Healthy Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies (gluten Recipe

When someone asks me What To Make With Almond Butter, I point them to my healthy almond butter oatmeal cookies that are soft, fluffy and thick and easily made gluten-free and dairy-free.

I didn’t expect a cookie to flip my snack game, but these Healthy Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies did. They’re soft, fluffy and thick, and they easily go gluten free or dairy free which I love.

I use creamy almond butter and old fashioned rolled oats for that chewy, nutty backbone, but there’s this one tweak I stumbled on that gives them a slightly caramelized edge you wont believe. I even labeled the batch Healthy Almond Cookies Recipes in my messy notes, mostly as a dare to myself.

Try one and you might hide the rest, no joke.

Ingredients

• Creamy almond butter add protein, healthy fats and rich, nutty flavor
• Oats bring fiber slow carbs chewy texture and make them more filling
• Coconut sugar gives caramel sweetness, with slightly lower glycemic impact than refined sugar
• egg or flax egg adds binding and protein, flax gives plant based omega three boost
• Maple syrup sweetens naturally adds depth and sticky chew without being too sweet
• sea salt rounds flavors, enhances sweetness and balances the cookie taste
• Optional chocolate chips or nuts add texture, extra flavor and indulgent crunch

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 cup creamy almond butter preferably unsweetened
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats gluten free
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar or packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg or 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water for a flax egg
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips or chopped nuts optional

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. If using a flax egg, stir 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp water and let sit 5 minutes until gelled. If your almond butter is stiff, warm it 8-12 seconds in the microwave so it spreads easier.

3. In a medium bowl combine 1 cup creamy almond butter, 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or packed light brown sugar), 2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey), 1 large egg (or the flax egg), 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Mix until smooth and well combined.

4. Fold in 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten free oats) until evenly mixed. If you want a slightly fluffier, less chewy cookie, pulse half the oats quickly in a blender or food processor first and then fold them in.

5. Stir in 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips or chopped nuts if using. Dont overmix. The dough should be thick and scoopable.

6. If the dough seems very soft, chill it 15 to 30 minutes; chilling helps make thicker, less spread cookies.

7. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoon or small cookie scoop onto the prepared sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Gently press each mound down a little so theyre about 3/4 inch thick.

8. Bake on the middle rack 10 to 12 minutes, until edges look set and centers still slightly soft. Dont overbake if you want them soft and fluffy.

9. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven set to 350°F
2. Baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
3. Medium bowl youll mix the dough in
4. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. Whisk or fork to beat the egg or flax egg
6. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for folding and scraping
7. Cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon dont pack it too tight
8. Blender or food processor optional to pulse half the oats for a fluffier cookie
9. Wire cooling rack to finish cooling the cookies
10. Microwave safe bowl or small saucepan to warm stiff almond butter if needed

FAQ

Healthy Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies (gluten Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Almond butter: swap with peanut butter 1:1 (saltier flavor), sunflower seed butter 1:1 for a nut free option, or cashew butter 1:1 for a milder taste. Stir well if the oil separates, itll help.
• Old fashioned rolled oats: use quick oats 1:1 for softer cookies, or grind into oat flour and use 3/4 cup oat flour plus 1/4 cup whole oats to keep some chew.
• Egg: use 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water for a flax egg, or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or 1/4 cup mashed banana as a 1:1 swap; banana will add flavor.
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar: substitute packed light brown sugar 1:1, raw cane sugar 1:1 though cookies may be less moist, or use 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey and reduce other liquid by about 1 tbsp.

Pro Tips

1) Texture tuning: if you want them fluffier, pulse half the oats in a blender first so the dough holds air better, but if you use a flax egg they usually turn out a bit denser. add 1 tablespoon of non dairy milk or a splash of water to the dough when you use flax and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes so the oats hydrate, that helps a lot.

2) Do a test cookie: bake one cookie first to check timing and spread because almond butter brands and oven temps vary. if it spreads too much chill the dough 15 to 30 minutes and reduce bake time by a minute next batch, if it seems dry add a teaspoon of maple syrup or a quick dot of nut butter.

3) Shape and bake tricks: scoop with a small cookie scoop so they all bake evenly, then press each mound down to about 3/4 inch thick. use parchment or a silicone mat and bake on the middle rack, and resist overbaking — pull them when edges are set but centers still soft, they firm while cooling.

4) Storing and rescuing: keep cookies airtight with a slice of bread to keep them soft, or freeze flat on a tray then bag for longer storage. if they get a bit stale warm one in the microwave for 7 to 10 seconds and the chocolate goes melty again, tastes fresh.