Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies (100% Fruit-Sweetened!)

healthy peanut butter cookies topped with salt on a pan.

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies (100% Fruit-Sweetened!)

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: date cookies, healthy peanut butter cookies

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 13

Total Time: 23

Servings: cookies

Calories: 116kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

If you want a cookie recipe that's 100% sweetened with fruit, but also tastes like a REAL cookie (and not a "healthy" one), then these peanut butter cookies are for you. They really do taste like a regular peanut butter cookie, but they're naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and are made with zero added sugar. They're magical!

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Ingredients

1 cup Medjool dates , pitted (8 ounces)
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon flax seeds , ground
2 tablespoons oat flour (optional, but recommended)
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt (see notes)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
In a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, process the dates until crumbly. (It's okay if a ball forms, too.)
Add the peanut butter, ground flax, oat flour, water, vanilla, and baking powder. Process until a sticky, uniform batter is created. Be careful not to over-process the mixture, as the peanut butter will release excess oil when over-mixed, and that will make the batter feel very oily to work with. (Don't worry if this happens, though-- the cookies still turn out totally fine!)
Use a heaping tablespoon to scoop the dough into your hands, then roll the dough into a ball between the palms of your hands. Repeat with the remaining batter, making about 18 balls. Place each ball onto the baking sheet about an inch apart, then use your hands or a fork to gently flatten each ball into a cookie shape.
Bake at 325ºF until the edges of the cookies start to feel dry, about 12 to 13 minutes. (The cookies will still feel fragile at this point, but that's okay.)
Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet and serving. Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. (The cookies will soften if you leave them out on the counter overnight, so chilling them is best for texture and shelf life.)

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 18 cookies. This is automatically calculated, so it's just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Update Note: This recipe was updated in May 2026 to replace 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda + 1 teaspoon of vinegar with 1 teaspoon of baking powder. This helps prevent the cookies from browning too quickly as they bake. I also changed the oven temperature to help prevent the bottoms from burning, and added 2 tablespoons of oat flour to make them a little more authentic. (But feel free to leave that out if you prefer.)

Salt Note: I usually buy unsalted peanut butter, but if you have salted on hand, you might want to use half the salt this recipe calls for.

Nutrition