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These Healthy No Bake Cookies taste like the ones I made at sleepovers as a little girl, but are made of wholesome ingredients like oatmeal, peanut butter, and of course, chocolate! The next time you are craving a healthy dessert without the guilt, turn to this easy recipe.

healthy no bake cookies made with oatmeal, chocolate, and honey

Made without sugar, I sweetened these beautiful cookies naturally instead. This no bake recipe is as ideal both for grownups looking for a healthy way to satisfy their sweet tooth and for after school snacks and lunchbox treats.

No bake cookies on a piece of parchment paper with chocolate

About No Bake Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Growing up, no bake cookies were a staple at every childhood sleepover. They were one of the first desserts I ever learned to make, a lesson imparted by a neighbor friend’s mother, no doubt to keep us from using the oven unsupervised after she’d gone to bed.

Her original no bake cookie recipe involved two cups of sugar and a full stick of butter, a lofty undertaking for two small girls to devour in a single evening, but we persevered.

For today’s recipe, I kept the classic no bake cookie ingredients—peanut butter, chocolate, and oatmeal—but made a few key changes to create a healthy no bake cookie recipe that would still score full marks at any sleepover.

ingredients for making no bake cookies including oatmeal, honey, banana, and chocolate

Healthy No Bake Cookies—How These Differ from the Childhood Classic

While you’ll find chocolate and peanut butter aplenty, these healthy no bakes are made without sugar.

Instead, they are naturally sweetened with honey and mashed banana, which keeps the no bake cookies soft and chewy, and also allowed me to significantly reduce the amount of fat in the recipe too. You’ll find just 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the whole batch!

Added bonus – no need to bake (as with this Edible Cookie Dough!)

healthy no bake cookies on parchment paper topped with pieces of chocolate

These healthy no bake cookies are soft, chewy, and most importantly, still boast that enigmatic midnight-snack quality that makes classic no bakes so addictive.

How to Make Healthy No Bake Cookies

These healthy no bake cookies with honey are a breeze to make! All you need is a pot, a spatula, and a fork for mashing the banana.

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, cocoa powder, milk, and salt. A pot with a mixture of chocolate, peanut butter, and honey no bake cookie batter
  2. Heat and stir until the ingredients are well combined. The mixture may look a little gritty at this point, which is OK.
  3. Remove from heat. Add the mashed banana and honey.healthy no bake cookie batter in a pot
  4. Fold in the oats.healthy no bake cookies scooped onto parchment paper
  5. Scoop the cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Press the chocolate pieces onto the top. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up. ENJOY!

For another addictively delicious cookie recipe, check out these Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

More Healthy No Bake Recipes

healthy no bake oatmeal cookies in a stack

Healthy No Bake Cookies

4.85 from 33 votes
Healthy no bake cookies made with peanut butter, chocolate, and oatmeal. Soft and chewy cookies, without any of the guilt!

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Servings: 30 cookies

Ingredients
  


Instructions
 

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Keep it handy.
  • In a small bowl, mash your banana until as smooth as possible. You should have about 1/3 cup, but don't stress if it isn't exact.
  • In a medium saucepan place the peanut butter, milk, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and salt. Heat over medium, until the peanut butter and coconut oil melt and are easy to whisk. The mixture may look a little gritty at this point, which is fine.
  • Remove the pot from the heat. Whisk in the honey, banana, and vanilla extract until smooth and most of the banana lumps have disappeared.
  • Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the oats.
  • With a cookie scoop or spoon, drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet. With your fingers, gently flatten tops and press around the sides to form the mounds into a cookie shape. Press the chopped chocolate decoratively on top.
  • Place the no bake cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. This time is important to allow the oats to soften up and the flavors to meld.

Video

Notes

  • To make your own quick cooking oats: pulse rolled oats in the food processor 3 or 4 times to lightly break them up (do not pulse all the way into a flour). You can also used rolled oats, but I find the cookies do not have as nice of a texture or flavor as they do with quick cooking oats.
  • Store leftover no bake cookies in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The banana flavor will become more pronounced as the days go on, but the cookies will still be delicious.
  • To Make Vegan: Use maple syrup in place of the honey and non-dairy milk.
  • To Make Gluten Free: Make sure your oats are certified GF.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 60mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 104IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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92 Comments

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  1. I remember how I used to eat with my girlfriends at sleepovers. I think I would definitely get sick now. But I miss that iron stomach!
    These look great. Pressing chocolate onto the top is definitely a good choice!

  2. No bake cookies for the win! :) 
    Cant wait to give these beauties a whirl, they look fabulous. 

  3. When you host this party, I need to be there so I can have a batch of these cookies.  Throwback parties are so much fun!

  4. Yes! Definitely brings back middle school memories! My school used to actually sell them in the cafeteria, which was even more dangerous than being able to make them ourselves. And they were huge.. Need to try making these ones immediately :)

  5. This is definitely a delicious cookie to make. Love that they are not baked since I am not a very good baker ;-)

  6. I love everything about these cookies — the no-bake situation, the chocolate/PB combo, the chocolate chunks on top, the fact that I can eat a dozen of them in one sitting with no guilt (right?) — everything.

  7. Yum! Whenever my cousin and I had sleepovers, we would buy a roll of premade cookie dough and pretty much eat the whole thing in one sitting. It was fabulous/horrifying. I definitely miss those days!

  8. Mmm those cookies look incredible! And I love that they’re healthy, no-bake, AND have chocolate chunks on top – yum!! Pinned :)

  9. I have been craving these cookies for MONTHS, but won’t make them because of all the butter and sugar. I LOVE your healthified version!! Will be making these, stat!

  10. I second Stephanie, everything about these is perfection! And I just so happen to have all of the ingredients in my pantry this very moment….I’m flying solo tonight with the hubs out of town, might have to whip up a batch of these all for myself! 

  11. this is everything i want right now..of course with some vino and cheese platter. 

  12. Any ideas on how to make this recipe without bananas? I know that is the key to keeping it healthy, but I abhor bananas and would love to know a healthy alternative. (Sorry banana lovers – I want to like them, but just can’t get there).

    1. Hey Niki! This is kind of a tough substitution, because the bananas both bind and moisten the cookies, and they sweeten them too. You could try starting with a slightly lesser amount of unsweetened applesauce, then add a little bit of sugar or honey as needed to taste. I’ve never tried it this way, but feel free to experiment, and I would love to hear how it goes!

    2. I also can’t do bananas! Trust me, it’s not for lack of trying!! I make these cookies all the time without the bananas! I use  organic unsweetened coconut flakes in place of the bananas and kick the honey up to 3/4 cup. Hope this helps!  

  13. Ohh, you made me nostalgic for slumber parties. I think it would still be fun – but I probably wouldn’t be able to stay up as late, lol! 

    It’s been forever since I’ve made a no-bake cookie and these look absolutely perfect!

    1. These are fantastic!!!! I hate bananas but I made the recipe as written with one exception, I subbed unsalted butter for the coconut oil. So good. My three year old is Raving about them. We started eating more healthy last July, and cut out wheat, and my hubby and I have lost 50 and 46 pounds respectively. Almost an entire person. He loves no bake cookies but I refuse to make them because they contain so much sugar and eating them makes us all feel yucky. We’re beekeepers, so I have quality honey and love using it in treats. Guess what he’s getting for his birthday today ??. Thanks, Erin. I’ve bookmarked your site for future use because we are still going strong with healthy eating, I have 40 pounds to go yet, and I can always use ideas for different recipes!5 stars

      1. Jamie, I’m so happy to hear these cookies are a winning recipe! Thanks for taking the time to share your story and this review!

  14. YUMYUMYUM. I am so there for the throwback sleepover. And for these cookies. And YAY for discovering you and your blog today, Erin! A big hi and hug from me and K&C. xoxo

  15. Adding chocolate to the tops of all the cookies would definitely be the direction I would head!  But then, I have no self control when chocolate is involved!  Besides they’re healthy, so it’s okay!  These look great!

  16. These are just perfect!  No bake cookies win and I love everything you added into yours! The chocolate chunks on top look so so good! 

  17. If you plan a grown up sleep-over, can I PLEASE be invited? I’ll bring the wine! Maybe some nail polish too, because we’re never too old for that! 
    P.S. I have always loved no bake cookies – and these sound amazing.  And easy too! Pinning to try them soon!! :)

  18. Great question Allie! Regarding nutritional info, this is something that I’ve actually started adding to all of my new recipes, effective January 2016 (you’ll see it in the recipe box at the bottom). Unfortunately, it’s pretty time consuming, so I’m unable to go back and add it to past recipes. If you’d like the nutritional info for any of my older recipes (or really any other recipe or food), you can actually calculate it yourself for free at myfitnesspal.com (this is how I calculate the new recipes on my blog). I’m sorry I can’t give you the information for this exact recipe, but I hope that My Fitness Pal will be a helpful resource for you.

    1. Hi Margie! The recipe is right above the comments section in the recipe box. You should be able to see it. If you can’t, I would suggest refreshing the page. I hope that helps!

  19. These look and sound so good! I love that they contain many of the traditional ingredients without being loaded down with sugar and butter. Wish I had one to enjoy after my lunch today! ;)

  20. Never made these using a banana but will try it…..these look really good….can’t have regular chocolate chips, so I will use white chocolate chips…. but was wondering what I could use instead of 1/4 cup of cocoa powder ? Wonder if you could buy white cocoa powder ??? If you know or any of your fans know I would appreciate it…..

    1. I’m afraid I’ve never heard of white cocoa powder, and I don’t know that it actually exists, since white chocolate isn’t made out of cocoa beans the way regular chocolate is (it’s mostly sugar, milk, and cocoa butter). I wish I could help you there. You could try omitting the cocoa powder entirely and adding a bit more oats, though it would be an experiment. I’m sorry I can’t help you more—I’ve never tested this recipe without chocolate or cocoa.

  21. Erin- thank you! These cookies have been a lifesaver in my first two weeks as a mom. I made a batch before baby arrived and stuck them in the freezer for middle-of-the-night breastfeeding treats. Once my husband discovered them, we ran out quickly. Our second (double) batch just disappeared, too. So good! 5 stars

    1. Katie, I am so excited to hear this!! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and taking time to leave this review. Congrats also on your new baby :)

  22. These were yummy! I confess I was out of honey and banana but already committed so I used 3 tsp maple syrup. I added 1.5 chia seeds as I am trying to get kids fiber intake up slowly. 
    I can’t wait to make these with the honey and banana(a great excuse to make them again)!5 stars

    1. Kelly, I am so glad that you and the kids enjoyed these. Maple syrup is a great swap, and the chia seeds sound like a smart addition. Thanks for taking time to leave your review!

  23. Hi Erin. Thanks so much for dis wonderful way of making healthy cookies. But I will like to know how to preserve them apart from the freezing method.I want to make them for sale but wondering how to package and still keep dem fresh and healthy,should they remain after the day of production. Thanks.5 stars

    1. HI Janet! You can store in them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. I think they would still taste great the next day :)

    1. Hi Jennifer! Did you use a particularly runny peanut butter or the kind that has to be refrigerated? Those don’t usually set at room temperature, which could cause soft cookies. Have you tried putting them in the fridge to firm up? It’s also possible that the oats were slightly undermeasured or that the honey was slightly overmeasured. But all is not lost! I suggest storing them in the freezer, letting them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly when you’re ready to eat them, and enjoying them cold! They actually taste pretty good that way!

  24. I was craving the no bake cookies and curious about whether I could make a healthy version.  I’m so glad I found your recipe.   I have all the ingredients except honey and I don’t really use honey for anything else.  Do you think I could leave it out?  If so, what do you recommend I do differently?  I have pure stevia extract.  What about an extra banana?  Also, using almond butter instead of peanut butter wouldn’t make a difference would it?  Thanks!  I look forward to checking out your other healthy recipes.5 stars

    1. Now I’m craving no bake cookies too, Jean! I have never tried this recipe without the honey, but I worry that the cookies wouldn’t bind together properly without that sticky, syrupy ingredient. Take a look at Kelly’s comment a few comments up…she tried the recipe with maple syrup and chia seeds, if you’d like to experiment with her substitutions! Almond butter may work (I haven’t tried this either!) if it’s pretty solid at room temperature. If it’s a runny kind, the cookies may not be very firm. Hope that helps!

    1. Hi Crystal, cocoa powder is built right into the recipe! If you mean adding more cocoa powder than the 1/4 cup called for, I don’t know for sure. I haven’t tried them that way, so you’d be experimenting. My only concern would be that adding more of a dry ingredient may cause the cookies to turn out a little dry and crumbly. I hope you enjoy them!

  25. True, I did not read every ingredient. I’ll try it just as it is and see how things go. Thank you.

    I crave no bake cookies like no one’s business since I had some while visiting a friend recently. I want a healthy alternative to sugar for sure. I’m hoping this will do it for me.

  26. No-bakes are my toddler son’s favorite cookie,  but I’m not comfortable with letting him have as much sugar as thee original recipe calls for.  These are perfect for both of us. Just made them and we both love them! Thank you so much! 5 stars

    1. Hi Ruth, I’m so happy this recipe was a perfect fit for you! Thanks so much for leaving this wonderful review!

  27. I made these for my husband, since he looooves no bakes but I don’t like making his grandma’s recipe because there’s so much sugar it makes my teeth hurt! Apparently I can’t compete with grandma (can anyone compete with their husband’s grandma??) because he wasn’t a huge fan but I LOVE THESE. I couldn’t stop licking the spoon as I was forming them and they’re even better once they set! I guess it’s ok he doesn’t like them because now there’s more for me! Definitely plan on making these again!5 stars

    1. Kate, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies. You’re absolutely right that there’s no competing with grandma, but I guess the silver lining is that there are more cookies for you! Thanks so much for sharing this awesome review!

  28. I am new to the gluten free world. Is this recipe gluten free? If not, what would I need to change to make it so? 

    1. Hi Jen, the recipe as written is gluten free, but if you or the person you’re making these for has a serious gluten allergy, like celiac, you’ll want to make sure that all of your ingredients are certified gluten free to be safe. I hope you enjoy the cookies!

  29. These look so good!  Can you make them without the coconut oil?  I can’t have any oils so was wondering if there’s a substitution?

    1. Hi Jara! The coconut oil helps the cookies hold together and set up. The closest substitute is unsalted butter. I hope you enjoy them if you try them!

  30. Just tried these–absolutely delicious–thank you so much!!! I really needed this so I have something healthy for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. It’s not worth it making junk food and then feeling bad. I also like this recipe b/c the ingredients is much more affordable than some other healthy treats! Thanks again!!!5 stars

  31. I want to add one more thing. After eating probably 5 or so big cookies I feel great!!! I don’t feel bad. I have a lot of energy!!! This isn’t normal after eating cookies. This recipe is also perfect for me b/c my husband is a bee keeper!!! Thanks!!!5 stars

  32. I just made these and they taste amazing! Are they stored in the refrigerator or will they do well sitting on the counter for guests or shipped in the mail?5 stars

    1. Hi Misty! I would recommend storing in the fridge, and I fear they’d be too soft to mail unless they were overnighted and put in the fridge immediately when they were received. I’m glad you enjoy them!

  33. What alternative can I use for coconut oil? I don’t want to buy a bottle just to use 2 Tblsp right now.

    1. Hi Valarie! While I have not tried it, other readers have successfully used unsalted butter instead of the coconut oil. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try!

  34. Hello, I have a question. Is there a substitute for the peanut butter for people with tree nut allergy?

    1. Hi Donna, I have not tried this recipe without peanut butter, but you could experiment with sunflower butter. I hope this helps!

  35. I have to comment on these… Truly these are so close to my very favorite no Bake cookie that’s in an old Mennonite Treasury cookbook that I grew up with (I’m from Southern Manitoba, Canada and I’m always surprised how many of your recipes are similar in flavour to what we have around here ?). Until now, it was the only no Bake recipe I would eat. You have given me such a gift in this recipe, thank you!5 stars

  36. Sounds delicious! As a diabetic, I need to be concerned about the sugar and carbs. 7 grams for one cookie is probably not good. What can be altered?

    1. Hi Dawn! I have never tried this recipe without the honey, which is where most of the sugar is coming from, but I worry that the cookies wouldn’t bind together properly without that sticky, syrupy ingredient. You could try omitting the chocolate chips or trying to find a peanut butter with no added sugar. I hope this helps!

    2. In the past I’ve used Honey Tree’s Sugar Free Imitation Honey. It tastes exactly like clover honey. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to cut back on sweeteners.

    1. I’m so sorry that you had trouble with these cookies, Wendy. I haven’t heard of this happening before. I’m happy you were still able to enjoy the flavors!

  37. Hi Erin – Can I make these with regular old-fashioned oats instead of quick-cooking? I already have the regular in the house (as well as all the other ingredients!)

    1. Hi Alisa! You can actually use the oats you have to make quick-cooking oats by pulsing them in a food processor to break them up a little (there are instructions in the recipe notes above). I hope this helps!

    1. Hi Glenda! I suggest storing them in the freezer, letting them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly when you’re ready to eat them, and enjoying them cold!

  38. I can’t wait to try this, but I have a question about the banana. Bananas and my gut don’t always get along. If I left out the banana and did everything else, would it turn out okay recipe-wise? Or would I need to adjust some of the other ingredients to compensate for the loss of banana?

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Brandon! This is kind of a tough substitution, because the bananas both bind and moisten the cookies, and they sweeten them too. You could try starting with a slightly lesser amount of unsweetened applesauce, then add a little bit of sugar or honey as needed to taste. I’ve never tried it this way, but feel free to experiment, and I would love to hear how it goes! Lastly another reader makes them without bananas and this is her feedback: “I make these cookies all the time without the bananas! I use organic unsweetened coconut flakes in place of the bananas and kick the honey up to 3/4 cup.”

  39. Thank you for this amazing recipe! It made a lot of cookies, and they are healthy enough to have a few :) I love that it uses up a very ripe banana! This method also take the guesswork out of making no-bake cookies; the recipe is super easy to follow. I mixed the chocolate chunks right in the batter and they turned out delicious! Next time I might try some coconut in place of the oats for a different flavor twist. Like a half cup substitution. But they are perfect as-is!!5 stars