Easy vegan oatmeal cookies studded with dark chocolate chunks and the perfect crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside texture!
Hello there Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies!
Notice that the word chunk is not chip. And the word oatmeal is not grain-free. That’s because we are kicking it back to old school FOF style. One-upping the humble chocolate chip cookie with hunky chunks. Adding a little breakfast flair à la oatmeal. Putting my almond flour obsession on pause long enough to remember that we love oat flour too. But not holding back with the almond butter because nutty fats = crispy edges. Tossing in an applesauce option for you my low-fat cookie lovers. Chunking in that rough-chopped dark chocolate. And, not to sound dramatic but, pulling them out of the oven more than a little awestruck by the toasty perfection that awaits.
We’re talking the kind of golden edges that are worth burning your fingers for to get them to your face faster. The kind that beg to be on insta. The kind that make the non vegan/gf cookies of your youth jealous. The kind that make you want to bake batch after batch just to experience that glorious oven-opening moment on repeat.
If you can’t tell I’m a little smitten.
And that batch I tested with peanut butter…more than a little smitten.
There is a lot more to love than just the edges though. Like how they can be made CRISPY or CHEWY to fit your cookie mood.
Nut butter > crispy cookie. Freshly baked for the full 15, they are borderline crunchy. In a very satisfying, impossible to eat without crumbs, perfect for dunking in milk kinda way. But take them out a couple of minutes early or wait until day two, and they soften juuuuuuuust a little to a very YUM place.
Applesauce > chewy cookie. Lower fat and less crunch, but still beautifully golden on the outside of a soft and oaty interior. I like these best the first day, after that they lose the contrast and are chewy all the way through.
More things to love:
- just 8 ingredients, nothing fancy.
- one bowl and 10 minutes (if even!)
- gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free.
- chocolate chunks.
- healthier than your average cookie.
- did I mention the chocolate chunks?
- very shareable…or not.
Happy gloriously golden-edged cookie-making to you!
Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Easy vegan oatmeal cookies studded with dark chocolate chunks and the perfect crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside texture!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (130g) almond butter (*see notes for applesauce option)
- 1/3 cup (115g) maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup (80g) rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (60g) oat flour
- 1/4 cup (35g) dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond butter (or applesauce), maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the oat flour, oats, and baking soda. Mix to form a thick dough.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Drop spoonfuls of batter onto a pan lined with parchment paper. Press lightly to flatten.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350F.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before eating.
- Keep in an airtight container, ideally in the fridge, for up to a week.
Notes
*For the applesauce version, replace the almond butter with 1/4 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce and add an extra 1/2 cup (60g) oat flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 18
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: baking, easy, cookies, chocolate, gluten-free, vegan, dessert, snack
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It looks delicious! Do you think it could work with date syrup instead of maple?
Yep absolutely! Date syrup though, not date paste 🙂
I have a feeling I should triple the batch! Easy, fast prep, and simple, affordable ingredients – what’s not to love? I must confess burning my fingers on hot, fresh-from-the-oven edges is a real problem around here but I will gladly endure burns for delicious cookies 😉 It’s just a necessary sacrifice. Oh, and I’m already anticipating pouring a tall glass of almond milk and making myself a generous plateful of these beauties!
I mean the words “chocolate chunk” = automatic triple batch, duh! Haha I have burnt many impatient cookie loving fingers too, especially when there’s chocolate involved because that melty gooeyness😬 These were made for milk, with homemade almond milk would just be insanely good🍪🍪 happy monday Ashley!
Every Monday that involves cookies is a HAPPY Monday!!!
Can you use peanut butter for this?
Absolutely! That would be delish here 🙂
Yum! Ok, ok, but what does one do if they want to use a nut butter/applesauce combo?? Blasphemous?
WHOA. How did I not account for that…but I like it. I’d try 1/4 cup nut butter, 2 tbsp applesauce, and 3/4 cup oat flour. Let me know how it goes, I’m curious now 🙂
That’s what I did, and it came out great!
★★★★★
Hi! I used almond butter/applesauce combo but it came out a bit too sweet for me. The applesauce I made was sweet even without sugar and I forgot to reduce the amount of honey. Is there something I can do to fix the dough? I put the dough in the ref for the meantime.
Ah didn’t consider that your applesauce might be sweetened🙈 Hmm theres really no way to take out sweetness now and adding more flour to offset will just make them dry, so I’m afraid your just going to have to fix it next time around. SOrry!
What if we don’t have oat flour? Can I make that by blending some rolled oats? Use regular flour? Thanks in advance!
Either will work! But I always make my own oat flour by just grinding oats, as long as you have a pretty powerful blender that’s what I would recommend 🙂
I used my grandmas quick 1 minute oats and pulverized them in my blender! I used peanut butter and wow the cookies were delicious. I made it a dozen, half with chocolate and half without, my whole family enjoyed them! Thanks for such a yummy recipe! 🙂
★★★★★
Woohoo!! I am so happy the DIY oat flour worked and that you all enjoyed them🤗🍪🍪 I have to try them without the chips maybe with cinnamon added too, that sounds delicious. Thanks for the feedback Yvonne!
Ok, I left a really long comment on here earlier but now it’s gone, did it not go through?? Aww man, dang. Well I was coming back to tell you I’m making these bad boys tonight! Will report back girl! When you post something with maple syrup, almond butter, oats and chocolate…well, don’t twist my arm! Ha!
Okay so no clue what wordpress’s problem is, but I am so excited for you to try them. You are a pro at the oil-free but perfect textured cookies, so not gonna lie I’m kinda feeling the pressure right now ha. Can’t wait to hear…🤗
Yeah, so weird, it was a long comment but forgive me, I’m too lazy to type it all out again, haha. Anyways, I tagged you on my IG stories but these were DELICIOUS. It is definitely my favorite recipe of yours I’ve tried so far. You had me at 8 ingredients, almond butter and syrup and chocolate…all my favorite things. I have now eaten 4,LOL. I know you are mostly grain-free now but I’m all about the oat recipes so this one is what got me excited! I loved the crispy edges and chewy texture and OH, I double the chocolate chunks..haha, I’m so bad but it was so good! Thank you Natalie!
I am seriously so thrilled that you liked them, totally made my day to see them in your stories you are the best🤗🤗 These were a good reminder that with nut butter oat flour baking can be totally decadent and rich too, I need to get back to the oaty recipes! And a big HELL YES to the double chunks🙌 Always! Thank you so much Brandi❤️
Nat these were fabulous, super quick and easy. My son told me: These WILL be eaten tonight and they sure were..everyone loved them!! Chewy and warm and little crisp..just perfect. Thanks Woman!
★★★★★
Woohoo!! Thanks so so much for sharing them over on FB, I’m always excited to see you tagged me in a post and get your feedback, Estee🤗 Mmm aren’t they just marvelous while still warm. I would say enjoy, but since they are all gone now…ha😆
These look awesome! I usually try to avoid too much sugar (syrups, etc.), however. Do you think these would work with a whole food like banana or dates?
You could use dates or date paste, but that will completely change the texture and make them much more soft and chewy instead of crispy. I have a few other date-sweetened chocolate chip cookie recipes that may be better though: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/almond-flour-chocolate-chip-cookies/ or https://www.feastingonfruit.com/easy-vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies/
I am so excited to try these!! Love anything with oatmeal and chocolate 🙂
Thanks for checking them out Audra, and I’m right there with ya🍫🍪
Wow! These cookies look amazing, and I can’t wait to give them a try. I can’t believe that I haven’t known about your blog before now. Recipes look SO good!
Blessings & Kale,
Terri
Hi Terri! Well I am so happy you did find me now, welcome😊 I hope you find quite a few yummy things to try, but I think these cookies would be a perfect place to start!
Oh yeah! I’m definitely onboard for this one. Just have to blitz up a little oat flour.
Thanks!
Woohoo! My whole family loved them, so I can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Can’t believe I’m going to be one of “those people” but here goes…can the oat flour be subbed with a grain free flour, like tapioca, arrowroot, cassava, coconut, etc.?
Ha no worries, Cris. I didn’t give a grain-free option here because i figured with the rolled oats it was kind of a moot point, but cassava flour would be fine here. Tapioca/arrowroot alone would be too gummy, and coconut alone would be too crumbly, but the combo could work!
What portions for cassava flour or tapioca/coconut flours would be substituted to be grain-free for rolled oats and oat flour? Thanks! Ready to bake!
I haven’t tried it, but I would recommend cassava flour over coconut flour. I’d try 1 cup cassava flour in place of the oats and oat flour, and you could add 1/4 cup nuts or coconut for extra texture if you want. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for your suggestions! I’m so looking forward to making them with cassava flour, unsweetened coconut, and dark chocolate chunks!
!
That sounds like an awesome combo (you’re inspiring me now…), let me know how they turn out!
I wish the star rating didn’t limit us to only 5! Can I give you more than 5 exclamation points? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Years ago, one of the women’s magazines, maybe Ladies’ Home Journal, had an article each month called “Can This Marriage Be Saved?” While I’m not having marital problems, my husband and I were having different cravings for a much-needed batch of cookies. He was craving oatmeal, I was craving chocolate chip. What to do? Well, along comes Natalie to the rescue. Can Divergent Cookie Cravings Be Saved/Satisfied? YUP! This recipe does the trick. Easy to make. Crispy after 15 minutes. Not overly sweet. Such a great texture. Sometimes oatmeal cookies just feel kind of virtuous, like more for breakfast with their raisins and cinnamon. But this feels like a dessert treat, albeit one that’s twenty times healthier and more delicious than from any store or bakery.
You’ve done it again!
★★★★★
Hahaha!! Oh Ellen, I love this comment so much😂❤️ I started reading like where on earth is she going with this, but cookie compromising is a very important issue in any relationship and I am so happy this oatmeal WITH chocolate chunk recipe could come through for you guys! I totally feel you on the most oatmeal cookies = breakfast cookie, which can be good but not when you want rich/desserty. I am so happy you liked them, thanks for the feedback and the laugh. Happy friday🤗
Is it weird to say that these cookies are beautiful?!? Haha! They really do look perfect. Chunks are way more fun than regular old chocolate chips 😉 especially fresh out of the oven (burn the roof of your mouth and tongue) because that melt-y goodness is worth it! Then we’ve got the almond butter and maple syrup…I know these cookies will be amazing! Crispy on the outside, tender in the center is my favorite kind of cookie! As always, I watched the video with Willow and she declared that these need to be made. (She wanted me to tell you that she really likes the music!) So I’m guessing I’ll have some feedback for you this weekend ❤️ Happy Friday, Natalie!
Oh yes, chunks > chips always. Although I made a batch with mini chips and that was pretty fun too🤗 I brought some to my family when I went home a couple of days ago and they devoured them. Even my mom who usually isn’t an oatmeal cookie fan…almond butter + maple syrup can win over anyone hehe. They feel like a very Willow kinda recipe, so I hope they happen and you both enjoy. But even if not, happy weekend to you! xo
AMAZING COOKIES!!! I had all the ingredients in my kitchen, oat flour is so easy to make at home. AMAZING ingredients. Have been looking for an oil-free cookie recipe that tastes delicious and finally found one!!! 5+ stars honestly!!!
★★★★★
Woohoo!! I am so so happy you liked them🤗 These are my favorite oil free cookies to date too, I can’t wait to try more variations. Enjoy and thanks for the awesome feedback!
Thank you for including a nut-free option with the apple sauce!
Absolutely! It does change the texture a bit, but still really really yummy 🙂 Enjoy!
I just made these beauties and might I say they are absolutely phenomenal. From the flavor to the texture everything about them is absolutely perfect. If I had not known what the ingredients were I would have never guessed in a million years that these are gluten free, sugar-free and vegan. You are truly a magical wizard Natalie. Thank you for gracing us with your incredible recipes.
★★★★★
I am so happy you loved them!! I was totally amazed how much they tasted like the classic oatmeal cookies I grew up with too, but such simple and much healthier ingredients🤗 Thank you for the kind words and support!
First of all, can I just say how much I appreciate that you placed “chocolate chunk” before “oatmeal” in the name? I feel like it prioritizes the ingredients in the cookie… if you know what I mean 🙂 chocolate lover over here!
Can’t wait to taste these! Beautiful, as always!