Hey, friends! How’s it going?
Things are swimming along over here. Summer is in full bloom (my fave), we’ve been traveling a lot, and I’ve been enjoying being in the kitchen even more than usual lately for some weird but wonderful reason.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been whipping up delicious eats like these healthier oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Let’s bake!
The base for this simple, 10-ingredient recipe is oats, almond flour (or meal), and shredded coconut. Coconut oil adds moisture and crispness, while almond butter adds nuttiness and helps create a tender center.
Lastly, they’re sweetened with muscovado sugar (or coconut or brown sugar) and studded with vegan dark chocolate chips. Swoon.
The binder is aquafaba (method adapted from these Almond Meal Chocolate Chip Cookies!), which helps the cookies puff up and crisp on the edges. Is there anything aquafaba can’t do? I think not.
Just 12-15 minutes in the oven and these babies are ready to go. You can make the dough ahead of time and chill overnight or even scoop out and freeze for future late-night cookie cravings (raise your hand if this happens to you way too often).
I hope you all LOVE cookies! They’re:
Tender on the inside
Crispy on the outside
Packed with oats
Studded with chocolate
Healthier than your average cookie
& SO delicious
These would make the perfect cookie to have around to snack on throughout the week. If I were you, I’d throw them (already baked) into the freezer to have a cold, crunchy cookie when your sweet tooth craving strikes. (Trust me, I’m an expert – frozen cookies are where it’s at).
If you’re into cookies, be sure to check out our 5-Ingredient Vegan Gluten Free Cookies, Almond Butter No-Bake Cookies, Coconut No-Bake Cookies, Soft & Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Vegan GF Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.
If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it (it’s super helpful!), and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond flour or almond meal*
- 3/4 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free as needed)
- 1/4 cup finely shredded (desiccated) unsweetened coconut (or you could try and sub more almond meal, oats, or even GF flour blend)
- 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate (chips or chopped bar)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup packed organic brown sugar or muscovado sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup aquafaba (the brine/liquid in a can of chickpeas)
- 2 Tbsp almond butter* (or other nut or seed butter)
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil or melted coconut oil*
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond flour, oats, coconut, vegan chocolate, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, beat aquafaba (using a handheld mixer or by whisking vigorously) until light and fluffy and loose peaks have formed. (Add a little cream of tartar to help them along if not whipping.)
- To the aquafaba, add the almond butter, oil, and vanilla (optional) and beat or whisk to combine. (The mixture will deflate a little – that’s OK). Then add to dry ingredients and mix until combined. You should have a firm, semi-tacky dough (see photo). Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop chilled dough into roughly 2-Tablespoon amounts (I like this scoop) and form into small discs (see photo). Place on baking sheet with about a 1-inch gap in between each cookie to allow for spreading. There should be about 12 cookies.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Be careful not to burn (especially on the bottoms) – they bake quickly toward the end. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Store leftovers in a loosely sealed container at room temperature up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 1 month. We recommend storing them in the freezer once cooked to help retain their crispy exterior. These are so delicious when warm and dipped in almond milk or hot cocoa!
Video
Notes
*If trying to avoid oil, you can try and sub more almond butter or applesauce, but I haven’t tested it this way and can’t guarantee the results.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Recipe adapted from my Best Almond Meal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Anna says
The family loved these so I’m making a triple batch for a work potluck tomorrow in hopes that there will be some leftovers, but I’m not too optimistic! 😃
Whoop! We’re so glad your family enjoyed the cookies. Thank you for the lovely review, Anna! xo
RD says
This is a wonderfully simple recipe, that turns out great results. I’ve made it twice now, and substituted ingredients when possible to use what I had on hand. Both times I increased the oats to a full cup and used coconut flake. I used apple sauce rather than oil and added the vanilla. I also added golden raisins and caramel chips rather than chocolate the first time and those, IMO, were better than the chocolate… thanks for a great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoy them! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications!
Molly says
These were so delicious (kids & adults alike loved them) and they went so fast. They are pretty soft so when storing it’s helpful to store flat vs on top of each other as they stick a bit. I will make these often!
If you do use an egg instead of aquafaba does it need to be whipped?
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them. Thank you for sharing, Molly! We haven’t tested with egg, but think it would work to just add it without whipping.
Jan says
Absolutely Dee Licious! Crazy good cookies. Made them a bit smaller (so I could have more 😋 and enjoyed every bite! Thank you, once again, MB! You never dissapoint!
YAY! So happy you enjoy the cookies, Jan! Thank you for another sweet review! xoxo
The Vegan Goddess says
Wow, nothing boring about THESE oatmeal cookies! The coconut really brings it to a new level and pairs well with chocolate.
It’s on the growing “fave” list to make again! Another fave is the chai-spiced oatmeal cookies.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Nicole says
I really loved these – super wholesome and nostalgic. I subbed a chicken egg for the aquafaba and subbed raisins for half of the chocolate chips.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Nicole!
Jules says
Thank you for another delicious recipe! Just made these, using half white half whole wheat flour, subbed the flax egg, otherwise followed the recipe as written. They have a lovely, delicate coconut flavor combined with the chocolate oatey-ness….so good, with a sort of soft texture. My fam & I thoroughly enjoyed & will be making again!
Lovely! Thanks so much for the review, Jules!
Marsha says
I do wonder if I could sub the oats- a no no…with either rice flakes or quinoa flakes?
I’ve had a look thru the feedback and didn’t see anything relevant
Your thoughts would be most appreciated.
So grateful for.you recipes n dedication and above all sharing 🌈
Hi Marsha, thank you so much for your sweet words! We find quinoa flakes to be a bit bitter. We haven’t tried rice flakes, but the flavor would likely be better! If you try it, you might want to start with slightly less rice flakes than oats because they may be more absorbent. Another option would be to try more coconut + GF blend. Let us know how it goes!
Marsha says
Many thanks 😊 for your response n suggestions.
Holly says
Can I substitute an egg for the aquafaba?
Hi Holly! That should work! We would suggest beating the egg white separately and adding the egg yolk to the other ingredients. Let us know how it goes!
Emilie says
OMG it just looks soooo delicious 😍
Can I use 1 egg instead of the aquafaba ?
Thanks
Hi Emilie, yes, that should work! We’d recommend 1 large or 2 small eggs. Let us know how it goes!
Beth says
I see people have made these into bars, but don’t know what temp. or how long to bake for. Any suggestions? These look killer!
Hi Beth, we can’t wait for you to try them! We think as bars you would probably need to bake for ~25 minutes (same temp!). Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Beth says
Thank you! I will!!!
Ilse Wolf says
Can I sub the aquafaba?
Hi Ilse, other readers have replaced it with flax eggs with success. Or if not vegan, you could sub 1 large or 2 small chicken eggs.
Ilse Wolf says
Thank you, the flax egg worked out great!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Ilse! xo
Claire Burns says
these are delicious but the last couple of times I’ve made them they seem to go soggy overnight. Any ideas why, would they not be cooked long enough? thank you
Hi Claire, yes, that’s the most likely reason! Another idea would be if you’re not letting them cool fully before covering or in an especially humid climate?
Corelia says
WOW – these are THE. BEST. COOKIES that I have ever made!!! I did a double batch a little while ago and have stored them in the freezer since. They thaw beautifully, in just an hour or so, and they also toast beautifully (like I just literally drop them into the toaster and wait a minute or two) if you don’t want to wait for them to thaw at room temp. Another thing (that I was surprised about) is that they taste amazing fully frozen as well! Chewy and oatmeal-y and they are perfectly sweet & cozy.
Changes I made to a x2 batch:
– decreased 2/3 cup of coconut sugar to 1/4 cup (& added 1/4 cup of maple syrup to the wet mix.)
– subbed aquafaba with 2 eggs (long story short, my aquafaba wasn’t frothing and I got annoyed and gave up)
Next time I might try half my batter with raisins instead of chocolate chips, for a more “classic” oatmeal cookie. The chocolate chips were delicious however!
We’re so happy you enjoy them, Corelia. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Mumsie H says
Can I use eggs instead of aquafaba?
Hi Mumsie, yes, that should work! We’d recommend 1 large or 2 small eggs. Let us know how it goes!
Mumsie H says
I did use eggs, and subbed 2/3 of the oats with millet flakes. Also added 1/2 tspn almond essence. Fam v impressed!😉🤤
Yay! Thank you for sharing! xo
Jen says
I followed the recipe carefully but had a very liquidy batter (I beat the aquafaba in a kitchen aid mixer which made it stiff but when I added the almond butter and coconut oil it went to liquid..maybe i should have continued to beat it until stiff?) I added almost a half cup of brown rice flour to thicken the batter but was afraid to make it to thick and dry. I’m waiting now to see the final product.
Hi Jen, it’s normal for it to deflate a bit when adding those ingredients (check the video for reference on texture). Let us know how the cookies turn out!
das says
These cookies are fantastic and are a great compromise for families like mine that have members like me who want to eat clean (no wheat or dairy) but also members (my hubby and daughter) who just want a delicious cookie. They check all the boxes! Like others, I made a few modifications based upon what’s in my pantry and some family preferences. I used 1 large egg instead of the aquafaba, exchanged almond butter for peanut butter, and excluded the shredded coconut. I opted to use almond meaI (I think it gives the cookies a delicious crunch). Also, the dough seemed a little too wet to me (both times I’ve made it), so I’ve added a couple of TBS of gluten free oat flour at the end to reduce moisture. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. I made 13 cookies and cooked for approximately 13 minutes. So so good! Thank you MB!!!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Marie says
I doubled the recipe and used 3 eggs instead of the aquafaba, as suggested by another reviewer. I didn’t put any chocolate, and used peanut butter as I didn’t have any almond butter. The texture came out great, but the cookies tasted too bland for my taste. I was really looking for a pronounced oatmeal taste. I’ve loved every single MB recipe I’ve made (and I’ve made many!), but this one was disappointing, although I didn’t follow the recipe exactly as it was. My hunt for the greatest oatmeal cookie recipe continues!
Hi Marie, sorry to hear they didn’t turn out how you were hoping! You could try subbing the shredded coconut for more oats next time.
Kate says
These turned out slightly crumbly, but I did substitute flax eggs for the aquafaba, so that could be the issue. These turned out yummy, but kind of left me wishing they had a little more flavor. I feel there are probably better recipes out there, but worth a try.
Thanks so much for sharing, Kate!
Amelie says
The exact kind of chewy yet crispy, tasty with a little je ne sais quoi i was looking for. The coconut in them give it a texture I absolutely love. However I used eggs instead of aquafaba. I did a double batch and used 3 eggs. Thanks for mentioning they burn easily at the end! I watched them cook and they needed 14 minutes in my oven but I did but burn any. Everybody that tried the cookies asked for the recipe, as with everything I have made from you!
Love it! Thanks so much for the great review, so glad you found the je ne sais quoi!
Janice Cohoon says
Hi! I made these delicious cookies. I loved that they had less sugar. This recipe is awesome 👌
I added butter instead of coconut oil, brown sugar and free range egg instead of aquafaba. They turned out soft, chewy with crisp edges. Love ,love, love them…I will definitely be making these again!
XO Janice
RC says
These were absolutely amazing! I actually doubled the recipe and made a few changes based on what I had in my kitchen. Subbed peanut butter for almond, 2 eggs instead of aquafaba, mini good life chocolate chips and 1/2 roll oats + 1/2 quick oats.
Seriously, so good!!!
We’re so glad they turned out so well! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Gaby says
These are my absolute favorite cookies, but I’ve recently found out I am sensitive to almonds. Can I use regular flour or something else as a sub? These cookies saved my life postpartum. I made like 3 batches and froze them and ate them all night long while nursing lol
Aw, we’re SO glad you enjoy these cookies, Gaby! The next best option for the almond flour would be cashew flour. Or if nut-free, you can try subbing the almond flour for GF flour blend, but we’d suggest starting with less since it’s more absorbent. Hope that helps!
Gaby says
If I don’t need to be gluten free, is it possible to use just regular all purpose?
Yes!
victoria says
can I replace the acquafaba for 1/4 egg whites?
Hi Victoria, yes, that should work! Or you could even sub 1 large or 2 small eggs for less hassle. Hope that helps!
Michelle says
These are sooo good and super easy and quick to whip up! I used two eggs instead of aquafaba as I am not vegan. Excited to try more of your recipes.
Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Michelle! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Lulu says
These are AMAZING! I made some adjustments because I can’t eat coconut or oil. Which means:
1° I replaced the 1/4 cup shredded coconut with some grounded hazelnuts,
2° I replaced the 3tbsp coconut oil with some more almond butter (I doubled the quantity of almond butter),
3° just for my taste… I added more vegan dark chocolate (1/3 cup instead of 1/4), and a tsp of cocoa powder.
I made 20 little cookies, cooked them for 17min, and they are just SOOOO perfect. I will make them again very, very soon (just ate 4 of them, I need to make more!). Thanks for such great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lulu! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Teryn says
Im obsessed! so healthy and delicious! I substituted two eggs for the aquafaba but 1 would probably have been fine. It was absolutely delicious I used guittard chocolate chips to avoid cane sugar!
Yay! Thanks so much for the wonderful review and for sharing your modifications, Teryn!
Celia says
I’ve made this recipe 5 times now. A win every time.
Amazing! Thanks so much, Celia!
Marina says
Delicious! I made subbed in olive oil instead of coconut (it was what I had on hand!), tahini instead of almond butter, and craisins instead of chocolate chips. They came out like a traditional “oatmeal raisin” cookie. Super simple and fast recipe.
I also “whip” the aquafaba in my blender. Does the job! Thanks for another amazing, simple, healthy recipe Dana!
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Marina!
SNL says
I made these cookies a while ago but forgot to comment at the time. I wanted an almond and cherry cookie with real almond flavour, so using a GF recipe made the most sense in theory (I’m not GF/DF/Vegan etc. and have limited experience with paleo flours), but I had to comment because they were just as good as gluten included, you’d never know! I kept the batch in a Tupperware container and me and my Mum ate 2 every day till they were gone lol. I found the texture crispy, soft and chewy on day 1, and soft and chewy (with better flavour) on day 2.
My modifications:
– To the main batch, I used the metric value, and used 100% almond meal – I ground whole almonds in my spice grinder to get flour (over almond bits in the food processor lol). To the remaining cookie batter, I added 1tsp or more of almond meal so it “cleaned the sides of the bowl” like making bread dough for a visual. I wanted to know if a ‘drier dough’ made a different texture and it didn’t, which is good to know if I’m short of almond meal.
– I used the metric value of oats.
– I swapped desiccated coconut for 2/3 whole oats and 1/3 almond meal (as well as the almond meal and oats called for already).
– I swapped brown sugar for golden caster sugar (raw sugar in the US?) for “white sugar with flavour” (1:1 sub and found it sweet enough to suit my sweet tooth)
– Kept salt, baking powder, almond butter the same
– Swapped chocolate for 3/4 cup/93g chopped and roasted almonds and 1/2 cup/75g dried morello cherries, soaked in warm water after measuring for plump fruit
– Swapped aquafaba for 1 UK medium/US large chicken egg and 1 egg yolk (a reader stated that you need the egg yolk for extra binder and I worked going to take any chances!)
– Swapped coconut oil for 1/4 cup/55g melted unsalted butter (same amount of fat)
– Lastly I doubled the vanilla extract and added 1/8tsp heaped almond extract (almond extract wasn’t overpowering)
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications!