If you’ve been looking for the consummate healthy cookie recipe, this is it! These thick, chewy, and goodie-packed low calorie Oatmeal Cookies are made from wholesome ingredients, yet they taste like a true treat!
Soft, chewy, and made with whole grains and a slew of chunky mix-ins, these are the best healthy cookies you’ll ever bake.
I highly recommend them for all of your sweet treat and pick-me-up snack moments.
While I am all for the full-on indulgence of a regular oatmeal cookie every now and then (these perfect classic Oatmeal Cookies are my favorite recipe), it’s nice to have a trusted collection of healthy desserts on hand for when you need them.
These nutritious oatmeal cookies are one of the most popular healthy cookie recipes online and have become a tried-and-true reader favorite.
They’re great anytime you need healthy cookies for kids, are trying to lose weight but don’t want to give up cookies (I hear you!), or you just want to feel a little bit better reaching for that second (or third) cookie.
Plus, they taste absolutely scrumptious!
Secrets to Baking the Best Healthy Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
It doesn’t get much more delightfully old school than an old fashioned oatmeal cookie.
Thus, it feels especially appropriate that I used one of the oldest healthy baking tricks in the book when developing the recipe: applesauce.
- Replacing half the usual amount of butter with applesauce still keeps the oatmeal cookies plenty moist, without the need for extra fat.
Next, I wanted to see if I could sweeten the healthy oatmeal cookies without sugar. Honey did the trick!
- In addition to being a more wholesome alternative, honey’s homey, comforting flavor is a classic and lovely combination with the oatmeal.
Oatmeal Cookie Mix-Ins
Now, we need to talk about one of the more divisive oatmeal cookie topics: raisins.
I know that a healthy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe would have been the *most* traditional route, but I simply could not do it.
Far better is a healthy oatmeal raisin cookie WITH CHOCOLATE.
I love my oatmeal cookies fully loaded, which is why to go along with the raisins, you’ll find melty dark chocolate chips and chunky toasted nuts too.
I adore the overall effect the range of mix-ins gives these healthy oatmeal cookies.
We have the crunch and warmth of the nuts and the sweet chew of the raisins, and I don’t think I need to tell you that if you stack an oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips next to an oatmeal cookie without, one of them is going to be the clear crowd favorite.
Recipe Adaptations
- Do not swap all of the fat in this recipe for applesauce. The modest amount of butter is key to the healthy oatmeal cookies’ texture and keeps the cookies from being excessively cakey.
- If you’d like the healthy oatmeal cookies vegan, you can swap said butter for a vegan butter substitute (my recommendation for that buttah flava) or coconut oil. Use maple syrup in place of the honey.
- For healthy oatmeal cookies banana edition, don’t miss my Banana Oatmeal Cookies, this recipe’s different but equally delicious cousin.
- If you are seeking healthy oatmeal cookies no flour (meaning no wheat flour in order to make the cookies gluten free), I’d suggest using a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend like this one in place of the wheat flour. Make sure your oats are certified GF also.
- For healthy oatmeal peanut butter cookies, you can bake Monster Cookies, which have a peanut butter oatmeal cookie base, but use raisins, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts for the mix-ins instead. Or, try these Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. YUM!
- For oatmeal cookies with a festive twist, try these Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, Apple Oatmeal Cookies, or Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies.
How to Freeze These Cookies
- Tthese healthy oatmeal cookies are highly freezer friendly.
- If you anticipate craving cookies in the future (who doesn’t?), you can either double the recipe and freeze half or bake only the oatmeal cookies you think you’ll eat in the next day or two right away, then freeze the remaining dough for fresh-baked healthy oatmeal cookies on demand.
^^Between you and me, I can’t believe that I actually had enough self control to freeze some of the dough versus baking and eating every single cookie immediately, but I am certainly happy that I did!
Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups quick oats
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup well chopped raw walnuts or pecans (in this recipe, we usually go for pecans, but both are delicious) or an additional 2 tablespoons chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, combine the applesauce, butter, egg, vanilla, and honey. Whisk until blended. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. The dough will be wet and sticky. Fold in the chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts. Place in the refrigerator and let chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- When ready to bake, place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Remove the dough from the refrigerator (if it is very stiff, you may need to let it sit out for 5 to 10 minutes). With a cookie scoop or spoon, drop the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and arrange on the baking sheet, leaving 1 inch of space around each. With your fingers, gently flatten each cookie to be about 3/4-inch thick.
- Bake until the cookies are golden and firm around the edges and set on top, about 9 to 10 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Leftover cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- I recommend quick oats for this recipe, as they yield a more tender cookie. You can use regular rolled oats, but they will have a heartier consistency.
- To make gluten free: you can experiment with oat flour (I haven’t tried this yet, but I would suggest swapping 1 1/4 cups oat flour for the white whole wheat flour) or use a 1:1 GF baking blend instead of the wheat flour.
- To make vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey. For the egg: I haven’t tried this with a flax egg instead of the regular egg yet, but I’d love to hear how it goes if sometime does play around!
Nutrition
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I volunteer at a local teen center and made these today for my kids. They loved them and I loved that I was treating them to a healthy snack!! ♥️ Thank you!!
Hi Carol! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind review!
I really like these cookies! I added a pinch of Allspice for a “oh what the heck…why not” and I don’t know if that made much of a difference, but i love these and feel like they are a healthier treat that is very tasty! Thanks for the recipe. Its a keeper for me. I only waited the 30 minute chill process and I thought they came out great.
Hi Genny! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind review!
Does old fashioned oats ruin the recipe?
Hi Ann, I recommend quick oats here because they give the cookies a softer, chewier texture. If you don’t mind them being heartier and the oats tasting “harder”, then you can use rolled.
Love that they’re healthier than most recipes but they aren’t chewy and had very little flavor. Maybe, as someone else mentioned, I should tweak the salt??
I’m sorry this recipe wasn’t to your tastes, Erin. I (and many other readers) have truly enjoyed it, so I wish you would’ve too!
These have a very cakey texture. As expected they are not as delicious as a regular oatmeal cookie, but that’s the trade off when you are trying to have a “healthy” dessert! I found the applesauce and honey to be very overpowering flavour-wise. The cookies were actually very sweet – not sure if you could reduce the amount of honey?
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Gabrielle. The method, ingredients, and timing have worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!
I used half honey and half dark molasses —I also added allspice these cookies are the bomb and healthy to boot
Hi Margi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Would you be able to make these cookies with a cookie cutter? Thanks for your help!
Donna
Hi Donna! No, these cookies wouldn’t work with a cookie cutter! Hope you give them a try!
I gave this four stars because I think it has potential. followed the recipe exactly except for the flour. I didn’t have whole wheat flower on hand so I subbed all pupose. I found that the cooking time indicated was insufficient and ended up doubling it to 18 minutes to get a brown color. Unfortunately the middle of the cookies seemed slightly undercooked and had a raw flour taste.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Luke. The method and timing has worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!
Reason for the rimmed baking sheet? Would a flat cookie sheet work just as well?
Hi Dori! No reason, it’s just how I described the pan I was using. A flat one should work. Hope you enjoy it!
Really good, I might add chia seeds or flax seeds too. My husband liked them as well.
Hi Andrea! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can I swap out White Lily flour for white wheat flour?
Hi Becky! My guess is yes, I just having used that particular brand in these cookies before. If you try it out, I’d love to know how it goes!
I used regular flour cuz its all I had. I used cinnamon applesauce, dates and pecans. The flavor was delicious. They didnt spread when cooked. They stayed thick like the spoonfuls I put on the pan. They seemed a bit dry, cake-like. Im unsure why.
Hi Laura! It’s hard to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. These cookies don’t spread. Did you flatten them out after you dropped them on the cookie sheet. You might need to reduce the baking time some!
Didn’t have applesauce and increased the recipe to 36 cookies. So, I used a very ripe medium sized banana. Yum!!
Hi Kim! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
These are my husbands and my go to cookies now. I’ve made the recipe exactly as written, and they are delicious. I’ve started substituting half of the whole wheat flour with almond flour. I also sub the melted butter with olive oil or coconut oil. Occasionally I’ll eliminate the chocolate chips and raisins, and add diced apples to make a version of Apple pie cookies. All delicious.
Hi Jim! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Almost no flavor, two stars for the chocolate chips though
I’m sorry to hear that it wasn’t to your taste, Sara. The recipe has worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!
Thanks Erin…We are trying so hard to eat healthy..and it can be difficult with a busy schedule!!
You’re welcome J! Hope you enjoyed them!
They were a little dry so I don’t know what u could add to moisten them up bit, I don’t know if an egg would mess up the recipe…would have to experiment. I chopped raisins, causing and walnuts into mine which was very helpful for the sweetness factor….
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, D.K. The recipe has worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!
Great alternative to traditional. I substituted a banana for the applesauce , substituted 1/2 maple syrup 1/2 molasses for the honey, and I used coconut oil instead of butter. Added raisins and shredded coconut, did not cool dough in fridge as suggested and baked 14 minutes instead of 10. Made substitutes based on what I had on hand. Cookies are delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Glad it worked out for you t. lewis!