Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to oatmeal cookies – I want them chewy, with crispy edges and super gooey in the middle. These Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorite thing to have on hand, and this dough could not be easier. And when I say healthy – I’m all about adding more not less. This dough is chock full of amazing ingredients that are hot-fire-flames for your body. PLUS there is chocolate. Does that not make this the best recipe ever?

What makes these “healthy” oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?

Healthy can be SUCH a contentious term (especially on the internet – please don’t @ me!) But the truth of the matter is that healthy means something different for everyone, and it truly is rooted in how something makes you feel. I’m so grateful the world is widely recognizing that now, and honestly, that’s why I feel so comfortable calling this recipe “healthy.”

To me, healthy is all about adding more to your life, not less. So when I developed this to be a healthy oatmeal chocolate chip recipe, I was all about using ingredients that I knew are good for the body, soul and mind (and tastebuds ofc).

Does gluten-free automatically mean healthy? Nah, and the same with vegan. But what it does mean is that by making this recipe gluten-free and vegan, it is automatically more accessible to people with certain dietary restrictions. Which is my favorite thing to do. <3

All ingredients impact different people in different ways, but here’s the thinking behind the ones I used for this vegan oatmeal chocolate chip recipe:

• Flax meal – not only is flax good for making flax egg, but it’s also an amazing source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, plus is filled with fiber AND filled with protein. It also includes lignans, which have antioxidant properties.
• Oats! – you know I love my oats. They help this recipe be a gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip recipe, plus they are filled with soluble fiber and are usually easy to digest (depending on your body of course!)
• Hemp seeds – hemp seeds are a new ingredient obsession for me, but they are SO good. They are a great source of vegan protein and are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Plus unlike chia seeds, they don’t need to be hydrated. So you can add them right into the flour mix!
• Coconut Sugar – coconut sugar is still sugar, but it contains about 25% less sucrose than table sugar. This helps decrease insulin spikes from this gluten-free vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, while still keeping it delish.

Ingredients for these vegan and gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

I go through phases where I am obsessed with certain ingredients, but all of these ingredients are straight-up OGs that live in my pantry. I tend to have vegan staples around at all times, so it’s easy to have everything needed to make this vegan oatmeal chocolate chip recipe.

Here’s the full breakdown of what you need:

Dry ingredients

• 100 grams oats, to later be blended into oat flour (1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

Wet ingredients

• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 5 tablespoons room temperature water
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar or cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mixins

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

How to make this oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe

This recipe requires a few vegan and gluten-free baking tricks that will make these cookies absolutely perfect. We’re using a flax egg to add extra chewiness, and oat flour to keep everything light and fluffy but still gluten-free. Both steps take just a few adjustments to help make this the perfect gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.

Here’s how to bring it all together:

1. First, make a flax egg by whisking together the flax meal and the 5 tablespoons of water. Let this sit for 5 minutes.
2. Next, blend the 1 cup of oats (or oat flour) together with the hemp seeds to create a soft flour. In a large bowl, whisk the flour together with the oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, including the flax egg. This mixture should end up looking very gelatinous.
4. Gradually pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix.
5. Add the chocolate chips, and chill the dough while waiting for the oven to preheat to 350°F.
6. Use a 3 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to portion out 7-8 cookies. The cookies will be rather large, but in a good way!
7. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, space out the cookies evenly, with no more than 4 to a sheet. These cookies will spread!
8. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F. Once out of the oven, immediately use a large cup to swirl around the cookie edges and make them into perfect circles.
9. Let cool slightly before eating. And then you’re good to go!

Tips & Tricks for Baking

• Make these cookies BIG – it’ll pay off in the end, I promise! Making these cookies about 2 scoops in size (or about 60 grams each) helps them spread out and get crispy on the edges while still keeping their gooey center.
• Calibrate your oven – I learned this late in my baking life, but an uncalibrated oven can really mess up your baking results. When an oven is too hot, it tends to cause a cookie to spread quickly but not cook through.
• Take the cookies out before you think they are done – I timed the recipe for about 10 minutes of baking time exactly. You’ll feel like the cookie is a little underdone in the middle, but the residual heat from the pan will continue to cook the dough when it’s out of the oven, so you’ll be left with the perfect result.
• If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use wet hands to scoop the dough – this will prevent the dough from sticking to you, and believe me this dough is STICKY.
• And a fun tip for melting coconut oil – if you have a metal measuring cup, place it on a hot skillet or directly on an electric stove to quickly melt it. This is my favorite coconut oil hack!

Want more vegan cookie recipes?

Don’t call me the cookie queen for nothing – if you’re interested in more vegan cookie recipes, here are a few of my favorites from the site!

And that’s it for these Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making <3

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3