These Small Batch Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies are made without refined sugars, dairy, or gluten. They’re a healthy take on classic oatmeal cookies and the perfect treat to enjoy for breakfast, snacks, and dessert!
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⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Bake up a wholesome batch of these Small Batch Oatmeal Sugar Free Cookies and snack on one (or a handful) for dessert, breakfast, an afternoon snack, and more! They’re easy to make with simple gluten free, dairy free, and oil free ingredients.
Instead of sugar, these oatmeal cookies are naturally sweetened with honey and maple syrup, making them entirely refined sugar free in case you're watching your sugar intake.
Rolled oats and gluten free almond flour work together to create nicely crisped edges while almond butter adds rich flavors and moisture. Who knew oatmeal cookies without butter could be so soft and chewy?
This recipe, along with my Small Batch Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, makes the perfect amount of cookies for a two-person household, although you can easily double or triple the quantities as you like. Besides, who could ever pass up a handful of decadent, yet healthy oatmeal cookies to satisfy your cookie cravings?!
🍴Ingredients
- Rolled oats - AKA old-fashioned oats. These are the go-to for most chewy oatmeal cookie recipes. Quick oats work in a pinch, but your cookies won’t be quite as tender and chewy. Remember: not all oats are gluten free. Check the package first to make sure they’re certified gluten free!
- Almond flour - It’s rich in nutrients and has a naturally rustic, nutty flavor. If you don’t have almond flour, a 1:1 gluten free baking flour or all purpose flour should work instead.
- Almond butter - Or use any smooth, spreadable nut butter. Peanut butter, cashew butter, and sunflower seed butter are all great options. Chocolate hazelnut spread works too!
- Maple syrup and honey - This duo of natural sweeteners enriches the chewy cookies with vibrant, warm, and cozy flavors. If you don’t have honey or want to make vegan oatmeal cookies, omit the honey and double the maple syrup.
- Dried fruit and nuts - Anything goes! Try it with dried strawberries, prunes, apricots, dates, raisins, or blueberries, and pair the fruit with crunchy nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
📖 Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk the almond butter, maple syrup, honey, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl.
Step 2: Make the cookie dough. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix to form a thick, sturdy cookie dough. Finish by folding in the dried fruits and nuts.
Step 3: Form the cookie dough balls. With a cookie scoop or your hands, roll small pieces of dough into balls and place them on a parchment paper lined prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt.
Step 4: Bake, cool, and enjoy. Bake the cookies until the edges begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack or cooling rack, let them cool for a few minutes, then enjoy these homemade oatmeal cookies!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Chop the dried fruit - For consistency in each cookie, chop all of the dried fruits until each piece is about the size of a raisin.
- Soak dried fruit - This is optional, but soaking your dried fruit of choice in hot water for at least 20 minutes before adding it to the cookie dough will make it softer and juicier.
- The cookie dough should be thick and sticky - If you’re using your hands to roll the cookie dough balls, wet them with water so the dough doesn’t stick before placing on a cookie sheet.
⏲️ Substitutions & Variations
Wondering what else you can add to your healthy oatmeal cookies? In addition to dried fruit and nuts, try upgrading your cookies with any of these ingredients:
- Chia seeds
- Pepitas or pumpkin seeds
- Flax seeds
- Cacao nibs
- Dark chocolate chips for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
- Coconut flakes
- Toffee bits
- Cinnamon
- White chocolate
- Macadamia nuts
- Candied ginger
💭 Recipe FAQs
Usually, I’d recommend chilling the cookie dough in the fridge to solidify the butter and prevent the cookies from spreading while baking. That step isn't necessary for these cookies because the almond butter won’t melt and spread as quickly as butter.
Yes! Make the dough as normal, then roll it into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Set the sheet in the freezer until the dough balls are frozen, then transfer each cookie dough ball to a freezer-safe bag. You'll have a sweet treat to bake the next time a craving strikes!
Yes, the frozen dough can be baked right from frozen. All you need to do is add a few minutes to the baking time.
Looking for more cookies to add to your cookie freezer stash? Here are some options to consider!
Key Lime Cookies
Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy Molasses Cookies
To store: Store the baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Let them cool, then place the cookies in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Looking for more delicious cookie recipes?
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Small Batch Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rolled oats
- ½ cup Almond flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ cup Almond butter
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ cup Chopped dried fruit and nuts of your choice, strawberries, prunes, apricots, dates, blueberries, pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the rolled oats, almond flour, baking soda, and salt.1 cup Rolled oats, ½ cup Almond flour, ½ teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- Add the almond butter, maple syrup, honey, and vanilla into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.½ cup Almond butter, 2 tablespoon Maple syrup, 2 tablespoon Honey, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Pour over the dry ingredients and mix to form a rather thick dough.
- Fold in the dried fruit and seeds.½ cup Chopped dried fruit and nuts of your choice, strawberries, prunes, apricots, dates, blueberries, pumpkin seeds
- Scoop the dough into balls or roll by hand. If using clean hands, get them slightly wet so that the dough doesn't stick as easily!
- Arrange cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, allowing two inches between each cookie and sprinkle with flakey sea salt. For a flatter, less tall cookie press the dough down gently before baking.
- Bake for 10 minutes, watching for the edge to start to brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before enjoying!
Notes
- Do you need to chill the cookie dough? Usually, I’d recommend chilling the cookie dough in the fridge to solidify the butter and prevent the cookies from spreading while baking. That step isn't necessary for these cookies because the almond butter won’t melt and spread as quickly as butter.
- Can you freeze the raw oatmeal cookies? Yes! Make the dough as normal, then roll it into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Set the sheet in the freezer until the dough balls are frozen, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag.
- Can you bake frozen oatmeal cookie dough? Yes, the frozen dough can be baked right from frozen. All you need to do is add a few minutes to the baking time.
Gail
Emily!!! These cookies….! I make them all the time and love the texture and flavors. Sometimes I experiment with different nut butters, dried fruits and nuts. I’ve tried many recipes for a healthier, guilt-free cookie and this one is by far the BEST - and so easy to whip up a quick batch when the cravings hit. 🙂
Emily Laurae
Oh I love this Gail! So glad you're enjoying this recipe - its one of my favorites as well. And absolutely perfect for experimenting with!! ❤️