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Treat yourself to a batch of these healthy chocolate oatmeal cookies! Completely flourless with two types of chocolate, they remind me of brownies with their incredibly rich flavor and their supremely moist and fudgy texture. This cookie recipe is easy to make, naturally vegan and gluten-free… And perfect for chocolate lovers!
In early December, I flew to Mexico to attend my close friend’s wedding. After a short drive from the airport, I arrived at our beachfront hotel, met my roommates for the long weekend, and then stood out on our room’s balcony overlooking the infinity pool and deep blue ocean, soaking in the warm weather and expansive views.
Within just a few minutes, I realized… With the incredibly relaxing and peaceful vibes, I never wanted to leave!
On the second evening, my friend organized a fun taco dinner at a local restaurant famous for its authentic flavors and incredible food. We rode a handful of shuttle vans to get there, and while the talented cooks set up the buffet line, I sat at a table with some new and old friends, mingling and chatting and laughing underneath the star-studded sky.
Later, with our bellies full of shrimp, pork, lamb, octopus, and plenty of salsa to top off all of the tacos, we realized that the kitchen had also prepared dozens of handmade popsicles for dessert. Although the sweet tropical flavors sounded very tempting, I decided to hold off… With a light breeze picking up and how easily I get cold, I didn’t want to turn into a popsicle myself!
When friends at the table offered to grab one for me, I smiled and waved them off, joking that I’d rather have a warm, soft, and chewy cookie instead. “I actually have cookies back in my room at the hotel!” one guy replied. “They’re not warm but… You can have one! Just remind me when we get back!”
My eyes lit up like the twinkling lights strung back and forth across the patio above us, and I excitedly agreed. You know me… I love my baked treats!
Yet when we climbed off of the shuttle vans back at the hotel, I couldn’t find him in the lobby at all… So I rode the elevator back up to my room, broke off a piece of dark chocolate from the bar I had packed in my suitcase, and planned to snag that cookie the following afternoon.
When I spotted him the next day, I smiled and waved… Then laughed as his eyes widened and he smacked his forehead with his palm. “I completely forgot!” he moaned. “And the other groomsmen ate the rest of the cookies last night!”
By the time I arrived back at my house in California a few days later, I still hadn’t seen or eaten a single cookie… So I baked a batch of these healthy double chocolate oatmeal cookies to get my fix!
They’re supremely rich, soft, and chewy — basically the same taste and texture as fudgy brownies! And since I have a major weakness for fudgy brownies too, that totally justifies eating a second one, right?? 😉
These healthy chocolate oatmeal cookies also contain no flour or refined sugar, as well as no eggs or dairy… So they’re naturally gluten-free and vegan too!
QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY DOUBLE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES
Difficulty: Fairly easy, including for many beginner bakers.
Taste: Very rich dough (similar to 72% dark chocolate!) that’s bursting with decadent, indulgent flavor.
Texture: Incredibly chewy, soft, and moist — like fudgy brownies!
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY DOUBLE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES
Let’s go over what you’ll need to make these healthy double chocolate oatmeal cookies! As well as some items you don’t need… They’re flourless and eggless, so you can already cross off those two ingredients from your grocery list!
Oats. To start, you’ll need instant oats. Instant oats are not the ones sold in the individual packets with flavors like apple cinnamon and maple brown sugar! They’re also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats, and they only include one ingredient: oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. This means they soften faster, which gives your healthy chocolate oatmeal cookies the most soft and chewy texture imaginable!
Tip: To make these double chocolate oatmeal cookies gluten-free, remember to use use certified gluten-free instant oats!
Unsweetened cocoa powder. Use the regular kind of unsweetened cocoa powder (also called “natural unsweetened cocoa powder”) to make these oatmeal cookies. I don’t recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder! These two have a different acidity level, which affects the cookies’ taste and texture.
In this recipe, the cocoa powder actually replaces the flour! You’ll use a full ¾ cup, which means your healthy oatmeal cookies will definitely taste really rich and chocolaty without using those other two types of cocoa powder. (Ironically enough, I’ve found the chocolate flavor tasted more muted and bland when using special dark cocoa powder!)
Cinnamon. It might sound a bit strange… But you’ll actually add a bit of cinnamon into your cookie dough too! Although cinnamon and cocoa powder might not be the most obvious flavor pairing, I found that the cinnamon provided an incredible richness and warmth that really rounded out the flavor of these healthy flourless and eggless chocolate oatmeal cookies. It turned out so well!
Tip: I buy my favorite cinnamon online here!
Coconut oil or unsalted butter. Unlike traditional recipes that call for ½ cup (or more!), you need just a mere 1 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil or unsalted butter. That really helps keep your healthy double chocolate oatmeal cookies low calorie and low fat!
And to make life even easier, you’ll melt the coconut oil or butter. I rarely remember to set mine out far enough in advance to let it properly soften on the counter, so I love quick and easy shortcuts like this! I’ve found it also yields a softer and chewier texture. Win-win!
Tip: To make these double chocolate oatmeal cookies vegan and dairy-free, use the coconut oil option — or stick-style vegan butter! (I really like this one and this one.) Both work equally well and yield the same fudgy brownie-like texture.
No eggs. Then instead of eggs, you’ll use mashed banana! The banana binds together the rest of the ingredients, and it also helps keep your healthy chocolate oatmeal cookies soft and chewy. Be sure to use the ripest bananas you have! The ones that look almost pure brown or black are ideal because they contain more natural sweetness than the pure yellow ones, and they also yield a moister, softer, and chewier texture.
Hint: You can’t actually taste the fruit flavor in these cookies! The cocoa powder completely overpowers it, so the banana’s only role is as an egg replacer… And a little boost of natural sweetness!
Sweetener. The majority of the natural sweetness in these healthy flourless chocolate oatmeal cookies comes from pure maple syrup! That’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
Tip: Skip the pancake syrup and sugar-free syrup! Those contain other ingredients, which changes the way they behave in baking recipes. This is especially true of sugar-free syrups. They’re often water-based, and that makes these cookies more cakey, bready, and dry.
Mini chocolate chips. The second chocolate component of these double chocolate cookies comes in the form of mini chocolate chips. I absolutely love using mini chocolate chips in my cookie recipes! Their smaller size ensures that every bite contains at least one morsel of chocolate (if not two or three!). These are my current favorite mini chocolate chips because they taste so rich — and they turn gooey and melty in the oven!
Tip: To make your healthy chocolate oatmeal cookies vegan, use vegan-friendly chocolate chips. I really like these!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY DOUBLE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES
Let’s quickly talk about how to make the best healthy double chocolate oatmeal cookies! This recipe is pretty easy, and I have some tips to ensure your cookies turn out perfectly soft, chewy, chocolaty, and even fudgy… Like my favorite brownies!
Measure correctly. It’s extremely important to measure the ingredients correctly! For the oats and cocoa powder, use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either ingredient will dry out your cookie dough and make your cookies cakey, rather than chewy. This is especially true of the oats because they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture! Too much cocoa powder will also make your cookies taste bitter, rather than rich and chocolaty.
For the mashed banana, use tablespoons or grams. Please, oh please… Promise me you will not measure by “1 small banana!” Not all “small” bananas are the exact same size… So if you go based on number of bananas, there’s a very high likelihood that you’ll use the incorrect amount, which can either add too much moisture to the cookie dough or not enough. Tablespoons or grams will result in the best taste and texture!
For the maple syrup, use regular measuring cups — not a kitchen scale! Scales can’t actually measure volumes… Only weights. Many liquid baking ingredients have different densities, meaning they have different weights per volume, so unless you’d like to do the math to convert each one from mL to grams… Regular measuring cups are much easier and more accurate!
Chill. When you first mix together the cookie dough, it’s fairly wet… So chilling is mandatory! Chilling helps stiffen the cookie dough so it’s easier to work with, and it also allows the flavors to meld and marry. It doesn’t need to chill for very long though — just 20 minutes!
Drop + shape. The cookie dough will still be a tad sticky after chilling, so drop it onto your baking sheet with a spoon and spatula. Don’t use your hands! Then use the spatula to flatten the cookie dough before baking. It doesn’t spread at all while in the oven, so your cookies will look exactly the same before and after baking… Just fully baked through and no longer raw!
Also… Since people always ask me how I make my cookies look so round… There’s no secret tool or trick! I just spend a few extra minutes carefully shaping the cookie dough with my favorite mini spatula.
Bake. For the softest and chewiest cookies, you’ll want to remove the baking sheet from the oven when the centers of your healthy flourless and eggless double chocolate oatmeal cookies still feel very soft and a bit underdone. The heat from the metal baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through while you let your cookies cool on the pan, which results in the best ever chewy chocolate oatmeal cookies!
Hint: This is my #1 trick to soft and chewy cookies! I know it may feel a little odd to stop baking your cookies when they still feel slightly underdone, but this approach works like a charm. I promise!
Now all that’s missing is a glass of milk! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy double chocolate oatmeal cookies!
Healthy Flourless & Eggless Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 15 cookies
As a huge chocoholic, these are some of my all-time favorite cookies! They’re deliciously rich (similar to 72% dark chocolate!) and really soft and chewy… Basically with the same taste and texture as extra fudgy brownies! Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container (if they last that long!), and they freeze really well too!
4.98 from 35 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 6 tbsp (94g) mashed banana (about 1 small – see Notes!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
Whisk together the oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil, banana, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the oat mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 2 ½ tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with asilicone baking matorparchment paper.
Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet using a spoon and spatula, and flatten to ⅜" thick using a spatula. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and cocoa powder correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either ingredient will dry out the cookies and make them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy. Too much cocoa powder will also make your cookies taste bitter.
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: As written, these cookies taste fairly rich, similar to 72% dark chocolate. If you aren’t a fan of dark chocolate, then you can make them taste sweeter and less "dark" with the following modification: substitute ¼ cup (30g) of whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, oat flour, or your preferred gluten-free flour blend (I like this one!) and reduce the cocoa powder to ½ cup (40g).
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies don’t spread. They’ll look the same before and after baking (just no longer raw!).
Do not over-bake these cookies! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. The heat from the warm baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest for 10 minutes after pulling the pan from the oven.
IMPORTANT BANANA NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For best results, use the ripest, darkest, most spotty banana you can find! The ones that are purely brown or black (or at least with more brown color than yellow!) are ideal. They have a sweeter natural flavor and more moisture than pure yellow bananas. They also yield a softer and moister texture in your cookies.
Measure the bananas by tablespoons or grams, not by “one small banana.” Not all “small” bananas are the same size!
OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.
In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
COCOA POWER NOTES: I do not recommend using Dutched cocoa powder or special dark cocoa powder because they have a different acidity level, which affects the taste and texture. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder (like this) has a much better flavor and texture in this recipe!
SWEETENER NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. I donot recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. Because it’s often water-based, it makes the cookies cakey or bready.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free instant oats.
EGG-FREE, DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN VERSION: Use coconut oil or vegan butter (I like this one and this one)and vegan-friendly mini chocolate chips (these are my favorite). For the best results, use stick-style non-dairy butter; do not use whipped or tub-style.
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they’ll keep for a couple of days. If refrigerated, they’ll last closer to a week (if not longer!). Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!
For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookies FAQ Page.
{gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
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♡Healthy Flourless Triple Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
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♡Healthy Triple Chocolate Cookies
♡Healthy Vegan Fudge Brownies
♡…and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!
