Name: 4 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies (Toddler Friendly!)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 12-15 cookies
Ingredients: 2 large spotted bananas; 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats; 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter; 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

Move beyond banana bread and use those spotted bananas to make these 4 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies instead. Made with no added sugar, this easy recipe is made with just 4 simple ingredients and is the perfect "cookie" to give to toddlers or for you to enjoy as a nourishing breakfast in the morning!

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banana oatmeal cookies made with 4 ingredients.

As a dietitian, I knew that I wanted to really focus on prioritizing my sons nutrition and creating healthy meal and snack time habits. I constantly tried new foods. We sit for mealtime. I focused on serving up structured meals and snacks.

Now as the mom of a toddler, I’m also personally experienced with a toddlers love for all things snacks and sweets. Despite all my dietitian mom efforts, I’ll often struggle to get him to take a few bites at mealtime just to him ask me for a snack or a cookie 30 minutes later. Trust me, I get the frustration!

While there are tons of strategies that you can use to combat your kids filling up on snacks or preferring sweet treats, remember that you can also use those natural inclinations from kids as an opportunity to nourish their bodies by filling those snacks and sweets with nutritious ingredients and options.

For example, my son absolutely loves cookies! He loves to help make them and he also loves to help eat them. Many times, he will get an actual cookie as part of a balanced meal but other times I want to find ways to lean into his cookie preference while still giving his body the nutrition that it needs.

Enter, these toddler friendly 4 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies. The “batter” is ripe bananas, whole grain oats, peanut butter, and a dash of cinnamon that are then formed and baked into breakfast friendly cookies that have no added sugar and are perfect for you or your toddler in the morning!

My son absolutely loved having these naturally sweetened “cookies” on his breakfast plate in the morning and I loved that it was made with wholesome ingredients that gave his body some fiber, fats, protein, and no added sugar! Plus, they are great on my adult breakfast plate as well!

Let’s get to the recipe:

hand holding a 4 ingredient banana oatmeal cookie.

Why you’ll love these easy banana and oatmeal cookies:

You’ll love these 4 ingredient banana and oatmeal cookies because they are:

Toddler friendly: This recipe was born out of my sons preference for cookie shaped foods. Made with no added sugar and bound together with peanut butter, these simple cookies are rich in fiber and fat yet have no added sugar which means they are perfect for toddlers, kids, and adults!
Made with no added sugar: I made this cookie recipe with no added sugar so there is no cane sugar, maple syrup, honey, chocolate chips, or other sweeteners in sight. Instead, I used the natural sweetness of ripe bananas that give these simple cookies a slightly sweet bite.
Only 4 ingredients: These healthy cookies are made with just 4 ingredients: ripe bananas, oats, peanut butter, and a dash of cinnamon that are then baked into cookie shapes. As with many of my recipes, you can always add other flavors that your family prefers!
Perfect for breakfast: These easy cookies are perfect for your kids plates in the morning but also an easy grab and go breakfast option for adults as well.
Customizable: This recipe only calls for 4 ingredients but that doesn’t mean you need to keep it that way! Add whatever flavors you want such as chopped nuts, oats, chia seeds, fruit, chocolate chips, and more.

You and your family are going to love these 4 ingredient cookies. Now let’s get into the short list of ingredients you will need to make them!

singular banana oatmeal cookie with 4 ingredients.

Ingredients for banana peanut butter and oatmeal cookies:

These oatmeal, peanut butter, and banana cookies only call for 4 ingredients:

Ripe bananas: The banana is the sweetener of this recipe so make sure you choose bananas that have brown spots on them for a sweeter bite.
Creamy peanut butter: Any brand you like and I recommend warming it up slightly so that it is easier to mix.
Old fashioned oats: I prefer using old fashioned oats for this recipe but you could also swap them or quick cooking oats if you want a softer bite.
Cinnamon: Most banana and oatmeal cookies include chocolate chips but I wanted to keep this recipe as a no added sugar recipe so I added a dash of cinnamon instead.

That’s it! These healthier breakfast cookies really can’t get any easier.

ingredients for 4 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies.

Step by Step Instructions:

Now let’s walk through how to make these easy breakfast cookies.

1) Mash your bananas until creamy, being sure to break down any larger chunks. If you leave large chunks of banana, you’ll have a harder time getting your cookies to stick together.

2) Add your peanut butter to a small bowl and warm for 20-30 seconds in the microwave until runny. Then add your warmed peanut butter, old fashioned oats, and cinnamon to the bowl with the smashed banana. Mix until well combined.

batter for 4 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies.

3) Form your banana peanut butter and oatmeal cookies and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

4) Allow your cookies to cool slightly, drizzle with extra peanut butter if desired, and serve! Enjoy!

banana oatmeal cookies drizzled in creamy peanut butter.

Swaps, substitutions, and serving suggestions:

While this cookie recipe is just a 4 ingredient recipe, you can certainly add other flavors or customize this recipe to your own families preferences. Some suggestions would be to:

Add protein powder: You can boost the protein content and thicken up your cookie batter by adding a little bit of protein powder if you want to enjoy these cookies as your own breakfast (no need to add protein powder to a kids cookie recipe if these cookies are for your toddler).
Add in nuts or seeds: Chopped peanuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, or walnuts would be tasty and nutritious additions to these cookies.
Use a different nut butter: You can change up the flavor and nutrition of this recipe by swapping the peanut butter for almond butter, walnut butter, or another nut butter of choice.
Add fruit: You can add fresh or freeze dried fruits like sliced bananas or freeze dried strawberries.
Stir in chocolate chips: Make this recipe banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies instead by mixing some chocolate chips into your batter or sprinkling a few chocolate chips on top of your cookie prior to baking!
Use quick cooking oats: If you want to soften up your cookies then you can swap the old fashioned oats with quick cooking oats instead.

Make this recipe your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!

4-ingredient banana and oatmeal cookie texture.

Recipe FAQ:

This recipe is not as sweet as regular cookies?
1. You’re right, it’s not… and that was intentional! I wanted to make these 4 ingredient banana and oatmeal cookies perfect for toddlers and breakfast time so I left out all added sugar and relied solely on the natural sweetness of bananas.
  If you want these cookies to be sweeter then you can certainly mix in some maple syrup, honey (for kids over the age of 1), or sprinkle in some chocolate chips!
How should I store these banana and oatmeal cookies?
1. These cookies should be stored in the refrigerator and can be served chilled or slightly warmed up in the morning.
Are these cookies healthy?
1. Yes, these healthy cookies are naturally sweetened with ripe bananas, full of fiber rich whole grain oats, flavored with cinnamon, and held together with satiating peanut butter that adds a bit of protein and a lot of healthy fats.
  With their nutritious ingredients, these cookies are perfect as a breakfast cookie and can be served to kids and toddlers as well.

Other recipes you will love:

If you love this 4 ingredient cookie recipe then you may love some of these other recipes as well:

**Peanut Butter and Honey Popped Quinoa Bars**

Get the recipe

**Biscoff Protein Balls**

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**Easy Maple and Pecan Granola**

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**Blended Peanut Butter Cottage Cheese**

Get the recipe

Yield: 12-15 cookies

Author: Lauren Twigge