The only way to do an ooey-gooey, chocolate-studded homemade peanut cookie one better? Turn it into a GIANT Healthy Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie!
Given my choice of hypothetical superpowers, I am bypassing both invisibility and flying in favor of the magic that makes this flourless peanut butter skillet cookie possible.
Take a bite of this peanut butter skillet cookie, and you will taste:
- A molten, ooey-gooey middle (that rivals this Chocolate Mug Cake recipe).
- An unapologetic onslaught of peanut butter (like these Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies).
- Melty chocolate chip nirvana.
- Lightly crispy edges begging to be smothered in vanilla ice cream (this Banana Ice Cream wouldn’t be a bad choice either).
- Total, indisputable decadence.
The best part?
You can go back for seconds (and even thirds), and won’t feel the tiniest bit of guilt about it.
Why? Because this cookie has some serious superpowers.
It contains: NO butter, NO sugar, NO flour, and NO oil.
It’s vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, but somehow it tastes rich and indulgent (this Vegan Chocolate Pie has similar superpowers).
Sorry, Superman. This healthy peanut butter skillet cookie has you beat, no cape or uncomfortable spandex suit required.
5 Star Review
“Really delicious!! My family had no idea there were chickpeas in it and perfect with ice cream on top.”
— Mary —
How to Make a Healthy Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie
The secret to this healthy peanut butter skillet cookie’s addictive texture and flavor lies in one surprise ingredient, and I bet you have it—and everything else you need to make this healthy cookie recipe—sitting in your pantry right now.
The Ingredients
- Chickpeas. That’s right—this skillet of molten healthy peanut butter cookie love is made with chickpeas. I promise, this recipe DOES NOT taste like chickpeas. Just like in my healthy Chickpea Blondies, you’ll never even know that they’re there.
- Gluten Free Rolled Oats. To keep the recipe gluten free, I replaced wheat flour with rolled oats.
Tip!
Not all oats are created equal. In order to be safe for those who cannot have gluten, the oats need to be produced in a certified gluten free facility.
- Natural Peanut Butter. Adds essential fat to the cookie to help bind everything together while adding that addictive peanut butter flavor (like in these Peanut Butter Protein Bars).
- Cinnamon and Vanilla Extract. Add depth of flavor to this melt-in-your-mouth cookie.
- Maple Syrup. Naturally sweetens the cookie without going overboard with refined sugar or artificial sweeteners.
- Milk. Use any milk of your choice for this recipe. Almond, soy, cashew, hemp, or coconut are all excellent dairy-free, vegan options. You may also feel free to use cow’s milk.
- Chocolate Chips. Peanut butter’s bestie makes this cookie simply irresistible. I like to save a few tablespoons out to sprinkle over the top of the cookie prior to baking.
The Directions
- Preheat oven and prepare a cast iron skillet with cooking spray.
- Gather your ingredients and add them all into a food processor. Blend and then transfer the dough to the skillet and bake.
- Remove and let cool. To serve, slice into wedges and serve warm with ice cream. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftover skillet cookie may be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Warm the cookie in the microwave for 15-30 seconds for best results.
- To Make Ahead. Mix the cookie dough and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours and then bake as directed.
Pair this with
Recommended Tools
- Food Processor. Perfect for blending chickpeas and oats into a smooth dough.
- 8×8-inch Pan. A great alternative if you don’t own a cast iron skillet.
Cast Iron Skillet
A kitchen must-have! Use it for skillet cookies, searing, and easy, one-pan meals.
Healthy Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 can low-sodium chickpeas (15 ounces) , rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 3/4 cup rolled oats or substitute quick-cooking oats; do not use instant
- 2/3 cup natural peanut butter or substitute any other nut butter—you can use creamy or crunchy
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or substitute honey or light agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder I prefer aluminum free
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup milk any kind you like—use almond milk or other nut milk to keep the recipe vegan
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus additional 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top (use dairy free if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet or 8×8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the chickpeas, oats, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and milk. Blend until mostly smooth. Remove the lid and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then blend for an additional 2 minutes until very well combined and smooth. The batter will be very sticky and thick. Fold in 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared skillet and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips over the top. If using a skillet, bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs clinging to it. If using an 8×8-inch pan, begin checking for doneness at 20 minutes. Do not overbake or the cookie will taste dry. Place on a wire rack to cool. Slice and serve.
Notes
- To Store. Leftover skillet cookie may be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Warm the cookie in the microwave for 15-30 seconds for best results.
- To Make Ahead. Mix the cookie dough and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours and then bake as directed.
Nutrition
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Hi, if I don’t have a food processor could I just use a regular blender, or maybe grind the oats in a mill/coffee grinder first?
Hi Rose, I’d be pretty hesitant to do this, because the batter is VERY thick, and I worry it would clog up a blender. Even if you preground the oats, the rest of the batter still needs to be blended up. I haven’t tried it, so proceed with caution!
Can you make these individually? I don’t have a cast iron skillet:-(
Catherine, I would suggest baking this in a round cake pan. I hope you enjoy it!
OMG EVERYONE MAKE THIS. So good and you seriously can’t taste the you know what!
Katie, I am so happy to hear that this was a hit! Thanks for the lovely review!
Wow this was SO GOOD. No one guessed what was in it!
Hooray Maura! I am so so happy to hear it! Thanks for taking time to share this lovely review. It means a lot and is so helpful to others considering the recipe.
My boyfriend approached this with great skepticism but he LOVED it! I’d hope to bring leftovers to work, but we decided to keep them all to ourselves. Great recipe!
Greta, that has definitely happened to me with this recipe too! So glad you loved it!
Brought this to book club tonight and it was a hit! Thank you :)
Fabulous Allie! I am so glad to hear it. Thanks for sharing!
This is so super delicious.. where has it been all my life!! I just made this in a glass baking dish and it came out just as you said. I cannot believe there are chickpeas in it .. it blows my mind! My toddler gobbled it up too? Thank you so much for this recipe .. it’s going to be a staple in our house!! Xoxo ?
HOORAY! I’m so glad it was a hit, Amanda. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
Delicious! A great healthier dessert skillet with a nice light peanut butter flavor. Even better if you use chocolate chunks :)
YAY Chelsea! So glad you enjoyed this!
I refuse to give this a bad review because I think it not being good was human error( that human being me:/:)) . I think I might have overlooked it even though I only did twenty minutes. I also think my soy milk was a teensy but expired and I added two table spoons less of maple syrup. It still wasn’t that bad after all of that but just not up to my expectations.
Hi Elly! I’m sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as you were hoping. I would suggest trying this again with a new soy milk and the full amount of maple syrup. I hope you love the recipe if you decide to try it again!
Hi Erin, I love all of your recipes. We’ve made plenty of them here at my house. Can I substitute honey for maple syrup? I absolutely despise the taste of MS.
Hi Liz! Thank you so much for your kind words! Yes, you can certainly swap the syrup for honey in this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
Hi Erin! If I don’t want a nut butter taste, can I sub something else? To make it more of a chocolate chip skillet cookie? Thanks!
Hi Elisabeth! To be honest, this would be a pretty big change, and I’m worried about how it would turn out. I know that’s not the answer you were hoping for, but I really want this recipe to come out for you! If you’re looking for chocolate chip cookie flavor, I recommend trying my Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake or these Chocolate Chip Coconut Oil Cookies.
Hi Erin! Thanks so much for personally replying to my question! And also for your recommendations. I will make this recipe as is and try the other recipes too! Thanks for the great recipes! :)
Thanks, Elisabeth! I hope you love the recipes you try! :)
Recipe looks yummy! My daughter wants this in place of cake for her 15th birthday tomorrow. Is there a way to mix up the ingredients early and then bake the cookie during dinner so we can have a warm, gooey dessert right after dinner?
Hi Lori! I haven’t tried this myself, but you could experiment with it. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Erin, the picture shows the ice cream melting on top, so do you serve it warm? If so, is it as good cold?
Hi Feebee! You can certainly serve the cookie warmed if you prefer. I hope you enjoy it!
Really delicious!! My family had no idea there were chickpeas in it and perfect with ice cream on top. Thank you!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Mary! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
If the recipe is doubled, what size pan and cook time would you recommend?
Hi Jazz! I haven’t tried to double the recipe myself, so you’d be experimenting. I think a 9×13 baking dish would be the best option. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
Oh my goodness! We just made this and it’s absolutely perfect for fall! We used almond butter & I sprinkled pumpkin pie seasoning on top. 😋
My husband and I could’ve eaten the whole thing but decided to pace ourselves! I would’ve never guessed what the *special* ingredient was but you don’t even taste it.
We actually used a blender and didn’t have any issues!
Thank you for this!!!
Hi Brooklynn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback!
Oh my goodness! I was very skeptical but intrigued by the chickpeas in this recipe but it’s true —you cannot taste them! I made this for my son-in-law who loves peanut butter and he had no clue. It is amazingly delicious! I used sugar free maple syrup and a mix of white and brown sugar monk fruit to eliminate the sugar. I will definitely make again!
Hi Connie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!