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Our soft, chewy, and healthy gluten-free oatmeal cookies made with natural ingredients. Quick, easy, and perfect for snacks, desserts, or a guilt-free indulgence!
Table of Contents
- Cookies with Benefits
- Why You’ll Love These Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
- Quick and Simple Cookie Ingredients
- How to Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
- Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Cookie
- Substitutions or Additions to Try
- Reviews About These Cookies
- Questions About Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
- Storing and Freezing Cookies
- More Healthy Recipes
- Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Cookies with Benefits
Hey there, cookie lovers! Let me introduce you to my all-time favorite treat: gluten-free oatmeal cookies that are both delicious and nutritious. These cookies are so good, you’ll forget they’re actually healthy. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, this recipe is foolproof and packed with wholesome ingredients that you likely already have at home. Plus, they’re naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and a guilt-free option for satisfying your sweet tooth. Get ready to fill your kitchen with the warm, comforting aroma of freshly baked oatmeal cookies that are perfect for any time of day.
Why You’ll Love These Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Imagine biting into a soft, chewy oatmeal cookie that’s packed with natural sweetness and wholesome ingredients. These cookies are:
- Easy to Make: No fancy steps or special tools required.
- Naturally Sweetened: Thanks to bananas and applesauce, there’s no need for added sugar.
- Perfect for All Occasions: Whether it’s a midday snack or a post-dinner treat, these cookies fit the bill.
- Gluten-Free: Made without flour, these cookies are perfect for those avoiding gluten.
Quick and Simple Cookie Ingredients
You probably already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bananas: Use ripe, brown-spotted bananas for natural sweetness.
- Applesauce: Keeps the cookies soft and moist.
- Rolled Oats: Old-fashioned oats work best for that perfect chewy texture.
- Milk: Adds moisture and helps the cookies brown beautifully.
- Vanilla Extract: A dash of flavor to elevate your cookies.
- Cinnamon: For a warm, cozy hint of spice.
- Raisins: Add a fruity twist (or swap for chocolate chips if you’re feeling indulgent).
How to Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
Ready to bake? Let’s get started:
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Mix It Up: In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Stir in the applesauce, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add the rolled oats and raisins, mixing until combined.
- Shape and Bake: Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop the dough onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden.
- Cool and Enjoy: Let the cookies cool on a wire rack (if you can wait that long!) and enjoy them warm or at room temperature.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Cookie
- Prepared baking sheets – Place parchment paper or silicon mats on your baking sheets when placing your cookie dough on them. This will help them bake evenly as well as slide off easily.
- Cookie scoop – I like to use a medium cookie scoop to make sure that all my cookies are evenly baking together in the oven.
- Cooling racks – Once the cookies are baked, place them on a wire rack to finish cooling. This helps the bottoms to stay soft and chewy.
- Store Smart: Keep cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Substitutions or Additions to Try
- Chocolate chips – Not quite as healthy, but substituting chocolate chips for raisins does make these even better. Use milk, and dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
- Nuts – If you love nuts and the extra texture in your cookies, add chopped walnuts to the cookies.
- More mix ins – You can toss in dried fruit, shredded coconut, or even a sprinkle of flax or chia seeds for an extra nutritional boost.
Reviews About These Cookies
“These are my favorite more healthy treat. I’ve made them several times and never had an issue with the recipe… thank you for this!! Everyone in my family loves them as well. Just made a batch tonight and already ate two 🙂”
-Tailor
Questions About Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
These cookies skip the butter, sugar, and flour, relying on natural ingredients like bananas and applesauce for sweetness and texture. By avoiding refined sugar and unhealthy fats, these cookies provide a cleaner and more wholesome treat option.
Absolutely! Rolled oats work wonderfully in this recipe and give the cookies a great chewy texture. If you have quick oats and prefer a finer consistency, you can pulse rolled oats in a blender or food processor before using them.
Place a slice of bread in the airtight container with your cookies. The moisture from the bread will soften them up within a few hours. Alternatively, you can microwave the cookies for a few seconds to regain some softness. Use gluten-free bread if you are wanting to keep the cookies free of gluten.
To make the cookies vegan, simply use a non-dairy milk such as almond, soy, or oat milk. The rest of the ingredients are already plant-based, so it’s an easy switch!
Yes! These cookies are a fantastic snack for kids. They’re naturally sweet, easy to chew, and packed with wholesome ingredients. Plus, kids love helping mix the dough and shape the cookies.
Storing and Freezing Cookies
To keep your cookies fresh:
Freeze: Place cookies on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months.
Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
More Healthy Recipes
This recipe for healthy oatmeal cookies is one of many of our light recipes. We have several breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and even dessert ideas! Looking for more wholesome treats? Check out these recipes:
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Baked Oats Recipe
- Homemade Granola Bars
- Baked Pears
- Chocolate Covered Bananas
- Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- Fiber Crunchies
- Chocolate Protein Balls
- More Light and Tasty Recipes
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 3 bananas
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 2 cup oats
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raisins or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and mash bananas in a large mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined and the consistency of cookie dough.
- Use a cookie scoop or drop by rounded tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes.
- Cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
How to Store and Freeze Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
- These cookies will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week.
- To freeze, place the cookies on a baking sheet in the freezer until they are frozen. Remove from the baking sheet and place in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for three months.
Nutrition Information
Now it’s your turn to give these gluten-free oatmeal cookies a try. Trust me, your taste buds (and your body) will thank you. These cookies are perfect for sharing with family and friends or keeping all to yourself (no judgment here!). Whether you’re enjoying them with a cup of cold milk, packing them in a lunchbox, or grabbing one on the go, they’re sure to become a favorite. Don’t forget to share your creations and let me know how they turned out! ❤️
I doubled the recipe. I adding 1 and 1/3 cups of cinnamon flavored apple sauce, to make up for only having 2 bananas. I replaced the milk with Greek yogurt. I added 1 cup of pecans and 1/4 cup of cinnamon chips. Also added 1 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. Baking soda.
They are very yummy!! Thanks for the great ideas!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing how you doubled the recipe with success. Great add in ideas too!
To get the batter the consistency of cookie dough I had to add one additional cup of oats and extra chocolate chips. I cooked for 16 minutes but disappointed with the taste – very chewy and airy – my son will not eat them at all. I froze the cookies to remove the “airyness” this helped a bit. In hind sight I think I should have cooked for 20 minutes and take the tip about adding honey.
My kids are 16 and 8 and both are huge fans!! Amazing recipe for all ages. Totally delicious. I used dark chocolate chips which added really nice flavor and keeps the sugar a bit lower. 100% would recommend.
I made this with steel cut oats, I used dark chocolate chips and added flax seeds (about 2 tsp) and a little salt. I made 20 cookies in the batch and they turned out hearty and delicious. Had to bake a bit longer, like 30 minutes.
Kept in the fridge and this morning had 4 with a nice cup of coffee for breakfast 🙂 Next go around, I think I will add raisins as well to make just a tad sweeter and maybe some chopped toasted almonds.
Could you use quick cooking steel cut oats to make them even healthier? Or is the texture or cooking time too much different?
I think you should be ok with the cooking times. Much more time will make them too dry. If you try it, let us know how they turn out!
These are my favorite more healthy treat. I’ve made them several times and never had an issue with the recipe… thank you for this!! Everyone in my family loves them as well. Just made a batch tonight and already ate two 🙂
I’ve read the comments & I’m going to give them a try. I decided on chocolate covered raisins, a little “sinful” never hurt anyone!
I love the idea of chocolate covered raisins! YUM! Definitely doing that next time.
I made these for dessert last night since we had guests. Everyone seemed to like them. Once I got past the non-traditional cookie texture, I loved them. My 9 month old ate one (without chocolate chips) and yelled until I gave him another. However, I used rolled oats. It seemed like more of a granola bar. I’m going to try pulsing the oats in my blender once or twice when I make them again. Very good!
Great idea to process the oats! I am definitely going to try that next time. So glad you liked them!
These are yummy! I made them for the first time tonight. I used raisins and chocolate chips. My otherwise picky, about healthy things, brother actually loved them. I couldn’t be happier.