Looking for a delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe that packs whole grains and other real ingredients? Have your cookie and eat it, too! Get the best of both worlds with these Healthy Oatmeal Cookies — something healthy and something sweet.
Cookie lovers, we’ve got DOZENS of healthy cookie recipes here on Fit Foodie Finds. Starting with these healthy oatmeal cookies with mini chocolate chips. Enjoy!
We’ve been on a mission these past few weeks to figure out a way to make a healthier version of oatmeal cookies. And to be completely honest, we totally winged this recipe the first time we tested it. We knew we had a few must haves for these healthy oatmeal cookies before we started, and then just built from there.
Healthy Oatmeal Cookies Must Haves
- Made with some kind of whole wheat flour
- Made “healthier” by lowering the amount of sugar we used
- Be chewy, not crunchy
- Involve chocolate
And to achieve this, we looked to our baking pantry staples that we try to have on hand at all times:
Healthy Baking Pantry Staples
- Rolled Oats
- White Whole Wheat Flour
- Cinnamon
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- All Natural Peanut Butter
- Eggs
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
Oats into Oat Flour
Oat flour can be expensive, and also quite hard to find in many major grocery stores, which is why we’re big fans of making oat flour at home. Trust us, it’s easy! And comes in so handy for these healthy oatmeal cookies. Simply place your rolled oats in a high-speed blender or food processor, and lightly pulverize to give them a rough chop.
The other alternative for making these healthy oatmeal cookies is to use quick cooking oats, which will give essentially the same texture as lightly pulverized oats.
Healthy Cookie Swaps
Classic oatmeal cookies involve LOTS of brown sugar and butter. We started by playing with different ways to sweeten the cookies, as well as using part coconut oil and part butter. Let’s just say that the first three batches of these cookies that we tested were hard as bricks. We could have used them as hockey pucks..if we played hockey.
We took multiple trips to the grocery store, and on round #8 we nailed it. We discovered that cookies are better with a little butter and that it’s A-OK to use a little brown sugar (just not a TON). We found that using mini chocolate chips left smaller air pockets in the cookies, which allowed them to stay a bit more moist.
We also realized we were totally over whipping the eggs and that you must use quick oats or pulse the oats in a food processor a bit before you start mixing up a batch of cookies–it seriously made a world of difference!
We just developed these healthy oatmeal cookies 2 weeks ago and we’ve already made them five times for friends + events. It is definitely a new favorite in the Fit Foodie kitchen. Enjoy!
How to Store Oatmeal Cookies
Keep these cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, making sure they fully cool before storing.
Can you Freeze Cookies?
Absolutely! These healthy oatmeal cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply store in an air-tight container (large Ziplocs work great for this!), and write the date you made the cookies + the name of the cookies on the bag before placing in the freezer.
Thawing Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Thaw these cookies at room temperature overnight, or if you’re in a pinch for a healthy oatmeal cookie right now, remove a cookie from the freezer and place in the microwave for 1 minute on defrost, or until it’s chewy and delicious.
More Healthy Cookies
- Healthy Monster Cookies
- Flourless Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Paleo Cashew Butter Cookies
- Healthy Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
- Healthier M&M Cookies
Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Looking for a delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe that packs whole grains and other real ingredients? Have your cookie and eat it, too! Get the best of both worlds with these Healthy Oatmeal Cookies — something healthy and something sweet.
Ingredients
Dry
- 1.5 cups rolled oats, lightly pulverized (or quick cooking oats)
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Wet
- 1/2 cup non-salted butter
- 1 cup organic brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg, large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place oats into a food processor and blend for 15-20 seconds to lightly pulverize, shredding them into smaller pieces. If you’re using quick cooking oats, omit this step.
- Add oats and the rest of the dry ingredients into a medium size bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together with a hand mixer.
- Add egg and continue mixing. Scrape the sides of the bowl, add vanilla, and mix until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add dry ingredients (everything but the chocolate chips) to wet ingredients, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing on low. Last, fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, roll dough into ball and slightly flatten between your palms. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven, let cool, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cookie Calories: 122 Sugar: 10 Fat: 5 Carbohydrates: 18 Fiber: 1 Protein: 2Keywords: healthy oatmeal cookies
Similar recipes:
Linley I love this! And oatmeal cookies are one of my FAVORITES!
I am actually trying to offer more meals on my blog this year and maybe only a tiny bit less baked goods 😉
Wonderful! I can’t wait to check out your new meals!
These cookies do look delicious. Love and make many recipes from FFF. However, as a fellow RDN, I think 10 gms. of sugar is a lot for just 1 cookie. How many people do you know stick to 1 cookie? In addition, I think it is important to list saturated fat and trans fat for recipes.
10 grams of sugar is not slot for one cookie, especially when you look @ all the hormones and everything else they are putting in the foods.
A lot
These look so good! Chewy cookies are always mt favorite.
YES! Chewy Cookies all the way!
These cookies look good but honestly I just want that big bowl of the dough!!
is there a difference between quick oats and instant oats? Asking because I’m nursing and regular oats are good for supply, but instant is not.
Quick and Instant are the same!
Thanks so much for all your hard work into developing this cookie! I made these over the weekend and initially thought that the batter was a tad dry, but it came out perfectly! This recipe was quick and easy too, I blitzed up more oatmeal so that I have it on hand for the next cookie craving I have!
Is there a difference between using salted and non salted butter? I only have salted on hand and am hoping not to go to the store…. Could I leave out the pinch of salt- or is that needed to get the cookies to rise? Thanks for the advice! Love your website!
Just made these with my kids. Added half a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut and since I didn’t have white whole wheat I added half a cup of whole wheat and half a cup of white flour. Delicious! I will be making these again.
★★★★★
YAY! These are some of my favorite cookies!
I am so excited to try these!! I don’t have any white whole wheat flour on hand though. I only have white, coconut, and almond. Could I use one of these? I’d rather not use white flour if I don’t have to?
I would sub white flour if anything!
Dee-lish and dee-lightful! They are very tasty. They don’t taste as healthy as they are. Highly recommend
Really moist and tasty. Very easy to make, nice treat to have every now and then. Will add this recipe to my lists of go-to’s.
★★★★★
Before I start with this recipe, I’d like to make them almost totally sugar-free (I’m diabetic). Can I substitute a non-sugar sweetener for the brown sugar? And sugar-free (or semi-sweet) choc chips?
Hey Jim! I’ve never used a non-sugar substitute, so I, unfortunately, can’t advise on this!
Truvia makes a Brown sugar substitute that cooks very similar to real brown sugar. Worth a try…
Delicious! Even my 3 year old likes them.
★★★★★
Omg you guys these are delicious healthy and greatt for weight loss make them is all I have got to say!
These cookies are yummy! I’ve made them twice this week. As someone new to the baking world I have zero to no condice in my cooking skills and this recipe is sooo simple I just couldn’t believe how nice they turned out.
★★★★★
Hi there, How long can I keep these cookies for ?
On the counter up to 5 days, but if you freeze them up to 3 months!
A solid oatmeal cookie recipe. Substituted homemade applesauce for butter because I was out and mixed white chips with the mini chips to use up what I had open. Still very tasty.
★★★★★
can’t wait to make these but one question: if i use whole wheat flour, will the recipe still call for 1 cup of it?
Hi! Yes, 1 cup!
How exactly are these a healthy version? These are all the same ingredients used to make these normally. Just looks like the recipe is cut in half.
This recipe is very good! I and my family really enjoyed them and I just know that other families will too! I cannot wait to try more recipes!
★★★★★
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Great recipe for a healthier version of my favorite cookie. Thick and delicious. And thank you for the added explanations for the extra tips like the mini chocolate chips and specifics for the oatmeal. Really pleased with the results.
These were totally awesome, and a refreshing take on an iconic cookie. Don’t think I’ve ever used whole wheat flour for a cookie in the past, but I love it in this recipe. Personally, I may ease up on the cinnamon just a little next time (and I’m wondering what chopped walnuts would be like if added them). But this was a great recipe, easy to make, and the results are really enjoyable. Thanks.
★★★★★
good and tasty
I just made my first batch of these. My only suggestion is that I don’t think they need 1 C of mini chocolate chips… but other than that, these cookies are delicious!
★★★★
Hi!
I just made this recipe. I add a little more quick oats, because at first the dough was very sticky, but cookies turned out really hard not chewy.
These were really tough and dry. Not sure the ratio of oats/flour/butter is optimal.
I just made these delicious cookies. I used reg size semi sweet chips and in half the batch I added some chopped walnuts, 1/4C chopped. They came out nice and chewey. 10min is all I baked them . I also used only a bout 1/4C brown sugar and 1/4C coconut sugar. Nice and healthy, thank you♥️
I decided those were okay enough to eat for breakfast. LOL I replaced the flour with oat flour and with the mini choco chips I added regular dark choco chips so my kids see they are FULL of chocolate. I now see the recipe is supposed to make 24 cookies but I made 12 bigger cookies, they are very very good.
★★★★★
1. Do these cookies ever come out flat? This happens with every oatmeal cookie recipe.
2. What can I use instead of white whole wheat flour. We don’t have it here. I have white flour, whole wheat flour and spelt flour
Mine stayed like a ball.. I had to flatten them after baking. I used half whole wheat and half white flour. Not sure why they stayed so stiff in form! But they taste great… definitely don’t bake longer than 10 mins.
★★★★
Hi! If you look at step 7, it has you flatten them into a cookie shape!
Easy to make! Very Yummy!
★★★★★
These are delicious! I used quick oats and left them whole, and they turned out great. I’ll definitely be making these again!
★★★★★
Made these last night and my boyfriend proceeded to eat HALF the pan while we watched tv! I ended up refrigerating the dough for a few hours before baking which I think intensified the cinnamon and other flavors. Yum! I also swapped the white wheat flour for a mix of all purpose and whole wheat. Will definitely be making again 🙂
★★★★★
LOL. So glad you guys loved them!
Delicious !! Just the right cookie consistency (from mr blob)
★★★★★
Fabulous!! Will be a good go to!
★★★★★
These cookies are amazing! Thank you for this recipe. I made them last night, with a few modifications to your recipe (due to not having things in the house): I used white sugar instead of brown sugar; all purpose flour instead of fancy flour; aluminum foil instead of parchment paper; and raisins instead of chocolate chips. And they came out so great! I made 18 cookies (vs 24) and did them in batches of 6 at a time. Took about 15-17 min per batch. Thank you for this recipe!
P.S. – Since I used dry, older raisins, I hydrated them before adding to other ingredients. Got that advice from Amy’s Healthy Baking. She writes “For the best results, use fresh raisins. Older raisins will be drier, so I recommend hydrating them first. Add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them completely with water, and top with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 45-60 seconds. Let the raisins sit and absorb moisture until you’re ready to add them to the dough. Drain them thoroughly before folding in.” Here’s that reference: https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2014/11/30/the-ultimate-healthy-soft-chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/
★★★★★
So smart with hydrating your raisins! Thanks for the tip, I love Amy!
Love it
★★★★★
This is a great recipe! I found that they were better after setting over night and I think I made bigger cookies than what was called for in the recipe because I had to cook mine for about 20 minutes but that may also be my 50 year old oven. Either way the outcome was great! Thank you!
★★★★★
YAY! Glad you loved these!
They were great except too sweet for my taste. And I didn’t use chocolate chips. I think next time I am going to use have the sugar. Otherwise, very nice texture and they don’t fall apart.
I meant half the sugar.
Can I substitute the butter with ghee- it is a form of melted butter used in the Indian subcontinent.
Hi Mishkat! We haven’t tried this specifically, but I think that should work!
Great recipe! i love these cookies. The dough was too dry to form into balls without falling apart so I added a couple tbsp of oat milk. They turned out great!
★★★★★
Hi. My boyfriend had a heart attack recently. We have been told by doctors that coconut oil is saturated fat and he shouldn’t have that in his food. We are looking for alternatives for him.
Great recipe. Easy and quick. I used half the sugar and raisins and some toasted nuts. Dough was dry so added little buttermilk. These Cookies are Now my favourite with morning tea!