Healthy oatmeal cookies don’t get any better than this! They’re filled with cinnamon raisin goodness and have that perfect soft bite. Plus, they’re a cinch to make.
Why You’ll Love These Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
I’ve always had a soft spot for a good oatmeal raisin cookie, and this gluten-free version completely hits the mark! It may have taken me a few tries to nail just right, but now I CAN’T STOP EATING these. They’re perfectly cinnamon spiced, dotted with sweet raisins, and have that soft and chewy texture we all look for in an oatmeal raisin cookie. So if you’re looking for the perfect fall or winter cookie that’s a bit healthier than my Christmas no-bake cookies (though you know I’m all about appropriate splurging!), these healthy oatmeal cookies are where it’s at. Here’s a few more reasons to love them:
- There’s no complicated ingredients. I’ve kept the ingredient list as simple and clean as possible, with equally delicious results.
- They only take 20 minutes. Start to finish this recipe is super easy to make. That’s why it’s the cookie recipe I always come back to for a healthy sweet treat.
- They’re close to the classic. While my 3-ingredient banana oatmeal cookies are another great recipe, these cookies have that classic taste and texture you’d expect from oatmeal cookies.
Oatmeal Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- Coconut Sugar: This is my favorite choice of sugar, but brown sugar works as well.
- Butter: I love butter for a richer taste, but you can also use ghee or coconut oil for a dairy-free option.
- Eggs & Vanilla Extract: Just one egg is needed to use as a binder for the cookies. And a splash of vanilla is an essential baking ingredient for tying all the flavors together.
- Baking Soda: This helps the cookies to fluff up a bit.
- Almond Flour: This is a great gluten-free flour option and even provides a little extra protein.
- Cinnamon: I love how cinnamon gives these cookies warmth and a festive vibe.
- Oats: If you’re gluten-free like me, make sure to buy certified gluten-free oats to avoid any cross-contamination. I’m using rolled oats, though you could also use quick-cooking oats for a chewier texture.
- Raisins: Technically, this can be optional. But if you’re going for a cinnamon raisin vibe, toss them in!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Step one: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients—butter, eggs, and vanilla extract along with the coconut sugar.
Step two: In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and oats. Then add it to the wet ingredients, and stir to combine.
Step three: Gently fold in the raisins until everything is perfectly mixed.
Step four: Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 ½ tablespoons), dollop 15 cookies on the baking sheet. Then, use your fingers to flatten the dough into a cookie shape. This step is important as the cookies will not flatten on their own while baking!
Step five: Slide them into the oven and bake for 9 to 10 minutes at 350°F (175°F), or until the cookies are slightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. Try not to touch them until they’ve cooled a bit and have firmed up!
Cooking Tips
- If you prefer a chewier cookie. Let the mixed dough sit for 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge. This allows the oats to soak up even more of that liquid. If you prefer a softer cookie, just bake them right away after mixing.
- Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. Although these cookies won’t spread out as much as they bake, it’s best to leave some space in between each one. This will give them room to get nice and golden!
- Watch the time carefully. It can be easy to lose track of time or not hear the oven go off (I’ve done that way too many times!). And they do cook quickly.
- Be diligent about letting the cookies cool. It’s tempting to eat these right away, but remember that these cookies are extremely soft. Letting them cool will give them the perfect texture.
Storage Tips
If you’ve got leftovers, just pack the cookies into a bag or an airtight container and they’ll stay fresh for 5 to 6 days. You can keep them at room temperature or in the fridge.
To make this batch last even longer, freeze it! Just slip some parchment paper between each cookie and store them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll stay good for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies: A classic for a reason!
- Mint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: One of my personal favorites.
- Flourless Almond Butter Cookies: For almond butter fanatics.
- Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies: Nutty and sweet.
If you make this healthy oatmeal cookie recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup melted (and cooled) butter, ghee, or coconut oil
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup cup raisins
Instructions
- Whisk the wet ingredients plus sugar. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Add the oats, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a separate bowl and whisk together.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fold in raisins. Add the raisins and fold them into the cookie dough.
- Scoop the cookies. Using a medium cookie scoop, dollop the cookies on a baking sheet (you may need two baking sheets). Use your fingers to flatten the dough into a cookie shape, as the cookies will not flatten much on their own while baking.
- Bake. Bake the oatmeal cookies for 9 to 10 minutes, or until they're slightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tip: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, layer with parchment in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- This recipe makes 15 cookies (which I split on two baking sheets), though you could also make 12 larger cookies if you prefer.
- For a softer, chewier texture, you can try chilling the dough before scooping them onto the sheet pan.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Behind The Scenes
I probably shouldn’t admit to how many cookies I polished off on this plate, lol! But at least I feel better knowing they’re filled with oats, almond flour, and raisins. So you (and your kiddos) should feel free to dig in as well!
5 stars
Yummy -not too sweet- I used 1/2 grass-fed butter & 1/2 organic coconut oil – I also added about 1 teaspoon of organic maple syrup -I really liked these cookies!
Glad these cookies worked out great, Nonette!
Love this recipe and so do my friends and family. It’s my go-to for bringing to gatherings. I halved the sugar and added 1/2 c dark chocolate chips. Thanks for creating such a healthy treat!
I think I’ve made them 5 or more times!
Happy to hear everyone is loving these oatmeal cookies, Katie!
These cookies are delicious and so easy to make. My husband is diabetic but loves his cookies. He has been buying Voortman cookies which are aweful. I started making these cookies for him and he says “ no more store bought cookies”! I do substitute the coconut sugar for monk fruit sweetener. He loves them. He has one a day. I make a batch and freeze half of them so they are always cookies in the house!
Happy to hear you both are loving these cookies, Joanne!
I admit I made these for “me” as a Christmas cookie I could fully enjoy this year! They are truly wonderful.
You deserve this cookie! Enjoy, Jeanne.
Honestly, I’ve made these cookies multiple times now and its such a crowd pleaser. I swap the raisins for dark chocolate and replace half the coconut sugar with honey and it’s so delicious. Great healthier dessert
Hi Nic – Happy to hear you’re loving these otameal cookies!
Delicious! My kids loved it!! Butter helps a lot :)
Hi Amy – I’m happy to hear these oatmeal cookies were a hit with the family!
Delicious 😋
Glad you’re loving these cookies, Anya!
These are so delicious and so easy to make! I add some chocolate chips to mine because I love chocolate!
Yay! Glad you loved these cookies, Charlotte!
First time using almond flour. Thrilled with the outcome. These cookies lasted 1 day in our house! Win win.
Woohoo! Glad these cookies were a hit, Maria.
Hi Lisa, I’m so looking forward to making these cookies and I was just wondering instead of the butter would they still turn out well by substituting with a neutral oil? Thank you so much. I look forward to hearing back from you.😊
Hi Nancy – While I haven’t tried it, I think a neutral oil would make these cookies too soft and oily. Both butter and coconut oil firm up when chilled.
I made these for my dad who’s a diabetic, he really enjoyed them. I refrigerated them for about an hour so they would be more chewy and added some Lily’s chocolate chips and a little extra cinnamon. They came out great! Will definitely be making them again.
Wonderful! I’m glad you both enjoyed them. :)
I didn’t have almond flour so substituted with plain flour and added chopped pecan
nuts, they were delicious and so quick to make.
Glad this worked out great with plain flour, Denise!
Easy to make, quick to bake, low on sugar, high on taste, and wholly wholesome! What else could you want in an oatmeal raisin cookie?
Having read a few of the recent posts, I’ll admit, I used all-purpose flour and brown sugar since I had them on hand – they were still tasty and satisfying!
Happy to hear these cookies still turned out great with those ingredient swaps, Mark!
OMG, these cookies are delicious! I was a bit worried that the almond flour would make them dry, but they are so moist and chewy, especially the next day. I used a bit less sugar, which I always do with recipes, but the cookies are still perfectly sweet. I still have 4 cookies left, but I am so ready to make another batch!
Hi Arleen – I’m so happy you loved the recipe. Enjoy your next batch as well!
Same result as Doreen. Cookies just melted into one big sheet pan mess. I thought they seemed too wet after mixing all ingredients – and I let dough sit in fridge for extra 45 mins before baking. Will try again with more flour and oats to bind.
Hi Bob – did you watch my video above to see where your version may have differed from my recipe?
They look delicious!! What flour do you suggest to substitute for almond flour? We have a tree nut and peanut allergies.
Hi Kellie – unfortunately, I haven’t tried this recipe with any other flours. And they’re usually not a 1:1 swap. But if you happen to try it with another flour, let us know how it turns out!
Where does the 160 mg of sodium come from?
Hi Stacey – that comes from the salt in the recipe. You can always omit that if you’d like to reduce the sodium.
I’ve made these cookies four times over the past two weeks. They are FANTASTIC! Thank you for this recipe. It’s great to make a sweet that’s healthier, and they’re so easy to make. We love these. They’re a new staple in our home!
You’re more than welcome, Sarah! So happy to hear you love these oatmeal cookies and they’ve been on repeat in your house. :)
These look delicious! Can I substitute butter for avocado oil for high cholesterol reasons?
Hi Dora – unfortunately not, as avocado oil doesn’t solidify at room temperature.
Hi Lisa! I love trying your recipes as the flavour never disappoints! I’m not sure what went wrong, but my 16 cookies turned into one giant sheet pan cookie! lol. I’m guessing the coconut oil caused this to happen? No worries, it was still delicious and gobbled up in two days. I will try with butter next time!
Oh no!! I’ve never had them separate that much when using oil. But glad you that still found them tasty enough to enjoy! ;)
Same thing happened to me! I think the dough “rest” is essential because my third round/sheet pan held up much better. that the first I also barely pressed down this batch.
Can a different floor be substituted? I am allergic to tree nuts so hesitate to try almond flour. These sound amazing and I would love to try a batch.
Hellooooo Lisa!
As I type this with my right hand, I have one of these simple yet amazingly delicious cookies in my left hand. (Oh-oh, I just started my second!!). Oatmeal raisin being by far my favorite cookie, it’s good to know I can make such a yummy cookie with less sugar (no granulated sugar) than the standard Quaker Oats recipe calls for, something my wife was happy to hear – and taste! 😊.
Thank you Lisa
Haha, it’s easy to eat two or three of these cookies one after the other! ;) So happy you and your wife love this healthier spin on the classic recipe.
I made these with my kids. Easy recipe and delicious. My only problem was I left them cooling on the counter and the ants I’ve been fighting got them, I would make these again.
Oh no! Those little bugger ants. Guess they know how delicious they are as well. ;)
Baked these and they were delicious. I cut the butter and sugar just a tad and they were still great. I did have trouble with the baking at 350° 10 min. I turned my oven to 365° and it worked much better.
Thanks for sharing your tweaks! And I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Mine spread out all over the place, but I love the crunch of them as super thin cookies! Delicious!
Oh shoot! These aren’t cookies that usually spread, so that’s interesting. But glad you enjoyed them a little extra crunchy, Christine!
These are the most delicious and perfect texture cookies ever. I have had people ask me to make these for them. I substitute the raisins for chocolate chips and remove the cinnamon. So delicious.
Oh wonderful! I’m so happy you love them, Karina. And yes, you can easily sub the raisins with chocolate chips for a slightly sweeter oatmeal cookie. Enjoy!
This was- as I expected- just delish!!!
To make it agree more with my histamineintolerans I used cardamom instead of cinnamon and raw vanilla powder instead of vanilla extract, and it was perfect.
Perfect swaps! So happy you enjoyed these cookies. :)
I love these cookies. I made a second batch this weekend and they were a hit. I love how recipes on Downshiftology are easy to follow. Thanks!
Glad you loved these oatmeal cookies, Patricia!
Easy and so delicious! Made with choco chips. Will absolutely make again.
Thrilled these oatmeal cookies were a hit, Jenny!
These were so delicious and easy to make! Will definitely be making these again.
Yay! Happy to hear you loved these oatmeal cookies, Andrea!
Wow! I just made these cookies, and I think they came out better than regular oatmeal cookies with all the processed sugars. Mine had a crispy outside, and I used chocolate chips and raisins, and I had to go with the chocos!!! Mhmmm, will make again!
Thrilled to hear you’re loving these oatmeal cookies, Jess! Love the additional chocolate chips!
I’ve typically not been a big fan of oatmeal raisin cookies- HOWEVER!- these are THE exception!
First, I really trust your recipes Lisa, I’ve never made 1 that disappointed me!
And 2nd, when I saw that these use almond flour and coconut sugar (2 ingredients I love!), I knew I needed to give them a shot.
SO glad I did! The almond flour does something for the texture that is special and coconut sugar is less sweet (I like that!), and lends a slightly carmel/molasses like taste. YUM!
I added a tiny splash of almond extract – but I know they’d be great even without that teensy mod.
Thank you Lisa for great, gf, healthy, and delish recipes!!
I’m so glad you loved these oatmeal cookies, Robin!! Sounds like they turned out perfectly.
This is my favourite afterschool snack for my 4 year old. Such a great healthy treat! Finally a cookie he loves and I can whip them up in no time! Yum!
Happy to hear your little one is loving these oatmeal cookies, Lauren!
Great recipe!
I used dates instead of raises and added black walnuts
Easy to make and absolutely delicious! My new favorite!!!!! It’s been a while since I eat such a beautiful oatmeal and raisin cookie.
Thanks for sharing the recipe, I love it!
Happy to hear you loved these oatmeal cookies, Eileen!
Another delicious recipe! Absolutely loved this one! My daughter who dislikes raisins loved this one! Will be my go to!
Amazing! Glad you both loved these oatmeal cookies, Vanessa.
If you are using regular flour would the amount be the same as the almond flour?
Hi Lisa – I haven’t tried this with regular flour, as I’m gluten-free. But if you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Yummmm! These were so simple and so delicious. Oatmeal raisin cookies are my favorites and these hit the spot. Thanks for another great recipe, Lisa!
You’re welcome, Alan! So glad you enjoyed them!
I would not consider myself a baker, if I bake anything it is the boxed brownie mix but I tried to bake these and it was amazing. I love Lisa’s videos and the directions agree so easy to follow. I used chocolate chips and plan on making them again real soon. They came out a little chewy and crispy and I highly recommend this recipe.
Thanks so much for trusting my recipe, Bryan! I’m happy you loved these oatmeal cookies. :)
Wow! What a great soft chewy cookie. They taste like they have molasses in them. So delish! Was excited when these popped into my inbox and I rushed to make them. Hubby was working outside in the cold and I ran out with a fresh cookie and he ooohed and ahhhed over them so they are a winner! Thanks Lisa, keep ‘em coming.
Yay, so happy you and your hubby loved this oatmeal cookies! And ooh, now you have me wanting to add a splash of molasses to them as well. I’ll have to try that on my next batch!
Watching carbs,do u have any low cal cookies?
Hi Vicky – I don’t at the moment, but I’ll try to keep that in mind for a future recipe!
Hi Lisa,
I was just wondering if you had any modifications for a little higher altitude. I live at 4100ft. I struggle with baking as it’s just a little different. I would love to try these cookies.
Thank you! Susan
Make these last night. They were very easy to make and turned out amazing! For some reason they actually tasted better the next day, rather than fresh out of the oven. I would not change a thing about this recipe, and it was my first time making truly home-made cookies. I did cook longer than suggested.
10/10 will definitely make again, as they were a huge hit with my family (including teenager)!
Yay! Thrilled these worked out great for you (and your family), Wendy.
Can you substitute the coconut sugar? I don’t have any
Hi Theresa – you could use any granulated sugar. Enjoy!
Hi, are the nutrition facts at the bottom of the recipe for one serving and how much is one serving? One cookie, two cookies? I’m asking about every recipe you post since I’m watching my carbs. Thanks
Hi Deborah – the nutrition info for this recipe is per cookie. Enjoy!
These cookies have a sweet & salty component…they are so delicious! I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract. Chilled 30 minutes, baked 10 minutes, probably could have baked another minute or two for more browning, as ovens differ. Thanks Lisa for an easy and delicious cookie recipe!
Glad you’re loving the flavors of this cookie, and love the additional almond extract. Enjoy, Dianne!
Can I substitute honey for the coconut sugar?
Just made a double batch. Super simple, and easy for my kids to make with a little help. We all enjoyed them! I did end up cooking about 15 minutes but probably due to having 2 trays in at once. I was short on raisins so mixed in dried cranberries as well. Thanks Lisa! I always appreciate a simple recipe that hits the spot.
Glad these cookies turned out great, especially with the help from your kiddos. Enjoy, Julie!
Lisa, I’m always so excited to see a new recipe in my inbox! I love oatmeal raisin cookies so this one is on my list for this weekend. I love so many of your recipes and love your cookbook!
Excited for you to try these cookies, Brittany. Let us know how they turn out!
They were excellent! Just as I imagined! We did chocolate chips and raisins.
Just made these cookies and they are delicious. Our special needs son says they are yum! Thanks Lisa. These are super quick to make and the bonus is they’re healthy and tasty. I have yet to make one of your recipes and not enjoy it. You’re the best.
Wonderful! Happy to hear you and your son enjoyed these oatmeal cookies, Sheryl!
171 kcal is for one cookie or more?
Hi Diana – the nutrition info is per cookie. Enjoy!
I plan to make this cookie recipe, but I would like a clarification.
You say, “Eggs & Vanilla Extract: Just two eggs are needed to use as a binder for the cookies.” yet only one egg is listed in the Ingredients. Which is it?
Hi Chuck – Thanks for catching that! It should be one egg.