6-Ingredient Healthy Apple Oatmeal Cookies made with wholesome ingredients for a health-conscious treat. These apple cinnamon cookies are so easy to make and are flourless, dairy-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free.
Welcome to the most unassuming cookie recipe!
You’d never guess these healthy apple oatmeal cookies are fashioned out of just 6 simple ingredients, are flourless, egg-free and contain a small amount of natural sweetener.
This delicious treat is a breeze to prepare, making these baked cookies a stellar baking project for kids and baking novices. No baking experience necessary!
Plus, they’re basically the best assertive hug for your tastebuds.
That iconic oatty deliciousness paired with chunks of apple and a generous amount of cinnamon makes these chewy cookies positively irresistible!
The recipe for these healthy cookies is a spin off of my 6-Ingredient Healthy Apple Bars with a few small changes.
No unsalted butter, light brown sugar, all purpose flour or stand mixer necessary! Just nutritious ingredients and a mixing bowl is all you need.
If you love apple cinnamon flavors and are a fan of oatmeal cookies, these tasty cookies will be an instant staple in your life!
Let’s discuss the fresh healthy ingredients in this apple cinnamon oatmeal cookie recipe.
Ingredients for Apple Oatmeal Cookies:
Ripe Bananas: Overripe bananas make up a good portion of the sweetness in these healthier apple oatmeal cookies. They bring volume, moisture, creaminess and delightful sweetness to keep the cookies lower in sugar. Can you taste the banana in these cookies? Yes! I think it adds to the fruity flavor and gives them that familiar homemade baked good vibe.
The mashed bananas can be replaced with ⅔ cup of unsweetened applesauce if you prefer.
Unsweetened Almond Butter: Almond butter takes the place of eggs and butter in this oatmeal cookie recipe, providing healthy fat and also stickiness. It helps bind the ingredients together while creating a chewy texture and rich flavor.
If you prefer peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter over almond butter, feel free to make the swap.
Pure Maple Syrup: A little pure maple syrup goes a long way in bringing sweetness and yummy maple flavor to this fall treat.
Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats provide that iconic oat flavor in addition to complex carbohydrates and whole grains. These flourless oatmeal cookies don’t require any additional all-purpose flour or binding agents.
I recommend sticking with old-fashioned oats rather than quick oats (also known as quick-cooking oats). I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
Fresh Apples: Granny smith apples provide an infusion of cozy fall flavors. The delicious sweet flavor and fun texture brings all the fall feels to these delicious chewy oatmeal cookies. All types of apples will work here, including pink lady apples, gala apples, fuji apples, and other sweet apples.
Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon graces these delicious oatmeal cookies with warm, inviting flavor. If you want to get fancy, you can use pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice instead.
Salt: That rock star ingredient that enhances the flavors of every other ingredient. Salt also makes baked goods taste sweeter without the need for excess sugar.
Optional Additions:
- If you have pure vanilla extract on hand, feel free to add 1 teaspoon to the cookie dough.
- Add in 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup of dried fruit like raisins for more flavor, texture, and sweetness to this chewy cookie.
- For sweeter cookies, add a couple tablespoons of golden brown sugar or coconut sugar.
Now that we’re familiar with the simple ingredients for apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies, let’s bake a batch!
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mash the bananas in a large bowl until they’re creamy.
Stir in the pure maple syrup and almond butter until the wet ingredients are well combined. Note: If your almond butter is cold and/or hard (rather than well-stirred), microwave it for 20 to 30 second or until it stirs easily.
Add the rolled oats, ground cinnamon, and sea salt to the mixing bowl (dry ingredients).
Mix well until everything is combined, then stir in the fresh diced apple. Note: you can use grated apples instead of chopped apples if you prefer.
Drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets and shape them into cookie shapes. You can go with any size cookie dough balls you like! I make 7 huge cookies. The oatmeal cookie dough will stay the same shape you place them on the cookie sheet and won’t spread a whole lot.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. For smaller cookies, bake 10 to 12 minutes and for larger cookies, bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet completely before using a spatula to remove them from the cookie sheet.
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container (or a zip lock bag) in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also store them at room temperature for up to 3 days if you don’t live in a very hot or humid place. These cookies freeze well! Simply freeze them in a large gallon freezer bag for up to 3 months.
The next time you’re craving a batch of homemade oatmeal cookies, try this apple version for a fun changeup. It’s a great addition to your go-to cookie recipes and apple desserts arsenal. Plus, these soft oatmeal apple cookies can easily be made year round, not just this time of year.
Also try my 5-Ingredient Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies for a blueberry version or my 6-Ingredient Healthy Pear Oatmeal Cookies!
If you love recipes with oats, try these gems.
More Healthy Oatmeal Recipes:
- Healthy Pear Oatmeal Crumb Bars
- 5-Ingredient Flourless Oatmeal Pumpkin Bars
- Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins
- Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Bread
- Oatmeal Banana Zucchini Muffins
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Enjoy these delicious chewy apple oatmeal cookies any time your sweet tooth strikes!
Healthy Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas mashed (⅔ cup)*
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2/3 cup unsweetened almond butter
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl until they’re creamy.
- Stir in the pure maple syrup and almond butter until the wet ingredients are well combined. Note: If your almond butter is cold and/or hard (rather than well-stirred), microwave it for 20 to 30 second or until it stirs easily.
- Add the rolled oats, ground cinnamon, and sea salt to the mixing bowl (dry ingredients).
- Mix well until everything is combined, then stir in the fresh diced apple. Note: you can use grated apples instead of chopped apples if you prefer.
- Drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets and shape them into cookie shapes. You can go with any size cookie dough balls you like! I make 7 huge cookies. The oatmeal cookie dough will stay the same shape you place them on the cookie sheet and won't spread a whole lot.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. For smaller cookies, bake 10 to 12 minutes and for larger cookies, bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet completely before using a spatula to remove them from the cookie sheet.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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So I have to tell you how I modified these yummy cookies! I had some strawberry from my garden and some cashew butter that needed attention,so I made a double batch with about half and half cashew butter and almond butter ,1 tsp each cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and probably 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice the strawberry was approximately as much as 2 chopped apples didn’t measure but yummy yummy yummy delicious . thanks for the recipe.
Ooh, all of that sounds so amazing! I love the idea of using strawberries and cashew butter! Plus, the cardamom and nutmeg must have been amazing 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
These cookies are soooo good! I have made them several times and added chopped pecans today. Appreciate the suggestion to shred the apples, worked great. Delicious for breakfast with some Greek yogurt. Thanks for all your healthy and fun recipes!
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Patty! This is one of my treats I repeat over and over because I just love how tasty they are! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo
These are delicious! I replaced the almond butter with peanut butter powder mixed with water (until it achieves desired thickness) to cut down the fat and boom. Thank you!
Ooh, I love that idea!! I’ll have to try it using your method soon – I’m sure a lot of people would love a lower-fat version!
Can I reduce the amount of oats and add in some almond flour or tapioca flour?
Hi Elaine! I love that idea! I haven’t tried it myself so I’m not sure how much to use, but I would add the same amount of almond flour/tapioca flour as you take out of oats. Let me know how it works out!
I reduced the sugar amount and made this into a sheet bake for my son. Turned out AMAZING! This will be a regular in our home. Love your site — it’s our go-to for all types of recipes.
Wahoo! So thrilled you enjoy it, Allison! That’s also great to know they’re tasting great with less sweetener – I love using less sugar in all of my treats, so this is awesome! xo
Is there an alternative for almond butter?
Hi Kate! Any well-stirred nut or seed butter will work. Cashew butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, etc. Hope you love them!
@Kate, Hi! I made mine with sunflower seed butter and or peanut butter multiple times and they turned out to be yummy! Enjoy😋
Wahoo! Thanks so much for reporting back!
These are wonderful cookies but I cannot tell when they are actually done. I end up cooking them for more than 20 minutes sometimes, for even 10 cookies. What’s the secret?
Hi Steve! For 10 cookies, I would bake for 15 minutes. Do they seem like they aren’t firm after 15? Because the recipe doesn’t contain butter or eggs, you don’t need to worry about them being fully cooked. In my experience, the cookies hold up well and stay held together when baked for 10-15 minutes. If they seem firm in the center, they’re good to go! Hope this helps!
Nice work! I was looking for something to replace the granola bars in my pantry. Less plastic is always a good thing! Will make these many more times!
Wahoo! So happy to hear it, Starr! Thanks for the sweet note! xo
My three-year-old grandson adored these cookies. His mom is bringing him up vegan, so this healthy fat addition to his diet is a blessing. These are soft and melt in his mouth.
I’m so thrilled to hear it! Thank you for swinging back around to let us know!! xoxox Happy Holidays!
Can we add honey or any other alternative you can suggest for maple syrup
Hi Richa! Honey will work as a 1:1 replacement for pure maple syrup. My one cautionary note is that honey burns at a lower temperature than pure maple syrup, so the cookies may require less time to bake. As long as you keep watch on them, it should be fine. You can also use coconut nectar or agave nectar as a replacement for pure maple syrup 🙂 Hope this helps!
I want to make these as an ice cream sandwich. Cinnamon or vanilla ice cream.
OOOH, that sounds amazing! I hadn’t thought of that, but I think they would turn out delicious! xo
Can you use oat flour? How much oat flout would you need?
Hi there! I haven’t tested the recipe using any type of flour, so I’m not sure how much you would need or how they would turn out. Feel free to let me know if you try them using oat flour! xo
I just grind up fresh almonds with a little water, pumpkin spice, and maple syrup. Delish on its own or dipped with apples or spread on graham crackers.