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.
Just made those cookies and they are delicious. I love all the “unusual” ingredients you are using (no regular flour, but oat flour instead and no butter, but coconut oil). Very yummy.
Do you have any idea how much calories could be in each cookie? (I made 15 of them with 1 batch).
So happy to hear these were enjoyed! Thank you for the comment! I don’t have the calories but I do know another reader calculated them to be around 81 calories per cookie with 18 in a batch!
I made these and they are AMAZING. I replaced the coconut oil for 1/4 cup mashed avocado and 1/4 cup olive oil and replaced the brown sugar with maple syrup. I also reduced the baking soda to 1/2 a teaspoon. Thank you so much for the recipe! I look forward to making these again and again in the future!
Yay!! So glad to hear these were enjoyed! Thanks for sharing your substitutions they sound delicious. 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly as written but the cookies were very crumbly, even after cooling completely. I’m eating some in a bowl with a spoon since they fell apart. Taste good and I know I chilled the dough beforehand properly and left on cookie sheet afterwards as per recipe. Don’t know if I’ll make again. Any suggestions? Thanks 🙂
Did you change any of the ingredients out? What type of coconut oil did you make? It sounds like you may have over-measured the oat flour or oats. These shouldn’t be crumbly at all after completely cooling 🙂 Let me know and hopefully we can troubleshoot for you!
Hello,
Thank you for the recipe!
I have the same problem. Very crumbly cookies. Could it be because my blender didn’t grind the oats very fine? I couldn’t get them to look like powder.
I doubled the recipe and only baked half (will freeze the other half for a few days). What would you recommend to try to fix this for the next baking?
Thank you, Heather
Hey Heather! Yes the oats should be very fine like flour! I’d try adding a bit more coconut oil (and then chilling until firm) for the next baking! Good luck 🙂
I was looking for an oatmeal recipe and google led me to you page. I just made these cookies and WOW, I am in love!! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipes! I am a fan now and am about to scope out your other recipes. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!
So, so glad to hear that! Thank you so much for your kind comment Christine! 🙂
I made these but replaced the brown sugar with Splenda brown sugar substitute, and used unsweetened applesauce instead of the coconut oil. I haven’t made them as above, so I can’t compare (the other way could be much better), BUT they were delicious how I made them. They didn’t really spread, so I just slightly patted down the cookie dough. They were very dense and moist and definitely satisfy my sweet tooth while still being fairly healthy! I cooked them about 15 minutes I think 🙂
So, so glad to hear you enjoyed them and were able to make some good substitutes to your personal preference! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Super delicious! Even though you said not to make any substitutions, I did make one. I substituted avocado oil for the coconut oil as my husband is allergic to coconut. So good! Thank you Chelsea!
Oh awesome!! SO glad to hear the avocado oil worked in place of the coconut oil! Thank you for the comment 🙂
Just made a bunch of these and they are delicious!! I love that the texture of the cookies is so versatile, probably because of the three different textures of oats. I also love that they are the right amount of sweetness. I am not originally from the US and have always found that the Americam dessert recipes to be way too sweet for me. One question- mine didn’t spread too much. They basically came out about the same shape/size before going into the oven. Mine also didn’t look like those in your pictures, which look very much like regular cookies made from flour. Mine looked more small “clusters” of oat cookies. (However, they still taste heavenly!) Any idea why?
Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Yay!! So thrilled to hear you enjoyed these so much! I’m not quite sure why they looked like clusters of oats, do you mind sharing what brand of coconut oil you used? That may be it! So happy you loved the taste though! 🙂
Hi Chelsea, I used Nutiva organic Coconut Oil.
To Katherine’s question above regarding freezing them- yes it works. I froze some leftover cookie dough a few weeks ago and just deforested it to make cookies today. It totally worked- in fact, I think they taste better after the dough has been frozen.!
I made these one…some were slightly crumbled but wow, we enjoyed them. Thanks so much. Making more now. Could i make a double batch and freeze half to cook later? How do the cookies themselves freeze ? Would that hurt them in any way?
So happy to hear you enjoyed these! Thank you for the comment 🙂 I don’t see why not and not sure how freezing would hurt these; I’ve never tried so I can’t say for sure, but again, not sure why not 🙂
I love this recipe but can’t have coconut oil, can I substitute back for butter? Thank you
Butter should work! 🙂
Just made these and they looked great coming out of the oven! They had a strange taste to them though and I realized I used 3/4 tablespoon of baking soda, not teaspoon…oops. I’m a rookie at this baking thing lol. Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow 🙂
Haha!! Don’t you hate it when that happens?! I hope you love ’em your next try! 🙂