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Gluten-free oatmeal cookies are a wholesome treat that everyone will love. Whether you’re gluten intolerant or simply looking for a healthier option, these cookies will quickly become a favorite!
These chewy cookies are adapted from my original oat flour chocolate chip cookies. In this version, some oat flour is replaced by rolled oats for added texture.
You’ll love that this recipe requires no specialty gluten-free flours or blends. In fact, you can make homemade oat flour simply by blending oats in a blender!
Gluten-Free Tip
Oats are naturally gluten-free but can experience contamination during processing. Shop for certified gluten-free oats if needed.
Swap the butter for refined coconut oil if you need a dairy-free recipe. Refined coconut oil will add zero coconut flavor, but use virgin coconut oil if you enjoy the coconut taste.
Need an egg-free cookie recipe? Try substituting a flax egg for an egg. The cookies will turn out slightly softer with this swap, but they will still be delicious.
How to Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine one stick (4 oz.) softened butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. (White or light brown sugar will also work.)
Use a spatula to cream these together, then add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix again.
Next, add the dry ingredients, starting with 1 1/2 cups of oat flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Mix until the cookie dough looks smooth.
Then fold in 1/2 cup of rolled oats and 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
Cinnamon Raisin variation
For a cinnamon-raisin gluten-free oatmeal cookie, swap the chocolate chips for raisins and add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the cookie dough. You can also add extra warm spices, like a pinch of nutmeg or ginger.
Use a heaping tablespoon or cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the lined pan. Leave 1 to 2 inches of space between the dough balls to allow for spreading.
Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes. For cookies with a soft middle, remove the cookies at the 8-minute mark, when the centers look slightly undercooked. They will continue to cook and firm up as they cool on the pan.
For crispier cookies, let them bake for 10 mintues then cool complately on the pan. (Note: Using white sugar also creates crispier cookies that spread more, if that is your goal.)
You should get roughly 24 gluten-free oatmeal cookies from this batch, which means you’ll need to bake them on two baking sheets or in two batches. I like to freeze half of the cookie dough to save for later.
Storage Tip
These cookies have the best flavor and texture when served at room temperature. However, they will start to dry out over time, so it’s best to store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They should last up to a week if you don’t eat them all before then!
Tips for Freezing Cookie Dough
If you love a freshly baked cookie, make this part of your meal prep routine!
- Scoop the prepared cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet or plate that will fit on a flat shelf in your freezer. Make the dough balls just like you’re going to bake them, but instead of putting them in the oven, place them in the freezer to firm up.
- After 1 hour or more, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a freezer bag or container. (This will preserve their flavor.)
- When you’re ready to bake the frozen cookie dough, place as many frozen dough balls as you want to bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let them thaw at room temperature as your oven preheats, about 20 minutes.
- Bake at 350ºF for about 8 to 10 minutes.
The frozen cookie dough might not spread as much as when it was freshly made, making the centers gooey. To avoid this, flatten the thawed cookie dough slightly before baking.
Looking for more gluten-free cookie recipes? Try Buckwheat Cookies, Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies, or Chickpea Flour Cookies.
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened butter (see notes)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups oat flour (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup chocolate chips or raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar.
- Next, add the egg and vanilla extract and stir again. Then add in the oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until the dough looks uniform, with no visible clumps. Fold in the oats and chocolate chips. (If you prefer to use raisins, you may want to also add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.)
- Use a heaping tablespoon or cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the prepared pan. (My cookie scoop is roughly 1 ½ tablespoons and yields 24 cookies from this batch.) Leave 1 to 2 inches of space between the cookie dough balls to allow for spreading.
- Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes. For cookies with a soft center, remove the cookies at 8 minutes and let them cool completely on the pan. For crispier cookies, let them bake for 10 minutes.
- These gluten-free cookies will feel more fragile when you serve them warm, but they will firm up as they cool. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for the best shelf life; oat flour will continue to dry out if you store these at room temperature for too long. You can also freeze the cookie dough and bake it later! (See notes for tips.)
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this gluten-free oatmeal cookies recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
Hi! I am going to try this recipe looks so amazing. I am wondering if I can replace the coconut sugar for maple syrup or honey? I am making these for somebody and they are allergic to coconut but the cookies have to be sugar. Any other suggestions on what I can swap the coconut sugar with?
Thanks.
Hi! The most similar swap would be brown sugar, if they can have that. Granulated sugar helps provide a chewy texture and makes the cookies spread. If you want to experiment with maple syrup, I’d start with less and might expect the texture to be a little softer and more cake-like.
These were delicious! Hit the spot without tasting overly sweet. Loved the doubling-up of the oats. My hubby scarfed most of them down before I could get my hands on them.
I used brown sugar instead of coconut sugar cause that’s all we had. And apparently my cookie scoop is ginormous cause I only got 12 cookies. I cooked them longer – about 15 mins total – and they came out perfect!
These are super yummy and taste as good as the regular cookies. My daughter loves to make them often. They do not last long!
Simple and delicious! Perfect for post outdoor snow play!
Thank you, i love that you have such a variety of options on your site for all types of eating. I agree healthy eating is important but a treat of occasional makes exactly that a treat , not a binge and – for me and my grandkids- something that is enjoyed and makes me enjoy the taste and post eating fulfilment of other foods, along with moderation. Please keep up what you are doing. (while i had no weight or health issues growing up my sibling did and having parent s focused on size and limiting what was allowed to be eaten contributed to her binge eating hiding food and stealing candy from shelves while walking thru stores. She has struggled and continues to have issues to this day – she is now in her 60’s. My grandkids enjoyed these each ate one for their after nap snack – i made them smaller- and followed with raw carrot ribbons and snow (cauliflower) trees from the snack plate. They are 3😀)
These turned out great, as do all your recipes!!! I love that you have a variety of recipe types so that if I’m looking for a healthier version of a cookie, I can find one. If I want one that’s slightly healthier than the typical chocolate chip cookie so that I can get my kids to eat a little better, you have that too. You have such a plethora of cookies, bars, etc. on here that I can always find whatever type I’m looking for! You’ve been my go-to for MANY years. Keep coming up with the variety of recipes, I love them all! And I love butter. 😁
We are always looking for more recipes that are made with oats/oat flour. My kids love oat everything! Simple oatmeal is a staple for breakfast. I love how you are always trying to find new ways to sweeten recipes and that you try to cater to your audience. You encourage and remind me to teach my kids to have a healthy relationship with food. Keep up the amazing work. You truly are an inspiration!
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Your recipes never disappoint me or my family of six!
Thank you!
There are plenty of recipes on the site, many made with other sweeteners and ingredients that you can choose from. While this recipe may not work for you, for another it may be a healthier alternative to a cookie recipe they’re using now.
Thank you for all you do, Megan! I appreciate the variety of recipes and ingredients you use. When we first started our clean eating journey, your blog was a staple. We’ve ebbed and flowed over the years on our journey but your website is still a resource I use regularly. Thank you!
THANK YOU for this recipe! You’re website is nothing short of amazing & it’s been my go to for meal ideas & healthy recipes for many many years. I live a gluten friendly, dairy free life & would go hungry without your site/wkly meal emails that always inspire 😊 Oh & your vegan cashew mac & cheese sauce is THE best vegan sauce out there. Full stop.
Everyone has their own idea of what “healthy eating” looks like & for me, your recipe collection is it 😊
Super appreciative of all you do 🙏 Keep up the good work
I am always happy to see and try new recipes on your site. It is wonderful to have a place to come to for good wholesome healthy recipes.
Thanks for that!
However, that is why I find it disappointing when the recipes contain unhealthy foods such as sugar. I understand that coconut sugar may not be as bad as other sugars, but honey or date syrup would be better (and more affordable).
Also not too happy about so much butter due to the high amounts of trans fats it contains. The substitution of refined coconut oil is also not too good, as it is an ultra processed oil full of trans fat without the goodness of virgin coconut oil.
Please can you do more healthy recipes?
Thanks
Hi Christina! I’ll keep your request for more honey-sweetened recipes in mind. As someone who suffered from a disordered relationship with food for over a decade, I have worked really hard to stop labeling certain foods as “unhealthy” because I think most foods can be a part of an overall healthy lifestyle. For example, since you get 24 cookies from this recipe, each one should have about a teaspoon of butter or coconut oil. I’m not going to sweat that, and I’m hoping to set a healthy balance for my kids.
With that being said, I do have a very healthy cookie recipe on website for you– try my Healthiest Cookies Ever, made with no coconut sugar or any butter or oil. You can also use the search bar at the top of my website to find recipes by ingredient– for example, honey or dates! Hope it’s helpful. ❤️