These oatmeal cookies are super fuss free and whip together in just minutes– you only need the one bowl and there’s no need to melt any butter because we’re using oil instead!
Made with rolled oats and wholemeal flour, together with your favourite nuts and dried fruit, they make a filling, sweet-tooth-satisfying snack. They’re perfect when you need a sweet treat quick, or even for a sneaky breakfast on the run.
These oatmeal cookies are also super adaptable to whatever you have on hand, or whatever you fancy that day! My favourite add-in combination is date, walnut and coconut (which is what I have shown here and in the recipe below), but you could sub in almost any dried fruit or nut you prefer, or even chocolate chips!
Below are a few suggestions to help you make your perfect oatmeal cookie to your taste and/or diet!
Oatmeal Cookie Substitutions
Vegan
Make these vegan by substituting a flax egg for a real one (see note 2 in the recipe card for instructions) and by using an alternative sweetener to honey- maple syrup, golden syrup or rice malt syrup would all work.
Oils
Substitute olive oil for coconut oil (which will give you a slight coconut flavour), or use any neutral flavoured oil. I prefer to use refined olive oil instead of extra virgin, mainly due to the taste of the latter, which is a bit strong in these cookies.
Sweetness
Adjust the sweetness by reducing or increasing the amount of brown sugar and/or liquid sweetener of choice (i.e. honey/maple syrup), but I would suggest decreasing the brown sugar first as the liquid sweetener plays a role in binding the other ingredients together.
Add-ins
Here are a few suggestions which you can mix and match:
- Raisins
- Cranberries
- Almonds
- Chocolate chips
- Coconut chips
- Pepitas and sunflower seeds
Let us know in the comments below how you go if you do try something different!
Quick and Easy Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons / Measuring Scale
- Spatula or Wooden Spoon
- Knife and Chopping Board
- Lined Baking Trays
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup / 120 ml olive oil (see note 1)
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup / 45 g brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 egg (or flax egg if vegan- see note 2)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups / 160 g rolled oats
- 1/2 cup / 70 g wholemeal flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Add-ins (see note 2)
- 1/2 cup dates roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C / 350°F fan) and line two baking trays with baking/parchment paper.
- Roughly chop your add-in ingredients if they are not already pre-chopped or come in small chunk sized portions (such as raisins, cranberries or chocolate chips).
- Mix all the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl (see note 4).
- Mix the dry ingredients and the add ins into the bowl with the mixed wet ingredients until it all comes together into a thick, slightly loose dough.
- Scoop heaped tablespoons of the batter and shape and flatten with slightly moist hands before placing on the lined baking tray. The batter will look crumbly- try to flatten any bits of nut or fruit into the batter as much as you can but don’t stress too much if its not perfectly together as it will come together more as it rises slightly in the oven. Keeping your hands wet while shaping will help stop the batter from sticking to your hands.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes in the oven until golden. The exact timing may differ depending on your oven so I would leave for 10 minutes and then check in the last few minutes for doneness.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I use refined olive oil as I don’t love the taste of extra virgin olive oil in this recipe- if you don’t mind it however extra virgin also works. Feel free to also use coconut oil if you prefer, which may impart a slight coconut flavour to the mix, or any other cooking oil.
- A flax egg can be made by mixing 1 tbsp flaxseed meal with 2 1/2 tbsp water. Allow to rest and thicken for 5 minutes before adding in to the mix.
- Feel free to sub in a total of 1-1 1/4 cup of other dried fruits, nuts or chocolate chips, and to omit the desiccated coconut if you prefer.
- Measure out the oil in a measuring cup first and then use the same cup to measure the honey/maple syrup – it will make getting it out of the cup much, much easier.
- Storage Instructions: Store in a cool dry container for up to 3 days. The cookies start to lose their crispiness after the first day.
- Nutritional information is an estimation only and will depend on your individual ingredients
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