Chocolate Chip Healthy Oatmeal Cookies — These are without a doubt the healthiest cookies I’ve ever made. And some of the fastest and easiest. And they taste SO GOOD, making them the most miraculous.
Healthy Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
Why are these healthy oatmeal cookies miraculous? Allow me to rattle off the selling points:
- Vegan oatmeal cookies — No Eggs and No Butter
- No Oil
- No Flour
- No White or Brown Sugar Added
- No Added Salt
- Gluten-Free and Soy-Free
- No Mixer Required — Stir Together in One Bowl in 5 Minutes
- Soft, Chewy, Not Cakey, Loaded with Texture
- High Fiber
- Dense, Rich, and Satisfying
- Modest Batch Size (about 15 small cookies)
- They taste good — I don’t care how healthy something is, if it doesn’t taste good, why bother.
Pretty close to a miracle if you ask me.
I’d been wanting to make healthy oatmeal cookies for ages, but the last time I tried by baking bananas into my cookies rather than using butter, oil, or eggs, they were cakey, baked flat and thin, and the taste of bananas overpowered everything.
So I put that idea on the shelf for years, literally. Finally, I decided to try again, and this time with success.
These healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are such easy, stir-together cookies. Mash a banana, add liquid sweetener and peanut butter, stir in the dry ingredients, and add-ins. In case you’re not a huge fan of bananas, there’s just a very subtle banana taste.
The dry ingredients consist of quick-cooking oats and crispy rice cereal. I add crispy rice cereal to no-bake bars like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars and Snickerdoodle Cookie Granola Bars because it adds texture and it soaks up moisture in the batter. You can’t really taste it and it’s more of a stealth operator.
These healthy oatmeal cookies are dense, hearty, thick, exceedingly chewy, and loaded with texture. Between the oats, crispy rice cereal, chocolate chips, and raisins, here’s a real texture party going on.
They’re also soft and moist, and not at all cakey, dry, or crumbly. They remind me a bit of a granola bar, in cookie form, but softer and not as hearty. The peanut butter adds richness and nuttiness and the combo of peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate is always a win for me.
They aren’t too sweet since just a banana and a bit of liquid sweetener is used, but the raisins and chocolate chips help boost the sweetness level.
Before people write saying the suggested liquid sweetener options are a form of sugar; yes, they are. But I’d think brown rice syrup, agave, or honey are healthier alternatives than white or brown sugar. Whenever I post any ‘claims’ related to sugar, I get oodles of passionate comments — to each her own.
It’s hard to believe that something without eggs, butter, oil, flour, or added sugar can still taste like a cookie. But I assure you, they do. I’m just doing my part to try to help you get ready for swimsuit season. Considering these cookies are so healthy and miraculous, it’s okay to have seconds. Or thirds.
What’s in Healthy Oatmeal Cookies?
To make this healthy oatmeal cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Mashed banana
- Creamy peanut butter
- Liquid sweetener of choice (such as honey)
- Vanilla extract
- Quick cook oats
- Crispy rice cereal
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Raisins
How to Make Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
These healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are as easy to make as regular cookies! Simply stir together the wet ingredients, then add in the dry. Fold in the chocolate chips and raisins before scooping out the cookie dough.
You’ll need to chill the cookie dough balls for 2 hours before baking them off.
Once chilled, bake the cookies until the edges have set and tops are just beginning to show signs of very pale golden color. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
How to Store Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
What Type of Peanut Butter Should I Use?
I recommend using a conventional peanut butter like Jif or Skippy because they’re thick. I don’t recommend natural or homemade peanut butter since they’re often runny and too oily.
Can I Use a Nut Butter Alternative?
No, I don’t recommend using almond or sunflower seed butter or another peanut butter alternative because they’re much thinner and likely too runny to sufficiently bind this egg-less, flour-less, gluten-less dough.
Tips for Making Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
You must use quick cook oats — not rolled oats or old-fashioned oats — because quick oats are smaller and behave more like flour. Since no actual flour is used, finer ground oats are necessary. Turn your old-fashioned whole-rolled oats into quick oats in 10 seconds in a food processor or Vita-Mix.
Make sure to chill the dough so the healthy oatmeal cookies bake up nice and thick. There are no eggs or gluten to give the cookies structure, and therefore, chilling the dough is essential. That said, after being properly chilled, the cookies spread very little while baking, so flatten the dough mounds so the cookies cook through evenly.
For the add-ins, I used chocolate chips and a raisin medley, but feel free to use craisins, dried cranberries, apricots, another dried fruit, sliced nuts, white chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips.
Pin This Recipe
Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Miracle Cookie
These are without a doubt the healthiest cookies I've ever made. And some of the fastest and easiest. And they taste SO GOOD, making them the most miraculous.
Ingredients
- about 1/2 cup ripe mashed banana (1 medium/large)
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy; don’ use natural or homemade PB. I suspect almond or sunflower seed butter are too thin and runny)
- 1/3 cup liquid sweetener (agave, light-colored corn syrup, brown rice syrup, honey; I suspect maple syrup is not quite sticky enough)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups quick cook oats (not old-fashioned whole rolled; must use quick cook. Use certified gluten-free if desired)
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal (use certified gluten-free/vegan if desired)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or another favorite baking chip, or omit)
- 1/2 cup raisins (or another favorite dried fruit, or omit)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the banana and mash with a fork.
- Add the peanut butter, sweetener, vanilla, and stir to combine.
- Add the oats, crispy rice cereal, cinnamon, baking soda, and stir to incorporate. The dough should be similar in consistency to regular cookie dough; sticky but not sloppy, nor should it be crumbly or dry. If it’s too wet, add more oats. If it’s too dry, add a small squirt more sweetener or more peanut butter.
- Fold in the chocolate chips (or try cinnamon/white chocolate/peanut butter chips) and the raisins (or try craisins/dried apricots/cranberries/blueberries) and stir to incorporate.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping 2-tablespoon mounds (I made 15). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds halfway, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray.
- Place flattened mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for about 15 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to show signs of very pale golden color. Cookies will firm up as they cool. Rotate trays midway though baking. **
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
- Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Notes
**It’s a bit tricky to tell when they’re done because they don’t spread or flatten much while baking, and because of their tan color. I’d rather underbake and have soft cookies than overbake and have rocks, and since they’re vegan, there’s no harm. You can always bake for an additional few minutes if you pull them too early.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 81mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 3g
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes:
10 Best Oatmeal Cookie Recipes – Every single recipe is for soft, chewy cookies that are loaded with CHOCOLATE!! No raisins in sight! All are EASY, family FAVORITES, and made with common pantry ingredients!!
One-Bowl, No-Mixer, No-Chill Oatmeal Cookies — An incredibly FAST and EASY recipe that produces perfectly thick cookies with chewy edges and soft centers!! One bowl to wash, no mixer to drag out, and no waiting around!!
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies — These oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies are packed with oats, shredded coconut, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Sure to be a new favorite recipe!
Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — 3 favorite cookies combined into 1 so you don’t have to choose!! Easy, no-mixer recipe, and always a hit!
Cowboy Cookies — These cowboy cookies are packed with oats, chocolate chips, Cornflakes, and shredded coconut. This is a flexible recipe that you can make with different mix-ins to suit whatever is in your pantry!
One-Bowl, No-Mixer, Extra-Large Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie – A FAST and EASY recipe for ONE XL soft and chewy very THICK cookie loaded with chocolate!! No mixer needed and so DELISH!!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — Soft, chewy, loaded with chocolate, and they turn out perfectly every time! Totally irresistible!!
I can’t make enough, and they disappear ! Esay to make and so healthy !
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they are a big hit!
I used old fashion oats, what can I do for them to still come out good?, I put the mix in the fridge to cool down. Could I keep it in the oven longer, since its not quick oats?
It’s hard to tell from afar if you should bake them longer but possibly.
In the future as a a tip, you can pulse very quickly in a food processor or blender whole oats, and they will resemble more of the texture and size of quick oats.
I made these cookies because I was love baking, but was looking for something healthier to make and the cookies turned out awesome. I knew they were going to be good when I could not stop eating the batter. I made some plain, some with raisins, some with chocolate chips, and some with coconut. I didn’t cool the dough before baking and they turned out completely fine. I would definitely make this recipe again.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved the cookies and will definitely make them again!
Hi!
My fiance and I just made these cookies as a late-night treat. We did use natural PB and a blend of honey, sucanat, and maple syrup for the sweetener.
We were excited to see the prep time of 5 minutes and total time of 20 minutes – although we assumed we’d take a bit longer than you did since we’re not the quickest bakers :) When we were about to put the cookies on the cookie sheet, we read “refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to 5 days” – what?!? How can this recipe have a “total time” of 20 minutes if you’re asking us to refrigerate the cookie dough for 2 hours? Also, you must have a lot of self-control if cookie dough can last in your refrigerator for 5 days.
We’re hoping they turn out well despite skipping the refrigeration step – they’re in the oven now.
I hope they turned out great for you even though you didn’t chill them and tweaked the ingredients.
Made these yesterday and they were a hit! Added some chopped almonds and cranberries to the batter and oh my goodness! Will definitely be making these again.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! The almonds and cranberries sound like great additions!
Had some ripe bananas that needed using so I was happy to find this recipe. The cookies turned out delicious with great texture and flavor. And the fact that they’re healthy made them all the better! Thanks for another great recipe, Averie. I can always count on you :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And thanks for saying you can always count on my recipes :)
Yay! Healthy cookies that taste GOOD! I just made these today, and they are super yummy. :o) I will be checking out more of your recipes soon! Thanks!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
made these last night and Wow! the kids and I loved them… Thank you1
Thanks for trying them and glad they’re a hit with your kids!
hi! These look amazing. I can’t wait to try them. Has anyone calculated the calories or fat grams or any othernutrional information? Thanks!!!
Did you use vegan chocolate chips?
Yes, most semi-sweet chocolate chips are already inherently vegan, just as a tip.
These cookies are so great, thanks! I used Golden Syrup (much more common in Australia and the U.K but can be found here in the U.S), which gave a lovely flavor. I did the raisins, chocolate and peanut butter chips for my first try, but can see a lot of yummy variations in my future. For nutritional info I logged the recipe into ‘myfitnesspal’ app, and I yielded 20 cookies at around 115 cal each, depending on your add ins.
Thanks for plugging the data into your app! I don’t have that one and so I appreciate your legwork and so glad you’re loving the cookies! Golden syrup is great stuff, as are raisins, choc & PB chips. Sounds like a great cookie!
What is the nutritional info?
I am allergic to bananas! Ya, right, who is allergic to bananas! So, what can i substitute for the banana? These look so good. If I skip the nana will it still work?
Banana allergies are very common (latex family)! If you’re not vegan, I suggest using an egg. If you are vegan..then it gets tricky. Flax egg? Chia egg? LMK what you try!
Try blended dates to replace the banana’s necessary stickiness!
DYING to make these but only have old fashioned oats in the house! Any way those would work in a pinch?!?
If you pulse old-fash oats in a blender or food proc for about 10 seconds, you’ll have quick cook :)
Forgive me, Averie, but I have to admit that when I first saw these I was a little skeptical. Mostly because I had had a yuck-cardboard-doggy-biscuit experience with making healthy cookies before. But I’ve yet to try a bad recipe from your site, so I dove in. And I’m glad I did, they’re delicious! Just the right amount of banana to be moist but not overwhelming, a perfect little crunch from the Rice Krispies, and great flavors and textures. I actually didn’t have time to chill them and they still stayed beautifully thick. Thanks for another winner!
Thanks for trying them and so glad you gave them a whirl. I know the exact dog-biscuit-ey ‘healthy cookies’ you speak of…I’ve seen them on other websites and in health food stores. No, these are not at all like that! ha! Glad that they stayed nice and thick for you, even without chilling!
Averie, these were AWESOME! I ate not one, but TWO straight out of the oven!!! I have an inherent fear of traditional PB, like some others have stated above, so I took my chances and used Naturally More PB. I ground my oats a little finer in a food processor, and let the dough chill overnight, hoping that might make the dough hold up a little better. They turned out beautifully, and stayed nice and thick while baking. Thanks for an awesome treat!!!
I am so glad to hear you tried them and are loving them, Kira! Good call on using the natural PB but then grinding your oats finer so they behaved more like flour to bind better and good to chill overnight. I always do; the results are always worth it! Glad you loved them! Thanks for the field report!
I made these for the first time over the weekend – they’re AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was a little wary because of the banana (I don’t like bananas AT ALL) so I was surprised when I tasted them and theres not a hint of banana flavor anywhere!!! These cookies have the perfect crunch, TOOOONS of flavor, they’re chewy and yummy and mmm mmm good ;) Omg I can’t stop eating them lol…. My new go-to cookie ;) Thank you Averie!!!!!! :)
So happy to hear you’re in love with them! And as a banana hater, you were probably looking for it; and the fact you still couldnt detect it, wonderful! I myself don’t love the taste of raw/fresh bananas. Love to bake with them but never just chomp into a whole banana and I did not detect it in these either. And yes, texture city in these. Glad you’re loving!
I have a cookie kind of like these called a Trail Mix Cookie if you’re really into texture. You could probably put some of the elments of the Trail Mix cookie into the Miracle Cookie if you ever want to mix it up…
https://www.averiecooks.com/trail-mix-peanut-butter-cookies/
Oh my goodness those look DELISH!!!! I’m definitely trying those tonite – I might mix them up a little (add in some dried apricots which I love, milk choc chips…) but the straight recipe looks YUM!!! I can’t wait to try them!! Thanks for the recommendation!! :) Oh an Averie? Yea, I’m so sending you my gym membership bill for this month ;)
Enjoy them (and your time at the gym too – ha!) LMK what you make and decide to do!
I was all excited to make these but then I saw the recipe called for peanut butter like Jiff, not the natural ones. Those “peanut butters” are far from healthy. They contain hydrogenated oils and GMO’s. just an FYI since the title of this recipe has “healthy” in it.
If you want to make it with natural PB, go ahead and try. Your cookies may spread. They may not, I don’t know.
I don’t consider eating 1/3 cup of Jif peanut butter over an entire batch of cookies to be the end of the world from a health perspective. Life is about moderation and perspective to me. I probably ingest more bad things sitting behind a city bus at a red light sucking in diesel fumes so I don’t sweat the PB :)
any suggestions for a substitute for the banana as I’m allergic to them — otherwise the cookies sound very yummy
About 20 comments above you, I addressed this to ‘Lena’. Please read what I wrote there :)
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ll have to try it out (: I was wondering if Total cereal or Special K cereal (original) would work for this recipe? Or would something like Rice Krispies be more ideal?
Something light and crisp like Special K would be fine. Total — probably ‘ok’ but I’d go with Spec K or Rice Krispies if you have those.
What a tidy little recipe to use up those bananas. I always laugh at myself when I use $10 in ingredients to use up my 60-cents worth of bananas, but these are really worth it!! :) The best part about healthier cookies like these is that I can usually stop after 1 or 2. And I agree with you, Averie, honey is “healthier” than white sugar, or at least more natural. It’s bee puke!
Thanks again, Averie.
I always laugh at myself when I use $10 in ingredients to use up my 60-cents worth of bananas <--- ME TOO! :) Or I use a stick of butter, sugar, flour, etc. to use up 1/4 cup chocolate chips or something like that. I do it all the time. Glad you like these!
I just made these today. I’m on a baking kick this weekend. I did not put in the the Crispy cereal b/c I am making them Gluten Free. I added a couple of T of coconut flour as well as 2 T brown sugar. The dough is fabulous. I used mini M&M’s to appeal to the kiddos. I’ll bake this afternoon. I’m positive these are going to be fab! Love healthier options!
Love your variations and tweaks. A few M&Ms to catch the attn of kiddos can’t hurt.
And just as an fyi for the future, crispy cereal (i.e. rice krispies) is generally GF, even if you don’t buy certified GF because rice is inherently a GF grain. Now if you’re making these for someone who’s super sensitive to gluten, yes, smart to keep the rice cereal out unless you bought certified GF.
I can’t wait to hear how you like the cookies and the kids, too! Please LMK!
They are wonderful!!!!! Super rich and filling.
Yay! Thanks for LMK they’re wonderful for you!
Except regular rice Krispy cereal isn’t gluten free. It contains malt syrup which contains gluten (malt being one of the grains you must avoid.) You’d have to buy the gf brown rice Krispy cereal. :)
Right – always read labels and select the exact brand of ingredients that work for your needs. I can’t link to or write in every possible type of ingredient brand or option, but in a broad sense, rice- based cereal is easily kept GF by selecting brands that are inherently GF or are certified GF. Enjoy the cookies!
For the crispy rice cereal, can you use rice Krispy cereal?
Yes any sort of Rice Krispies, brown rice krispy cereal, anything that’s in the general shape of a Rice Krispy will work, brown, white, vegan or otherwise.
These look so delicious – I can’t wait to make them. Do you happen to have the nutritional information on them? I can’t seem to find it; maybe I’m missing it.
Thanks!
Feel free to plug in the data into an online site that does that and get the stats.
If you take the time to do so, feel free to come back here and post it in the comments!
I make a similar version of these that my kids call “loaded oatmeal cookies”. I use a dark chocolate almond butter instead of peanut butter, oats, vanilla, agave nectar, banana, and as a binder I use a small amount of oat flour. I learned how to make this from toasted oats. As add-ins I use golden raisins, caramel bits, mini dark chocolate bits, and finely diced green apple. I have to make about 5 dozen of these (half dollar size) for my husband’s work during the holidays and I make them a lot during the summer for my daughter’s travel ball team.
I think I’d like to try using dates instead of the bananas as they never last long around our house.
Your idea sounds wonderful! Dark choc AB sounds heavenly and good to know it works and isn’t too runny and that the cookies hold together b/c as you know, AB is much thinner than PB. I love using oat flour in things like this, i.e. buzz oats in my Vita for about 10 seconds, instant oat flour!
golden raisins, caramel bits, mini dark chocolate bits, and finely diced green apple = that sounds so good!
5 dozen half-dollar size cookies that you GIVE AWAY .. all that work! You are a Saint, woman! :)
I love dates in cookies/bars. Check these out – so many ways to go with the basic base ‘dough’ after that with the toppings, add-ins, etc.
https://www.averiecooks.com/cinnamon-oatmeal-date-bars-with-chocolate-chunks/
the particular brand of AB we use is from Maranatha and while it is thinner than your average store bought PB, the oat flour helps set it up. I’ve started making/using oat flour much more since I found out I have a mild wheat allergy.
As far as the 5 doz give away, it’s for Christmas, and I do get compensation for it…….like when I got a half dozen each of 1.25″ filet mignon & lobster tails for my birthday one year!! I love to cook/bake, especially for those who love to eat, so I don’t mind the work.
Thanks for the oatmeal-date bar recipe!! They sound delicious! And I love that they don’t need baking. This sounds like a great treat to make for our summer softball travels!
If you try any of my recipes or adapt any, LMK what you do. Sounds like you’re very creative and know your way around the kitchen. Would love to hear what you come up with! And good to know Maranatha choc AB is a winner. I’ve never bought it b/c it’s pricey and b/c I am not a huge AB lover – but now I kinda want to just try it once (rather than making my own homemade)
I make choc PB – which is heavenly!
https://www.averiecooks.com/homemade-chocolate-peanut-butter/
Is there anything I can use to substitute for the banana?
Unless you have an allergy, I would say to just use it. The flavor is hardly, hardly noticeable – so if it’s just b/c you “don’t like them”, I would honestly still use it anyway. It’s a key binder in these cookies. You could probably use an egg, but then they wouldn’t be vegan.
Just made these & ate half already! Used Skippy natural creamy and Lyles golden syrup, added milk chocolate chips and raisins (so not vegan but it’s what I had); used big ole ice cream scoop and baked ’em up — YUM! My husband said they were a little “earthy” but it didn’t stop him from eating it. Next time will try with different nut butters/sweeteners/nuts& dried fruits. Thanks for a great recipe!
So happy to hear they were a success! Funny, my hubs said the same thing, “a little earthy” but then proceeded to scarf a half dozen in short order :) If you try other variations, LMK what you use and what you love the most! Thanks for trying these!
Amazing recipe! I live in Europe and I can’t find rice crispy cereal anywhere! Can I substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour instead?
Yes you can sub wheat flour, but I wouldn’t just dump in 1 cup all at once. I would add it very slowly until you get dough that’s the right consistency. I think 1 c may be a bit too much and that around 3/4 c may be better but that’s just a guess b/c I haven’t tried it. LMK how it goes!
So many good ideas, I’m sitting here drooling & confused!
I made a modified version of these based on what I had in the house — natural peanut butter, maple syrup and no rice cereal (I substituted with more of the oats) and used only raw almond pieces and raisins instead of chocolate as add-ins. They turned out wonderfully! Thanks for this recipe! Not crumbly at all and very moist.
Also, for anyone wondering I worked out the calories per cookie and they are roughly 140-150 each, depending on the specific ingredients you use.
Thanks for the detailed field report, Kate! Love comments like this as they also help others make educated guesses on substitutions, what will work, etc. so thank you! And glad to know that natural PB worked as well as maple and extra oats. So glad they turned out so well for you! Thanks for LMK!
I am so jealous of this recipe! Unfortunately, I am deathly allergic to bananas which is the base of these delicious looking cookies! Do you have any suggestions on substitutions for the bananas to still make these? I want to try these healthy little bites so bad while avoiding that pesky allergy.
Can you eat dates? You need something sticky and glue-like. I would soak 3 or 4 medium/large dates in water for an hour or so. Then blend them in a blender or something to create a paste/glue-like substance. You could also use raisins with the same principle but dates would be much better. You could even try omitting the banana all-together and not even replacing it with anything other than increased liquid sweetener but I fear they may be a little crumbly.
Take a look at these, too – similar idea, no bananas https://www.averiecooks.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/
Thanks so much! I will have to give dates a try! I’ve left out bananas before and you’re definitely right on the crumbliness without the sticky help of bananas.
LMK how it goes!
I made these tonight. I didn’t want to wait to chill the dough but I didn’t want to risk them spreading too much. So I used a large ice-cream scoop to divide the dough and dropped them into muffin cups. They came out perfect. Soft, chewy, not too sweet. I used a combo of dark chocolate chips and cranberries. They are delicious!! Thank you!! :)
Oh I am so glad they worked for you and good call on the muffin cup baking! That’s always a foolproof way to prevent spreading :) And Dark Choc Chips + Cran sounds wonderful!
I’m totally intrigued! I was reading all the “no this, no that” part of the post and I was starting to wonder what WAS in this recipe. SO glad the banana flavor doesn’t overwhelm the whole thing, and I love that you added peanut butter. With the chocolate chips, it sounds like a totally winning combo!
I know…I was beginning to wonder the same thing when I was typing it and I was the one that made them…LOL :)
These look absolutely delicious! I love that they’re just made from oats. I tried another recipe recently from a well-known site that was made from oats, but they were really crumbly. :-( I can’t wait to give yours a shot! I bet my daughters will love them too. :-D
Very interesting and I have a feeling I know the recipe you’re talking about. Ahem.
These are not crumbly and stick together, soft, moist, super chewy – you’d never know they were healthy and don’t call for any weird ingredients, either. LMK if you try them!
Oh wow! These look awesome :) I love healthy cookies!
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Healthy never looked so good :)
They probably even qualify as acceptable on your new regime, too! Still marveling at how good you are doing with that!
do I have to include crispy rice cereal? can I include a different cereal like cheerios? will that work the same way? :) x
The crispy rice cereal does ‘absorb’ some of the moisture really well, but you could use Cheerios, just crush them up a little bit. LMK how they turn out!
Just baked these up today after chilling the dough for 2 days. They taste FANTASTIC with just the perfect amount of sweetness. I know my dad is going to love them for his bday!
So glad you baked them up and they’re fantastic! Glad your dad will love them, too. And happy bday to him!
funny, I experimented with {healthy} cookies today. not quite as healthy as yours, and not nearly as gorgeous either:)
I’m sure yours are wonderful!
I love cookies that I can feel good about! These sound amazing – anything with peanut butter is a win in my book!
Thanks, Megan!
DAMN, Averie – you work magic with your cookies. I can’t believe how healthy yet indulgent these are! They look absolutely wonderful – so thick, chewy and absolutely crammed with yummy goodness. Thank goodness you didn’t give up on trying to make a healthy cookie. My tastebuds and waistline thank you!
They are definitely packed to the max with texture and goodies!
These look incredible! We’re going on a long road trip this weekend and these would be the perfect snack for the car ride.
They are super chewy too, which prevents inhaling 5 in 5 minutes, which I am prone to on car trips :)
I made these last night and I LOVE them! I’m so surprised how subtle the banana flavor is and so guilt free! Thanks!
Thanks for LMK you tried them Rachel, and yes, very subtle – so subtle my hubs/kiddo didn’t even detect it. Glad you liked them!
These look incredible! And I love that they are so healthy. Going on my pinterest board stat! :)
thanks for pinning!
Thank you for doing your part to get me ready for swimsuit season – I need it!! The selling point list for your cookies is so long – how could I not try this recipe?! And I’m glad to hear the banana flavor is subtle – I’m not a big banana fan!
Very subtle! Hubs/kiddo didn’t even detect it at all!
These truly do look miraculous!! Mmm so chewy!
Hi! These cookies look really good and I’m always looking for new delicious healthy tteats. Can’t wait to try baking them. But I think I am going to try using a natural PB because we avoid trans-fats. I’ll let you know how they turn out!
Ok please do LMK because I am curious to know if they will hold/stay/stick together properly!
My kind of miracle :)
These are definitely miracle cookies. Oh my gosh!
My kids would go crazy for these!
First of all — Yes, yes, yes! These cookies look fantastic and I love that they are actually healthy — bravo!
Secondly, I’m loving the new design. :)
And FINALLY… what are you using for your recipe plug-in? I’m in the process of a very long redesign and am looking into others. Let me know! xo
Thanks on 1, and 2.
3. – Custom template with a Ziplist interface that Lindsay made for me!
these ARE miracle cookies – and they look like a darn tasty breakfast to me! so glad you re-visited this idea, Averie!
They’ve been a great breakfast for us, actually!
I love everything you have going on in these cookies! So much texture and ever so simple. I bet the rice cereal just brings these to another level! And I agree with you…honey or brown rice syrup are much healthier alternatives. My hubby likes the look of these (without the raisins) so I think I’ll make a batch just for him. They look so delicious! Like you could crumble them up in a bowl and pour milk over them and have thick chocolate cookie cereal! :-)
You could totally have thick chocolate cookie cereal with milk. I actually nuked them for 10 sec with a bit of maple syrup squirted over for like a pancake/cookie on the 2nd/3rd day when they werent quite as fresh and soft and it worked like a champ!
Pretty sure you nailed it on this one! Now if only I could keep a banana in the house….Between my hubby and growing daughter, we probably go through about 14 bananas in a week :)
I have a feeling I’d eat these all day long until they were gone.
Only 14? We go thru about…15 – 20 :)
And that’s not including if I decide to bake with them. Then I need another 2-3 :)
Girl, so glad you pressed onward and got into the kitchen to accomplish your healthy cookie! Best part? They look and probably taste just as good or better than your other awesome cookies. Cannot wait to bake these! Thank you, Averie! The world definitely needed this healthy cookie recipe of yours. :) Pinning… xo
Thanks for the Pin and the kind words!
Healthy cookies that look this amazing just must be made!!!!!
These do look like miracle cookies, love them!
YOU made a healthy cookie?!?! AWESOME. I have GOT to try this. It sounds like it is right up my ally too.
Of course, because I am not a normal human being, I don’t have liquid sweetener or storebrand pb, but I think I know a couple people who do. And a few grocery stores nearby as well. Although, believe it or not, I’ve been trying to chill out on the cookies. I was eating far FAR too many of them. As in, 25% of my caloric intake for the day from cookies…..
I put in a different email; let’s see if it works….
I always have a massive stash of sweeteners and PB. Homemade PB is great but for baking, gotta use the storebought for the thick results! And only 25% of your intake? Some days it’s more for me :)
Wow, Averie! These sounds awesome!! I just made your Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin cookies, but now I’m dying to make these. After all, these are better for my waistline and I’m sure taste just as good. Awesome recipe!! Keep the skinny cookie recipes coming. :)
And thanks for posting about the Thick & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – glad you tried them! And those cookies are actually pretty healthy, too! But these have them beat I think!
bravo!! These cookies make me feel like doing the slow clap in appreciation :) The perfect snack for getting ready for (terrifying) bathing suit season!
Averie, you’ve done it again! I have been thinking about trying to figure out something like this for a post-work, pre-run snack, but I am going to try yours first. I’m not sure I could improve upon this concept at all!
Thanks in advance if you try it and LMK!
Love that you used chocolate chips. So many times people pair raisins with oatmeal… only and it really bugs me for some baffling reason. And I agree – if it doesn’t taste good, why make it! These are great!
I’ve never made this type of cookie before, but I’m always up for trying something healthy and tasty! Great idea to use bananas. :)
You sold me on the selling points! :D These “healthy” cookies look deliciously appropriate for swimsuit season! *yikes*
OMG! Love this recipe. Was not too sure about it but I just made b/c I have all the ingredients. Plus I have the munchies today and need a healthy snack. OK, I ALWAYS have the munchies. Anyway, I put them in this bar baking sheet that my mom gave me for my bday. I didn’t refrigerate since I just pressed them into the squares. Looking forward to an awesome snack. I used half the agave b/c my banana was really ripe.
That’s awesome that you used a bar-baking sheet. I know the ones your talking about and this dough would work for that because it’s so thick. Glad that you tried it and hope you’ve got your munchies cravings handled for now :)
Get outta town! I have GOT to try these! Your new design is super lovely, too. Congrats!
Easy, simple ingredient list. Now I am loving that about this recipe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stumbled upon healthier recipes on blogs, in cookbooks, or anywhere really that call for the strangest ingredients ever. Like I’m going to go to the store jut to buy 1/4 cup of xylitol or something else strange. Real, pure ingredients is what I go after! These cookies look amazing Averie and the fact that they are chewy and soft and NOT cakey is truly a miracle. Woohoo! Pinned.
I know what you mean about the very random, obscure, hard to find ingredients. Nothing like that here. Things everyone has in their house at all times pretty much! And thanks for the Pin! Just saw 2 of your recipes, side by side, on TS. Go figure…and congrats :)
Beyond excited to try to make these!
I wasn’t sure how you were going to do it (with them being so healthy). But you did! They look and sound wonderful! Pinned them for later. Thanks!
And thanks for the Pin!
I can see why these cookies are called miracle cookies! Love how thick they are.
I’m constantly amazed by how huge and thick your cookies are, and these are no exception. I love that these are healthy!
After that list of what is NOT in this cookie, I was wondering what was actually in it! This looks really amazing, I will have to share it with my GF sister-in-law.
I am sorry but must point out the bad choice of sweeteners in your recipe. Corn Syrup is the most unhealthy and unnatural sweetener.
There is nothing wrong with plain old sugars. I grew up with sugarcane and its juice and raw sugars that we made by boiling the juice and evaporating the water. The white sugar is simply more purified missing the various solids that give it the color and consistency.
Bottom line: Organic white or brown sugars are natural and sustainable.
I think you forgot to list “magic” in the ingredients, because I didn’t spot it there.
Duuuude, healthy cookies? Now that’s a miracle on its own. I want seventeen. That’s still healthy, right?
Exactly! Totally healthy still :)
Yep, I have to agree…these are a miracle! Love baking cookies and especially handing them to my fam without all the guilt! Averie, you’re the Cookie Queen!
Wow! Those do sound miraculous. and totally perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Ok, I am 100% making these, but I’m going to add some pretzel bits too because I like to live life on the edge! Oh man, these look so good!
Yay for healthy cookies! They look fabulous and love that no mixer is needed! I am going to make these for my lil guy now:) Thanks again for another stellar recipe Averie!:)
Just wanted to add that I made these cookies that day and they were amazing!!! So easy to whip up and best of all my lil guy loved them! Thanks for sharing the recipe again Averie :)
So happy to hear that you made them, and your lil guy loved them, too! That’s the best part, isn’t i! :)
These do sound like a miracle! I just might be whipping these up today…they sound perfect!
Love the name and the simplicity of these cookies! Pinning!
Thank you!
Okay, these are happening. No changes, no swaps. This recipe looks 100% perfect as is. They really do look like little miracles!!
LMK how they turn out!
Hooray for healthy cookies that don’t require stand mixers! And only 5 minutes prep time? I’m sold!
I am all about thick, chewy cookies with lots of texture. I love that you used the banana in place of the egg!!! What a great cookie!!!
thanks & I agree – no wimpy cookies need apply!
I’ll be making these soon.
I pinned them. And I only pin when I’m serious.
Seriously.
Keep me posted then! Thanks for the pin!
Yum! Easy and healthy! Count me in!!!
Averie you read my mind! I need a bday gift for my dad and naturally I’d like to bake something, but I was looking for a sort of healthy granola bar and it was impossible to find. These cookies are just perfect! Now I’m not overloading him with “health food” and I won’t even tell him they’re good for ya!!
It sounds like these cookies are the best :) easy, healthy and fast. I like your ideas Averie.
I have such a sweet tooth (especially for cookies!), so it’s so nice to find a healthy recipe for a cookie. I’m so excited to give these a try!
Oh, Averie! I’m all over these cookies! I can almost taste them.
Yum! I love having some healthy cookies hiding out in the freezer for me!
Love that these cookies are so healthy! And they look so decadent and unhealthy. Always great when healthy cookies don’t taste healthy. Nice to see a big, thick cookie that’s vegan and gf – very hard to achieve.
Agreed – they are normally wimpy, flat, and thin looking. But not these babies…thick and chunky!
These look so good!!I love putting bananas in my cookies and oatmeal! I am a freak for both! So since these are healthy I can totally have them for breakfast! Right?? Haha!
Love these Averie!
I’ve been serving them for breakfast actually! They’re enough like a granola bar that I figure, what the heck!
Oh and P.S:
That cutting board of yours feels like family to me by now!! :)
It’s my favorite board. I love it :)
Oh, my kind of cookie!! Thanks to chocolate covered Katie I discovered some new cookies that did’t need any further healthyfication, and now this!!
They look perfect.
My favourite healthy cookie is actually a brownie..my healthy version of my mom’s tradicional family recipe!
Those look fantastic. I think I say that all the time though! I actually like the combo flavor of raisins with chocolate. I think the sweetness from the raisins offsets the chocolate. I have a recipe using chickpeas and peanut butter for cookies that’s relatively healthy, fast, easy, yummy.
They’re totally your kind of cookies – vegan, GF, healthy, no sugar. I can see you getting on board with these!
I love it! This is a cookie I could definitely see myself nibbling on as a snack, and a very healthy one at that! I’ve been experimenting with low-sugar cookie recipes lately, so this is very timely. So far, I’ve had best results with a mix of honey and liquid stevia. Anyhow, awesome job with these, Averie!
Honey + liquid stevia is a good combo and I know it’s not ‘healthy’ (but neither is a cup of white sugar) but when I’m experimenting with things like this and not sure if it’s going to work overall, I use light-colored corn syrup b/c it’s cheap and then if I like the overall results, I will remake if I want with honey or something else.
The ripe mashed banana is seriously making me happy in these cookies!
WOW! With that list AND they taste good… totally a miracle! Love the use of rice cereal! Pinned to try!!
Thanks for the Pin and knowing you, you will love them!
I´m quite addicted to store bought cookies that are whole wheat with chocolate and oats, and could never find a recipe to try to make a substitution for them at home that didn´t involve a lot of sugar and butter. Now this sounds like the answer Averie! So tempting and healthy! I´ll try them very, very soon. Like today.
Oh Wow! If you do try them today or soon, please LMK what you use and how they go for you!
I can see why you call these miracle cookies! Love a healthy dessert option like these little gems! Awesome recipe :)
Thanks, Colleen. Every once in awhile I try to do a healthier option. To make up for all those jars of butterscotch/white choc PB :)
I love a healthy dessert–but not if it’s blah or if I can’t detect at least a little sweetness. It looks like you’ve come up with a real winner here –I’ll have to give these a try. They do remind me of a granola bar cookie–and they are so thick and full of texture…oats, banana and chocolate always work. I do like baking with banana–I think it helps keep things soft.
And the bonus is that the banana is barely detectable, which is nice – I wanted chocolate chip/oatmeal cookies, not banana cookies, ya know! And they are a granola bar-cookie, for sure!
I’ll take a miracle cookie ~ heck i’ll take a few dozen. Yum!
They are your kind of cookie – natural, not too sweet, and I wish I could bring you a dozen!
I always LOVE a healthy cookie recipe, but get tired of the banana flavor taking over so often. Interesting that a homemade nut butter won’t work as nicely . . . thanks for the tip on that. I never would have suspected that big of a difference, and knowing me, I would have used my almond butter instead of peanut butter. They look amazing and the simple ingredient list is fabulous!
Glad you like them and yes, very simple ingredient list and I assure you, the banana flavor is super subtle. Husband and kiddo couldn’t even detect it, even after I told them. And although you could try AB or a homemade nut butter, I really think it will turn into a mess and not set up as well…but if you experiment, LMK!