Who needs a cookie? I do.
Apparently it’s September. Time flies.
I love fall. It’s my favourite season — warm sun, crunchy leaves, cozy evenings, and an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Fall also brings a stream of celebrations: Thanksgiving, birthdays (including mine), Halloween and Christmas. The only downside is realizing September is here and many summer projects remain unfinished, like the kitchen reno I’d meant to tackle.
I made these cookies in Tofino this summer when the house was full of hungry kids, we were out of flour, had very little butter and only one egg. They’re similar to classic monster cookies — peanut butter and oats without flour — which keeps them thin, chewy and satisfying. Monster cookies are often studded with Smarties or M&Ms, which would be great here if you like that kind of thing. I happened to have a large chocolate bar with me for testing other recipes, and figured it would either be eaten on the drive home or melt in the car, so I chopped it up and added it to the batter instead.
With the school year starting, I thought these would be perfect for lunches, though many schools restrict nuts. If peanuts aren’t allowed, almond butter usually works well, and there are nut-free alternatives such as sunflower seed butter or pea-based spreads that behave similarly to peanut butter in baking.
While I was writing, Mike came in with Snickers, and it occurred to me that chopping candy bars into the batter would make an excellent variation — chewy, chocolatey and peanutty all at once. I planned to try that the next morning to bring into the office and share.
Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These cookies are forgiving and quick to make: they rely on peanut butter, oats, a little sugar and an egg to bind everything together. Without flour, they bake thin with a pleasant chew. Adding chocolate chunks or small candies gives bursts of sweetness and texture. If you want extra chew, press a few additional chocolate pieces into the tops of the cookies right after they come out of the oven so they melt slightly and set as the cookies cool.
Tips:
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats for better texture; quick oats will work but produce a softer cookie.
- If your peanut butter is very oily, stir it first to incorporate the oil for a consistent dough.
- Chill the dough briefly if you prefer a thicker cookie; these cookies spread a fair amount during baking.
- Swap in almond butter or a seed butter to make them school-safe when nuts are restricted.
These flourless cookies are an easy, satisfying treat when pantry supplies are low but you still want something homemade. They travel well, freeze nicely, and are perfect for sharing when the weather turns cool and baking season begins.