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Perfectly soft and chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are made with simple ingredients – quick oats, peanut butter, and brown sugar – and baked to cookie perfection. These comforting cookies are an irresistible treat that’s ready in just 30 minutes!

A white plate piled with peanut butter oatmeal cookies sits on a blue rustic table. In the background, two glasses of milk are visible, one with a cookie resting on top.


 

🥜 These cookies are super soft and packed with oatmeal cookie and peanut butter flavors, which I love. They are so great warm, and they store well, too! If oatmeal cookies and peanut butter cookies had a baby, this would be it!

Table of Contents

My 2 Best Tips For Making Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Let the Dough Rest: The resting period allows the oats to absorb moisture from the wet ingredients, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking and creates that perfect chewy texture. Skipping this step can result in flatter, less cohesive cookies!

Watch the Baking Time Carefully: These cookies can go from perfectly golden to overbaked quickly…ask me how I know!! Look for edges that are set and lightly golden brown, but centers that still look slightly underdone. They’ll continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven.

Melissa in her kitchen smiling in front of the starting ingredients for the chicken the quinoa salad and skillet chicken on the wood block in front of her

🩷 Melissa

From start to finish, these cookies come together in about 30 minutes. The simple mixing method and quick bake time make them perfect for last-minute treats, after school snacks, or when you need to satisfy a cookie craving fast!

You probably have most of these pantry staples on hand already, plus these cookies store well, so you could make a ton and keep them for later, meal prep for the week’s lunches, or even send as a gift.

A white plate piled with peanut butter oatmeal cookies sits on a blue rustic table. In the background, two glasses of milk are visible, one with a cookie resting on top.
4.96 from 44 votes

Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

By: Melissa Griffiths
Perfectly soft and chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are made with simple ingredients – quick oats, peanut butter, and brown sugar – and baked to cookie perfection. These comforting cookies are an irresistible treat that's ready in just 30 minutes!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 48 cookies
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats, (also called instant or minute oats)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
  • In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer beat together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (You can also use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer.)
  • Add the two eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
  • Add the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and mix to combine well.
  • Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes and then stir again to give the oats time to absorb some of the moisture so you get a nice cookie dough texture.
  • Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, place a large tablespoon of dough on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart for each cookie.
  • Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing from the sheet and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Notes

Thick Peanut Butter: I like to use the thicker peanut butter here that is not the natural kind. If it’s too drippy your cookies will spread when baking
Best Oats to Use: I prefer instant or quick-cooking oats for this recipe; they tend to be smaller pieces than old-fashioned oats, and the texture is a little lighter. You can substitute old-fashioned or rolled oats in equal amounts; pulse them in a blender or food processor for a few seconds to make them more like instant oats.
Storing Cookies: The key to keeping cookies fresh and soft is to seal them in an airtight container, like a resealable freezer bag. And here’s a nifty little trick: add a piece of bread to the bag.
Freeze the Dough:
  1. To freeze the oatmeal cookie dough, make the dough into balls and then let them freeze for a few hours on the cookie tray (or in a dish so that they aren’t touching much).
  2. After the cookie dough balls have frozen through, add them to an air-tight container or a freezer zipper-top baggie.
  3. When you are ready to bake the dough, simply preheat the oven, place the frozen cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet, and bake, adding 2-4 minutes to the suggested cook time, as needed. No need to thaw ahead of time!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 48 cookies, Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 89mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 181IU, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg
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How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

A food processor bowl containing a thick, light brown dough mixture pressed against the sides, viewed from above on a white countertop.

Step 1: Cream together the butter and peanut butter.

Close-up of oatmeal cookie dough being mixed in a white food processor, showing a crumbly, golden-brown texture with visible oats.

Step 2: Add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla and mix. Next, add all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

top view of baking sheet of oatmeal peanut butter cookie dough on a baking sheet

Step 3: Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, place a large tablespoon of dough on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.

A baking tray lined with parchment paper holds twelve freshly baked oatmeal cookies, with a metal spatula lifting one. Glasses and a jar of milk are seen in the background on a wooden surface.

Step 4: Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing from the sheet and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use old-fashioned oats instead of quick-cooking oats?

In oatmeal cookies, old fashioned oats will give you a chewier texture, and quick oats will result in slightly less chewy cookies, but the flavor is the same. I like using quick oats for this recipe because they break down more during baking, but you can substitute old-fashioned oats. Just pulse them in a food processor a few times to break them up slightly, or expect a more rustic texture with chewier oat pieces.

My cookies turned out too flat – what went wrong?

Flat cookies usually result from butter that’s too warm, not enough flour, or skipping the resting period. Make sure your butter is at room temperature (not melted), measure flour accurately, and don’t skip the 5-minute rest. Also, check that your baking soda is fresh.

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?

Yes! Simply substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend in a 1:1 ratio. Make sure to check that your oats are certified gluten-free as well, since regular oats can be cross-contaminated during processing.

top view of an oatmeal peanut butter cookie on a glass of milk, next to a plate of cookies.

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4.96 from 44 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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64 Comments

  1. Donna says:

    5 stars
    So let me begin by saying that I make PB cookies all the time, it is my go to cookie for so many functions. I just made this recipe for the first time and I have to tell you that it is the ONLY recipe I will be using from now on. I followed the recipe exactly and they are the most delicious cookies. Flavor and texture are perfect! I made them for my next door neighbor and I will be surprised if any make it over there (lol)!!!!

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      I love that! Thank you for sharing!

  2. Theresa Harding says:

    5 stars
    These are the best cookies I’ve ever baked or eaten! Lightly crisp with a soft chewy inside! I do add peanut butter chips.
    Thank you for an amazing recipe!

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      Ohhhh peanut butter chips is a great idea! Thank you for sharing!

  3. Meagan says:

    I just made these my my mother in law (she loves cookies and her birthday is tomorrow). They’re SO yummy! Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Ana Laura says:

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for the recipe, they truly are the best oatmeal peanut butter cookies, me and my family love them so much❤️ It helped us to get entertained during quarantine.

    Reply
  5. Lyn says:

    5 stars
    My goal for quarantine was to find the best oatmeal peanut butter cookie recipe….and at last I found it!! They really are the perfect cookie!

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      I love that! Thank you for letting me know!

  6. Hector says:

    Thank you for the recipe my family love the cookies. I added a few chocolate chips and so easy to make.

    Reply
  7. Christina says:

    5 stars
    A really good cookie! Made with gf flour (Domata is my fav) and Quaker gf instant oats. Batter will be glue like since it’s gf but don’t worry! I didn’t flatten the first set (on the upper left) but I did on the rest with a spoon after someone mentioned it. I cooked to 12 minutes for all and was perfect! I even added chocolate chips and holy cow it’s really, REALLY GOOD! Crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Amazing!!

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      Yay! Thank you for letting us know what worked!

  8. Rebecca says:

    5 stars
    Just made these and add Reese pieces and chocolate chips. Turned out great thanks for the recipe. My kids enjoyed helping make them.

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      Ohhhh that sounds so good!!

  9. Tammy Dutton says:

    I just made these cookies as directed and they are so delicious.

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      Thanks so much for letting me know. Glad you liked them!

  10. Emma says:

    5 stars
    These look amazing, I love a peanut butter cookie! Also your blog design is absolutely lovely.

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      Thank you for both comments, I appreciate that!