Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened, and made in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients.
author’s Note
The Oatmeal Cookie Glow-Up!
I have a major sweet tooth, and I don’t know many days that go by without a treat. But the older I get, the less sugar seems to like me haha.
Oatmeal cookies are my all-time favorite (am I boring?), so I wanted a version that felt a little better for me. Something naturally sweetened with good fats and a bit of protein, but still simple and easy to make with ingredients I always have on hand.
That said, it’s not worth it to me if they aren’t still delicious. And wow, these cookies are good. SO, so good. They’re not your classic bakery-style oatmeal cookies. There’s no loads of butter or sugar here, so the texture and flavor are different, but for a better-for-you cookie, these really deliver.
They come together in one bowl with pantry staples and are naturally sweetened (fully naturally sweet depending on the chocolate chips you use).
I always finish them with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. It’s truly the perfect finishing touch!
Ingredients In Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Coconut oil & peanut butter | Make sure oil is melted and slightly cooled. Use smooth, well-stirred peanut butter for best texture. |
| Maple syrup & egg | Use pure maple syrup for the best flavor. Let the egg come to room temperature so everything mixes smoothly. |
| Oats (quick & old-fashioned) | Use both types. Quick oats help bind, old-fashioned oats add texture. |
| Baking soda, baking powder, salt & cinnamon | Don’t skip the salt. It balances the sweetness and boosts flavor. Cinnamon adds a subtle warmth, but it’s totally optional in these Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. |
| Chocolate chips | Use dark, milk, or semi-sweet. For completely naturally sweetened cookies, use coconut sugar-sweetened chocolate chips like Pascha or Hu Chocolate. |
How To Make Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Prep: Preheat oven and line pan.
- Mix wet: Melt oil, measure ingredients, and mix everything together.
- Add chocolate: Stir in chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Shape: Scoop, pack, and roll into balls; place on pan spaced apart.
- Bake & finish: Bake until just set, tap pan, add remaining chips, and cool.
Featured Comment
“Wow these cookies were amazing and this recipe is outstanding I have been looking for a healthy option to sub out flour butter and white sugar. All of my expectations were met plus more definitely my new go to cookie recipe”
– Dani
Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Tips
- Measure carefully: Level off measuring cups so you don’t pack in too much.
- Follow the recipe: Best as written. Swaps can change the end result.
- Use room-temp ingredients: Make sure the egg and coconut oil are the same temp.
- Keep cookies the same size: Use a 1-1/2 tablespoon scoop, pack it full, and level off the top.
- Line the pan: A silicone liner helps them bake evenly and makes cleanup easy.
storage]
Storage: These Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are best the same day, still warm from the oven! Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 3 to 4 days.
Freeze dough balls: Freeze on a lined sheet until solid, then transfer to a bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
[/storage]
More Healthy Treat Ideas:
Desserts
Healthy Cookie Dough Cups
Muffins And Quick Breads
Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
Desserts
Date Brownies
Snacks
Banana Bites (2 Ways!)
Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixers
- Large sheet pan plus silicone liners or parchment paper
- Cookie scoop 1-1/2 tablespoon size
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter make sure it's smooth/not separated
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup see note 1
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats see note 2
- 1-1/4 cups quick oats
- 1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips divided (or use milk or semi-sweet)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Melt coconut oil, then measure 1/4 cup and let it cool to room temperature before using.
- Add all ingredients except the chocolate chips to a large bowl or stand mixer. Using hand mixers or the whisk attachment, mix until fully combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Switch to a spatula and mix in 1 cup dark chocolate chips and all the mini chocolate chips.
- Use a 1-1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to pack dough into tight balls, pressing firmly so they hold together. Place on the prepared sheet pan, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until tops are set (they don't look gooey) but still slightly soft. Do not over-bake; these are best slightly under-baked and they firm up more as they cool.
- Remove from oven and gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to flatten cookies slightly. Press remaining chocolate chips into the tops.
- Let cookies cool on the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Best enjoyed warm while soft and chewy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I measured everything correctly and they turned out flat as a pancake. Horrible. Not sure what I did wrong. I followed the recipe to a tee. Pretty bummed.
Did you chill the dough long enough? Any recipe substitutions?
I didn’t use any substitutions. And I let the dough chill for an hour. It scooped great. But when it baked it turned into a flat glob.
Hmm that’s so strange; I’ve never had that happen before or heard of that happening. I’m so sorry you had a bad experience with these cookies 🙁 I wonder if after scooping the dough they got warmed up? If you try again, I’d recommend chilling them again after scooping so they are super cold/solid going into the oven.
I’ve been searching for healthy cookies for my kids and I think I am excited to try this. Just one question- do the cookies come out crunchy? I think my kids would enjoy it more if the cookies are somehow crunchy. Thanks!
The oatmeal makes a super nice crunch! I think your kids would love this! Thanks! 🙂
I was just wondering how many cookies does this recipe yield?
Thank you for sharing the recipe, they were a big hit. My husband insists that I have to make these for him every week. I gradually kept reducing the sugar to try and make them even healthier and now I substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips and I use less than half a cup for double the recipe and it is more than enough. I also deleted the sugar completely, found that I didn’t need it at all, and the cookies still tasted very sweet. The coconut oil is very sweet and has lots of flavor so you actually don’t need any sugar. They are soft and gooey when they come out of the oven and not very impressive. But if you refrigerate the cookies overnight they firm up nicely and the flavor improves too.
I already made them and loved ir, the texture Is great o would want to así, what if i put half of the oil and double of sugar? Since sugar Is usually what gives that chewy texture. Has anyone donde it?
Congrats for the great récipe!
Hi! I’m super new to baking and I know next to nothing about it so this is probably a dumb question, but can you substitute Stevia extract for sugar?
I haven’t tried that before, but wouldn’t recommend that substitute
Hi Chelsea, I’m wondering what I did so wrong – my cookies just spread out like liquid on the tray in the oven. They came out after 8 mins flat and all joined into one. I chilled the dough for an hour and then when I rolled them into balls I re-chilled them for 15 mins. Any idea other than the chilling that could cause this ? They still taste delicious, just cooling them now to see what the consistency will be like. Super keen to get it right though. Any thoughts would be amazing ??
Just made a double batch of these babies, they turned out delicious but a bit too crumbly on the inside. The only thing I added was some ground almonds, and to be honest my egg wasn’t exactly a large one. Could that be the reason of the excess crumblyness?
How much ground almonds did you add? That could have been the main contributor to the crumbliness, but definitely try a large egg next time too! I’m so glad you still enjoyed them though! Thanks! 🙂
Made these exactly. Turned out great. I made a second batch and mixed in sliced almonds, unsweetened coconut and dark chocolate chips. I put in fridge for 30 minuets to set up. Baked for 10 minutes. They were wonderful! Slightly crunchy on edges. Would definitely recommend this recipe! Thanks for sharing with us.
I’m so glad you loved them Lisa! 🙂
So I made this exactly as instructed with the exception that I substituted butter for the coconut oil because I had none on hand.
I split one batch up prior to the mix-ins and did one half chocolate chips and the other half rasins & craisins.
I needed to let these cook at least 10 minutes each (especially if you were refrigerating the dough before hand).
While the cookies taste good, they are extremely crumbly even after cooling. I was able to remove them from the tray to a drying rack with a spatula, but you can barely hold them without them crumbling.
Would this have been prevented with the oil? Honestly I’m not willing to try another batch unless I know for sure because they simply are too fragile to store and even though they are good we won’t eat them all at once!