Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

If you have toddlers, you know that calling something a cookie makes them approximately 17,000x more likely to eat it. And so, Healthy Oatmeal Cookies were born. These are perfect for quick, low ingredient snacks that still taste good enough to trick your kids. This is basically just baked oatmeal in cookie form. It’s the perfect cookie for grab-and-go breakfasts or after school snacks.

For more delicious vegan cookies, try these Gluten-Free Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Cookies, Classic Vegan Oatmeal Raising, or Sweet Potato Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

• One bowl prep – Just dump the ingredients and mix!
• Easily customized – Change up the seed or throw in some dried fruit or chocolate chips, whatever you like!
• Simple ingredients – No added sugar, no butter – just basic ingredients you can easily find in the grocery store (or your pantry)!

Ingredients 

Dry Ingredients

• Oats – Use Old fashioned oats or quick oats, steel cut will not work in this recipe. Make sure to choose gluten-free oats variety if needed.
• Flaxseed – This acts as the egg to hold the cookies together nicely.
• Chia seeds – Any seed, or nut for that matter, works here.
• Cinnamon – Feel free to add more or less to your liking.
• Dried blueberries – You can use any dried fruit that you like.

Wet Ingredients

• Bananas – I’ve used bananas in any stage of ripeness for this recipe. It’s a great way to use up bananas that are going to go bad, but I like the taste of a fresher banana.
• Dairy-free milk – You can use any plant milk you like. Make sure to stick with an unsweetened variety if you are looking to limit the sugar.

• Optional additions: Vanilla extract, dried fruit, chopped nuts, hemp seeds, or pumpkin seeds. 

Helpful Equipment

In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:

• Large bowl
• Large cookie sheet
• Parchment paper
• Cookie scoop (optional)

How to Make Healthy Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by mashing your bananas in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Next, add in the oats, and the remaining dry ingredients including the dried blueberries. Add in the dairy-free milk and mix again. Let set for 5 minutes to allow the flaxseed to absorb the liquid and act as a flax egg. Continue mixing until the ingredients appear evenly distributed. 

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each cookie and shape them to the desired size. These cookies will not spread or change shape, so make sure to shape them how you’d like the final product to look. 

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden brown. This recipe makes about 12 medium-sized cookies, but if you are making smaller cookies, note that the bake time will likely be less.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet or a cooling rack. That’s it! Enjoy!

Variations

• Add 1 tbsp brown sugar, coconut sugar, or pure maple syrup for some extra sweetness.
• Swap 1 tbsp flaxseed for 1 tbsp nut butter like almond butter or peanut butter.
• Add vegan chocolate chips to make these vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies instead of dried fruit. 
• If you are looking to add some healthy fats into your picky eater’s diet, you can add 1-2 tbsp melted vegan butter in place of equal parts non-dairy milk.

How to Store

• Room Temperature: These cookies will store in an airtight container at room temperature for up 3 days
• Fridge: Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Freezer: You can also freeze the fully baked cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container!

More Tips

• Not Vegan? Use one egg in place of 1 tbsp flaxseed, use regular milk instead of plant milk.
• Gluten Free? Make sure to select a certified gluten-free oat variety.
• Nut free? Select a plant milk that is not made from nuts.
• Optional Add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, etc.

FAQ