I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count, which means I’m very glad that these healthy no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and vegan-friendly!
These Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies are made with only 8 good-for-you ingredients, all of which you probably have on hand right now – yay!
Healthy No-Bake Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are a few potential substitutions for this recipe!
- Peanut butter.ย Any nut or seed butter works well in this recipe.
- Coconut oil.ย Butter or ghee are great substitutes for coconut oil.
- Honey.ย Use maple syrup for a vegan version of this recipe.
- Shredded coconut.ย If you donโt care for coconut, simply replace it with an extra 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats.ย
How to Make Healthy No-Bake Cookies
These healthy no bake cookies are so easy to make! Start by melting together the coconut oil, peanut butter and honey!
Stir or whisk the wet ingredients together over medium-low heat until the mixture is smooth.
Add the dry ingredients – cocoa powder, quick-cooking oats and coconut.
Stir until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
Then, use a 1 TBS measuring spoon or cookie scoop to portion out the no bake cookies, and place them onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Let them harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator or freezer.
Serve
These healthy no bake cookies are best served cold because the coconut oil is soft at room temperature.
Store
Store these cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Healthy No Bake Cookies FAQs
If you over-cook these healthy no bake cookies, simply add a TBS of each: honey, peanut butter and coconut oil by melting them together and then mixing them into the dry cookie batter. This should help. If you burnt them, you will have to start over.
If your no bake cookies don’t harden it means you didn’t cook the mixture long enough.
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Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ยฝ cup creamy peanut butter
- ยผ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- ยผ cup coconut oil (or butter)
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ยผ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- ยผ cup unsweetened coconut (shredded)
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper, set aside.
- Combine peanut butter, honey salt and coconut oil in a saucepan and heat, stirring continuously, until melted and well-combined.
- Stir in vanilla and cocoa powder.
- Add quick-cooking oats and mix well.
- Add coconut and stir until completely combined.
- Drop 1 TBS portions of mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Continue until youโve used all your cookie mixture.
- Let cool in the refrigerator or freezer until hardened.
- Serve cold or frozen!
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator!
Video
Notes
- Peanut butter.ย Any nut or seed butter works well in this recipe.
- Coconut oil.ย Butter or ghee are great substitutes for coconut oil.
- Honey.ย Use maple syrup for a vegan version of this recipe.
- Shredded coconut.ย If you donโt care for coconut, simply replace it with an extra 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats.ย
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love these !! They are so easy to make and healthy
Thank you Katelyn!
Does it have to be quick cooking oats? I only have old fashioned.
You can pulse the old fashioned oats in a blender and they will become quick-cooking oats!
Does not make 36 cookies if you double i only got 22
Theses turned out great! Thanks for the recipe ๐
Delicious! Never fail recipe. Easy, quick, versatile and healthy. I add whatever I like, whole walnuts, toasted coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia or a combination of anything I feel like it have in the pantry. I use maple syrup instead of honey. Absolute staple in my recipe book! Thank you for a great and delicious creation!
These are my hubbyโs fave โhealthyโ treat!
Woo hoo! Always a win when they hubby likes a healthier treat! ๐
I have made the recipe with one very important recipe change, in mine, I use the Carob Bean Powder, rather than the Chocolate powder. I use the quick oats oatmeal as well.
I don’t eat Chocolate, because of the Caffeine. And I make the cookies for my Diabetic friends,and I use Honey for the sugar in my home.
Our family LOVES these cookies! My kids call them “butt” or “poop” cookies because whenever someone in the family is having digestive problems these healthy, yummy little treats help to fix the problem. They’re delicious and do good things for your body. For our tastes, we’ve had to cut down on the amount of salt. Also, I’ve found the cookies hold together better if I add in more oats, just until the mixture is almost dry. Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
Love these cookies! Make them whenever a sweet tooth strikes. Usually sub chopped pumpkin seeds for the coconut, sometimes I add unsweet dried cranberries. Family always requests โthe healthy cookiesโ!
Love the addition of cranberries, Kayla!
Yummy, thanks. Better than the original.
Thank you, Janell!
I mixed everything together as directed. The only difference is I eliminated the cocoa powder, and added in about an eighth of a cup of rolled oats to compensate…. I also did use maple syrup and butter. Then at the very end, I mixed in about half a cup of chocolate chips. By the time I was done mixing they were soft and gooey and swirled throughout each cookie. Put them in the refrigerator to firm up. Delicious!
All I have to say is oh my god! Your only going to regret making these because you won’t want to stop eating them!