You Only Need 3 Ingredients For These Delectable Oatmeal Cookies

Cookies do not need to be complicated. If you are looking for a sweet snack without all the hassle of creaming and mixing sugar, butter, flour, and eggs, these three-ingredient oatmeal cookies should be added to your list of best cookie recipes. Oatmeal cookies can be overlooked when in the company of chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, but these particular oatmeal cookies may have you rethinking your preference. Using just peanut butter, bananas, and oats you can create an oatmeal cookie that hits all the notes your sweet tooth is craving.

Mashing and mixing takes but a few minutes, and there is no need to refrigerate before baking. That said, there is a bit of a wait time to let the dough rest. This allows the oats to hydrate from the moisture in the banana and peanut butter, creating a cookie that bakes and browns more evenly. To accomplish this, you will need between 15 and 20 minutes after you mix the three ingredients and before you break out a cookie scoop and dollop them onto a sheet pan to bake. 

If you need to troubleshoot your batter, we've got you covered. For cookie dough that's less dense than you like, adding a couple extra tablespoons of oats can help. Remember to start with one tablespoon and add more as needed. If you prefer a chewier bite, let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.

The simplicity sets this recipe apart from your typical oatmeal cookie recipe; however, if you want to personalize it, there are plenty of options. Vanilla, almond, or strawberry extract are lovely complements to the oats, banana, and peanut butter in these cookies. Or if you want to make them more decadent, sprinkle in a little sea salt or cinnamon and sugar; add a cup of dark or milk chocolate chips, toasted coconut, or craisins; or chop up pecans or walnuts for some added crunch. But if you really want to get creative, try popping them in the air fryer to create an oatmeal breakfast cookie that is crispy and golden around the edges.