These healthy almond flour and oatmeal cookies are soft baked to perfection thanks to almond butter, which gives them a lovely chew, and whole rolled oats. They have less sugar and more fiber than regular gluten-free oatmeal cookies and are also dairy-free. You can use raisins or chocolate!
I’ve tried many versions of “healthy” oatmeal cookies over the years—especially during the writing of my book, The Wellness Project—but none came close to my childhood favorites until I tried Liz Moody’s version. True to its name—The Best Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie—the recipe from her book Healthier Together proved to be a total winner.
I think the secret to her formula is using almond butter in the batter to add heft to the cookies, keeping them gooey and soft, even with the absence of flour. Thanks to the almond flour and whole rolled oats, they are naturally gluten-free, airy and light without feeling overly sanctimonious. The healthy fat helps them stay satisfying.
I love making the dough for these almond flour and oatmeal cookies in advance and either freezing the balls for months down the line or scooping the dough from the fridge for one or two fresh cookies after a meal.
I’ve tweaked Liz’s original recipe to be scaled up for a full batch (1 dozen cookies) that uses less sugar and adds cinnamon and raisins for a more classic gluten-free oatmeal cookie.
5 STAR READER REVIEW
“I have searched and tried MANY different “healthy” oatmeal cookies. This recipe is THE BEST! These are the points I considered: 1. Flavor 2. Amount of Sugar 3. Gluten-free 4. Ease of recipe. I used coconut sugar when I made this recipe (I’ve baked these 3 different times already). I consider these cookies low in sugar because each time I made them, the recipe yielded 24 cookies. Most importantly, the flavor was amazing…It didn’t taste healthy at all lol. These cookies are a win, win!”
—Judy
What Makes This Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Healthy?
As I always say, making something “healthy” really boils down to your individual physiology. And, more importantly, weighing what rules are actually worth your time, money, and energy.
My own personal definition of healthy hedonism, which I’ve written about in my cookbooks, most definitely involves having a side of French fries with my meal, and it has always skewed towards enjoying a healthy oatmeal cookie at the end of it.
From a more objective data perspective, both of these things are totally viable thanks to what we know about blood sugar science (I discuss this in more depth in my new book Carbivore!).
When we enjoy an almond flour oatmeal cookie at the end of the meal instead of as a snack on an empty stomach, the fat, fiber and protein from our dinner prevents the sugar and simple carbs in our cookies from hitting our bloodstream like a bomb.
These cookies also have built in fiber, fat and protein in the form of almond flour, almond butter, whole nuts, and coconut oil. They use whole rolled oats instead of quick cooking oats, which get broken down into simple sugars faster. (Making steel cut oat cookies is even better!)
And lastly, they have less sugar—about half of the usual quantity in your average gluten-free oatmeal cookie recipe. If you want to go ever lower, check out this sugar-free granola recipe.
Making Almond Flour and Oatmeal Cookies – Step by Step
Using Almond Flour in Oatmeal Cookies
Almond flour is a great low carb alternative to other gluten-free flours. Though I don’t exclusively bake with it, I love upping the fiber content of my baked goods by swapping roughly half the gluten-free flour blend for almond flour or meal. If you love the flavor too, dog-ear my gluten-free frangipan tart for later.
Almond flour works especially well in oatmeal cookies, adding a lightness and nutty flavor to the natural texture of the oats. In this dairy-free oatmeal cookie recipe, you don’t need any other flour! Almond does the whole job.
Using Less Sugar – What Type is Best?
Contrary to popular belief, most “natural” sugar options are no better for your hormone health than table sugar (worse if you’re agave!). Coconut sugar tends to be slightly “healthier” because it is low in fructose, but I don’t find it works well in all baked goods. It has a more granular texture and doesn’t add that gooey quality you might get from brown sugar, maple syrup or honey.
For cookies, especially ones with a cinnamon spice to them, I like to use regular brown or light brown sugar and just add less of it. If you find that your brown sugar is rock hard, the best hack is to grate it over the bowl! It’s quick and painless.
Raisins vs Chocolate in Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Dried fruit is a sleeper ingredient that you have to watch out for when you’re looking to make low sugar oatmeal cookies. But I can’t help but embrace the classics. I use less raisins than the average almond flour and oatmeal recipe here.
If you rehydrate them with hot water and drain them thoroughly, the raisins will be plumper and stretch further.
Sometimes the low sugar option is to simply use high quality (70 percent cacao) dark chocolate! If you prefer this as a mix-in, go for it. Chocolate is also wonderfully complimented by chopped walnuts or pecans.
Are these Low Sugar Oatmeal Cookies Low FODMAP?
Oats are naturally low FODMAP, which is why this low FODMAP oatmeal is one of my favorite low FODMAP breakfasts.
However, both raisins and almond flour are medium FODMAP foods, which means you need to be conscious of your quantities. But if you stick to a one cookie serving, this almond flour and oatmeal cookie recipe will work for you!
Chocolate is a safer bet as a mix-in if you want to eat more than that. But in these quantities, you will be fine having one cookie with either.
Other healthy gluten-free cookie recipes:
- Low Sugar Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Paleo Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies
- Chewy Gluten-Free Ginger Cookies
- Gluten-Free Healthy Oatmeal Bites
Read on for these soft baked deliciously dairy-free low sugar oatmeal cookies!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Low Sugar Oatmeal Cookies with Almond Flour
Ingredients
- ¾ cup almond butter
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil solid at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup whole rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons raisins soaked in hot water, then drained; or ¼ cup finely chopped dark chocolate (see headnote)
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts almonds or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the almond butter, eggs, coconut oil and vanilla until smooth. Add the sugar and mix until well-incorporated.
- Stir in the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon (if using) and sea salt until just combined.
- Fold in the oats, raisins or chocolate, and chopped nuts (if using).
- Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes, or covered overnight. (Note: if baking your cookies later, once cool, the dough can be portioned into balls and stored in the fridge for up to a week).
- When ready to bake, scoop the batter using a medium cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon on the sheet pans, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. You should have 6 cookies on each sheet.
- Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven (top rack, if you have to choose) for about 8 minutes, until the edges are turning golden brown and the top is just set – it will still look a little gooey and raw.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy warm, or allow to cool until room temperature and store in an airtight container for later.
rou says
Can you use maple syrup instead of sugar?
Phoebe Lapine says
I haven’t tried it this way, but I tend to think liquid sweeteners don’t work as well in cookies. Too loose a texture. But report back if you try!
Wendy says
Would these be allowed on a sibo diet?
Phoebe Lapine says
There is no one diet for sibo. They are low fodmap. Many people try to limit sugar while treating sibo. It really depends on your approach.
Judy says
I have searched and tried MANY different “healthy” oatmeal cookies. This recipe is THE BEST! These are the points I considered: 1. Flavor 2. Amount of Sugar 3. Gluten-free 4. Ease of recipe. I used coconut sugar when I made this recipe (I’ve baked these 3 different times already). I consider these cookies low in sugar because each time I made them, the recipe yielded 24 cookies. Most importantly, the flavor was amazing…It didn’t taste healthy at all lol. These cookies are a win, win!
Phoebe Lapine says
Such great feedback!! Thrilled you loved them!
E.S. says
I made these today but No Almond flour and I used Peanut Better I know these will turn out good..have in refrigerator now..easy recipe so I saw it and made it..Thank You..God Bless
Phoebe Lapine says
hope they turned out well!
Barbara says
Do you have nutrition facts per cookie or serving size?
Just made a batch, waiting to cool
Barbara says
Can steel-cut oats, pre-cooked for 15 minutes, be substituted for the rolled oats? If so, would it be an equal amount, i.e. 3/4 cup dry measure of uncooked steel-cut. Thank you.
Phoebe Lapine says
I would use my steel cut oat cookie recipe instead: https://feedmephoebe.com/steel-cut-oat-cookies-with-chocolate-chunks/
Barbara says
Can the recipe be doubled? tripled? 4x? Thank you.
Phoebe Lapine says
definitely!
Molly says
These are delicious! So soft and flavorful. It’s hard to find a good gluten and dairy free cookie recipe, I’m so glad I found this one! No notes!
Phoebe Lapine says
so glad you enjoyed!