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 was craving the giant crazy unhealthy costco cookies so i did myself a favor and googled healthy chocolate cookies instead 🙂 and found your recipe! Any cookie recipe requiring only 4 tbsp of sugar is good in my book! I hate overlyy sweet anything, so these sounded perfect! Baking my second sheet right now and my kitchen smells divine!
i really wanted these, but was missing some ingredients and was unable to go buy them, so i did make some substitutions…sorry 🙂
i used regular butter instead of coconut oil and instead of brown sugar, i used 2 tbsp white sugar plus 2 tbsp maple syrup. I also added 2 tbsp flax meal. For the cocholate, i only had milk chocolate, which i chopped up and also threw in about 1/4 cup macadamia nuts and cashews (fished those out of a jar of mixed nuts). The results are amazing!!!! Sorry i can’t comment on the original recipe, but I’m sure they taste great!
I am definitley keeping this recipe! It is sweet enough that my kids won’t complain they are healthy cookies 🙂 i also baked mine longer, about 12 minutes, as i like my cookies on the crispy side. Centers are soft, edges crunchy…heavenly! Already ate 2…
Yay!!! I’m so thrilled these were such a big hit and I love that you added a bunch of nuts — sounds delicious! So happy you enjoyed these! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
Great job with the blog! I love seeing people following their passions. This is what life is about!
I found your recipe after I decided that it was time to make some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Based on all of the comments, I’m going to assume that these are pretty good! Thanks for the recipe.
Hey Matt! Thank you so much for your encouragement, that means a lot to me! I hope you thoroughly enjoy these cookies 🙂 Best!
What substitute could be used for Coconut Oil? I am severally allergic to it.
It won’t be as healthy but I believe butter works. However, that is just based off of others reviews so I really can’t say for sure without further recipe testing.
No one else seems to be having this issue, but both times I’ve made these, my cookies have come out FLAT except for the very center. They are also quite oily and soft.
I used LouAna coconut oil. I used rolled oats and made my own flour and blended them just a little for the quick oats. All ingredients used were the same. I followed recipe EXACTLY the first time, then because those didn’t work I tried not melting the oil the second time since it was already soft and blended in just fine. The second batch held up a little better, but still mostly flat. I chilled them 1 hr first time, 30 min second time, and chilled both times after balling (since I had to use my hands- but handled very quickly and as little as possible). I don’t know what else to do ? but I adore the flavor of these cookies. Please help! ?
I’m sorry you’re having some problems with flat cookies Abb. I’d suggest trying the following: add a bit more oat flour, allow the coconut oil to harden a little bit and cool completely (after melting it to measure it) before adding it to the other ingredients, make sure your baking soda is fresh, make sure the oven is completely pre-heated before putting them in the oven, and try freezing your cookie dough balls for 5-10 minutes before baking them after you’ve chilled the dough and rolled them into balls. It could be that your kitchen is warm or your hands are warm and taking away the “chilling effect” of the dough. Hope that helps! Glad you enjoy the flavor!
hi chelsea,
i just made these and it came out a little oilier than i expected. there were rings of bubbling oil around the cookies while it was baking in the oven.is that suppose to happen? i did put in 1/2 cups of liquified coconut oil as stated, and placed it in the fridge for about an hour
should i try and reduce the coconut oil the next time i bake it or place in the fridge a liitle longer?
thanks!
Hey Jan! Thanks for the comment. Yes it seems like the coconut oil is a little off or perhaps you may not have had enough dry ingredients or mis-measured by a little? Baking is tricky! I’d recommend trying less coconut oil next time or making sure the dough is pretty rock hard before trying to bake. You can also try adding a few more oats. Hope that helps! 🙂
These were great, I was looking for a bit healthier of lactation cookies- and somehow stumbled upon this. I made them as is for my first batch. For my second batch I added flax and brewers yeast (made them a bit drier the first day, but the next day after sitting in an airtight container they were soft) and a tad less sugar. I’m getting ready to make them again, just adding just a bit more “wet” ingredients to compensate for the flax/brewers yeast that I added. I definitely recommend taking them out of the oven as soon as they begin to brown on the edges, otherwise they are very crumbly (this was true for the original recipe and my modified one). Thanks for sharing- I love that it is a two bowl, no mixer recipe- I’m off to make more now!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed these so much and were able to make them into lactation cookies 🙂 Thanks for the review!!
Can you use just quick oats?
No, sorry.
Hello d can this dough be frozen prior to baking? I would like to make a double batch!
I’m sorry I’ve never tried freezing the dough so I can’t say for sure
Based on my experience, yes you can freeze the dough for later use. Just be sure to defrost it before you bake the cookies
I made these tonight. Followed all measurements just as it said. This was my first time using oat flour and coconut oil. These cookies came out so delicious even my kids ate them. They are definitely going to be my go-to chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Awesome!! That is so, so great to hear! I’m so glad these were so well enjoyed! Thank you Katie!
My cookies were flat! :/ I chilled them for an hour and he dough was hard but once I put them in the oven they got flat. Not sure what I did wrong, any advice?!
Did you substitute any ingredients or leave anything out?