These soft and chewy healthy oatmeal cookies are packed with wholesome ingredients. They will quickly become one of your favorite cookie recipes!
The best healthy oatmeal cookies
I’ve tried many oatmeal cookie recipes in my life, and these are by far the best.
Their texture finds that perfect balance between crispy and chewy, and the taste will remind you of a classic bakery style oatmeal cookie.
Yet they are also healthy and under 100 calories per cookie!
Bring a large batch to work, and watch all of your friends and coworkers beg you for the recipe. No one ever believes the cookies could possibly be egg free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and vegan.
Also bake these Oatmeal Muffins
What makes the oatmeal cookies healthy?
Each low calorie cookie provides over two grams of protein, six percent of the RDA for fiber, just two percent sodium, no cholesterol, and no artificial sugars.
Heart healthy nut butter takes the place of the coconut oil or butter found in traditional cookie recipes.
As a result, you get extra protein per cookie and much less saturated fat.
The rolled oats and spelt flour are packed with whole grains and fiber. In addition, oatmeal is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, magnesium, copper, and zinc.
Unrefined coconut sugar is less processed and lower on the glycemic index than brown sugar or white sugar.
As a chocolate lover, I often stir in antioxidant rich dark chocolate chips to create healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
For extra calcium and iron, you can opt for dried fruit or a sprinkle of superfood chia seeds if you prefer.
Leftover oats? Make Chocolate Overnight Oats
Ingredients
The recipe calls for oats, flour, almond butter, coconut sugar, salt, baking soda, pure vanilla extract, optional ground cinnamon, and water.
Oats – You can use rolled oats, quick oats, or instant oats. For the best results, do not go with steel cut oats.
To make gluten free oatmeal cookies, look for certified gluten free oats at the grocery store or swap oats for rolled quinoa flakes.
Flour – The recipe works with spelt flour or oat flour.
All purpose white flour works, although it is lower in fiber and therefore less healthy. Some brands of all purpose gluten free flour may also work.
If you prefer to bake with coconut flour, try these Coconut Flour Cookies.
Nut butter – I recommend a neutral flavored nut or seed butter, like almond butter, sunflower butter, or cashew butter.
If you love the combination of peanut butter, oats, and chocolate chips, choose crunchy or smooth peanut butter.
While not as healthy or high in protein, regular butter or plant based butter also work well in the cookie recipe.
Unrefined sugar – I use coconut sugar, evaporated cane juice, or date sugar for a healthier option than white sugar. All three ingredients should be readily available at health food stores and most traditional grocery stores.
If you prefer, white or brown sugar can be substituted. Decrease the amount of white sugar to just two thirds of a cup, because it weighs more than coconut sugar.
For cookies with no sugar added, swap out the coconut sugar for xylitol.
Add ins – Have fun customizing these healthy vegan oatmeal cookies by adding mini chocolate chips, raisins, dried figs, dates, cranberries, or shredded coconut.
I also love sprinkling in a small handful of diced heart healthy walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, hemp seeds, or pecans.
Less healthy, but just as tasty options include mini marshmallows, potato chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, or crushed pretzels.
For simple oatmeal cookies, feel free to completely skip the add ins. Or top them with vanilla frosting to make iced oatmeal cookies that are perfect for Christmas.
Healthy oatmeal cookie recipe video
Above, watch the video showing how to make healthy oat cookies
Oatmeal breakfast cookies
For fat free oat breakfast cookies with even more nutrition, replace the water and some or all of the nut butter with applesauce, canned pumpkin, or mashed banana.
The cookie texture will be denser and more fluffy, similar to that of a muffin.
Instead of chocolate chips, stir in a third cup of finely diced apple, optional raisins, and a pinch of cinnamon. Or add chopped dried apricots or prunes.
They make a wonderful balanced breakfast when served in the morning alongside a savory high protein Tofu Scramble.
Step by step instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, sugar, baking soda, salt, and optional chocolate chips or raisins. Stir well to evenly distribute all ingredients.
If your cashew or almond butter is not already thin and easy to stir, gently warm it in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove top.
Add the nut butter, water, and pure vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Stir until it forms a cookie dough texture.
Break off cookie sized balls with your hands or a cookie scoop, and roll into balls.
Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet. Leave some space between each cookie dough ball, because they will spread out as they bake.
The recipe yields around sixteen cookies, so it is a good idea to bake them in two batches or on two trays so the cookies have room to spread.
Place the baking sheets on the center rack of the oven, and bake for ten minutes. The healthy oatmeal cookies should still look undercooked and delicate when you remove them from the oven.
Let cool about ten minutes before handling, as they will firm up considerably during the cooling process.
You may also like these oat Energy Balls
Baking tips and troubleshooting
Natural nut butters are often firm or hard in texture, especially if you store the jar in the refrigerator. To ensure enough moisture in the dough, warm the third cup of nut butter until runny and easy to stir with a spoon.
The healthy oatmeal cookie dough will appear dry at first. Do not add more water or any milk. Just keep stirring for about a minute, breaking up large clumps of nut butter. It will eventually soften and turn into classic cookie dough.
Greasing the cookie sheet is important because it prevents the finished cookies from sticking to the pan. Using just a small amount of oil or fat free spray, you can easily lift the finished cookies off the tray after they cool.
Since this is a healthy cookie recipe, I have already formulated it to be lower sugar than typical oatmeal cookie recipes. For the best texture and flavor, follow the recipe exactly as written the first time, to see how the cookies should taste.
After you bake these cookies once, feel free to make as many substitutions as you wish. You may even discover a new version that you love even more than the original.
Once cooled, store leftover cookies in an airtight covered container on the counter for up to a week. Or freeze for up to three months and thaw before eating.
Making cookies with a food scale
For the most accurate measurements and consistent results each time, I recommend using a kitchen food scale if you own one.
Measure out 90 grams of flour, 45 grams of oats, 100 grams of coconut sugar, 40 grams of add ins, 80 grams of almond butter, and 30 grams of water.
Also be sure to remember the salt, baking soda, vanilla, and optional cinnamon.
The recipe was adapted from these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- 3/4 cup spelt flour or oat flour (or try these Keto Cookies)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips or raisins or add-ins of choice
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup almond butter or cashew butter (regular butter also works)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
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To make the healthy oatmeal cookies, start by preheating the oven to 325 F. If your nut butter is not already easy to stir, gently warm it in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove until thin and runny. Stir dry ingredients in a large bowl, then mix in remaining ingredients. The dough will be dry at first but will form a cookie dough texture after about a minute. So keep stirring and breaking up all clumps of nut butter. For best results, do not add more liquid. Roll into cookie dough balls, and place the balls on two greased baking sheets. Leave space between each ball because they will spread as they cook. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool before handling, during which time the cookies firm up considerably.View Nutrition Facts
Healthy Cookies And Bars
Or these Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
