Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies

If you love a chunky oatmeal cookie but you’re looking for a healthier version, this is the recipe for you! In this post I’m going to show you how to make delicious gluten free oatmeal cookies!

I don’t know about you, but I love a good oatmeal cookie. I love the texture—the chunky oats, the “bite” of the nuts, and the sweet flavor of the craisins. 

I make a really good oatmeal cookie, if I do say so, myself.. It’s my most requested cookie. And I will choose an oatmeal cookie over a chocolate chip nearly every time, (though I have a great CC cookie recipe, too). 

Over the past two weeks I’ve been on a quest to improve my health. I’m not really dieting, per se, but I’m trying to eat in a healthier way. That means I’m trying to eat more whole/real foods. 

I thought about that as I craved my oatmeal cookies tonight. The original recipe has two full cups of sugar—one cup of white granulated and another full cup of brown sugar. 

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar!

I made the decision to go with coconut palm sugar. I knew the flavor would work with this recipe. But the fact that it’s a darker sugar meant it would help with the coloration, too. 

I opted for far less of it. Coconut sugar is pretty sweet, so I figured that would be enough. 

But, what to do about the flour situation? I’m off of white all purpose flour, at least for the most part. But I’ve been baking more and more with gluten-free all purpose, as well as almond flour. 

I’ve had great luck merging the two in a couple of recent recipes, including my pecan sandies and my Blueberry scones. Those turned out great. 

With that in mind, I decided that same combination would work here, too. This is a dense, nutty cookie, so the almond flour would give it a great texture. And the gluten-free all-purpose would counterbalance that. 

I stumbled over the butter addition, but in the end I decided that real butter was probably healthier than some of the substitutes I could have chosen. I toyed with the idea of coconut oil, but didn’t want these cookies to be over-the-top with coconut flavor. (The palm sugar was already tipping the recipe in that direction.) 

Enough chatter! Let’s look at what you’ll need to bake these delicious cookies: 

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick look at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store. 

• room temperature butter (salted or unsalted butter, your choice)
• coconut palm sugar
• vanilla extract (not pictured)
• large eggs
• almond flour
• gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill flour but you can use your favorite brand)
• baking powder (gluten-free version, not pictured)
• rolled oats (certified gluten-free oats)
• craisins (or chopped dates)
• chopped pecans

Note: I don’t recommend quick oats or steel cut oats for this recipe. Old-fashioned oats are best.

How to Make Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies (Almond Flour version)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prepare a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. 

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment), cream your butter. Make sure you mix until it’s light and fluffy. 

Add vanilla, coconut sugar, and continue to mix. 

Now add in the eggs. You’ll have a fairly loose batter with a lovely amber color. 

Now it’s time to add the dry ingredients. 

Add in the almond flour, all-purpose gluten-free flour, and baking powder. Mix well. 

Add 2 cups of rolled oats and mix well. 

Now for the good stuff! Mix in the chopped pecans and Craisins. Mix only until it comes together. 

Use a cookie scoop to create balls of dough to place on your baking sheet.

Once you’ve filled the tray, place it into the fridge for about 10 minutes for the dough to firm up. 

Remove from oven and, for best results, press down with the palm of your hand. 

Bake for 11 – 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. 

Place cookie sheet on a cooling rack to come to room temperature. Don’t try to handle these too soon. These flours aren’t quite as sturdy as the gluten-filled ones. 

Once cooled, it’s time to serve and enjoy! 

Store leftover healthy oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. 

You can scoop dough balls and place them in the freezer in a ziplock freezer bag up to two months. That way you can have cookies, hot from the oven, whenever friends or family members come over. 

What to Expect from these Almond Flour Oat Cookies

Well, let me just start by putting your mind at ease: they’re delicious. They have that same chunky, chewy texture you’ve come to enjoy in an oatmeal cookies and they’re sweet. They’ve even got crispy edges!

The texture of the dough is lovely. Almond flour gives what I sometimes call a “grainy” feel, but I mean that in a good way. It works with the oats and nuts. 

And can I just pause to sing the praises of those Craisins? Because this cookie doesn’t have as much sugar as my original version it really needed something to sweeten it up. Those little dehydrated cranberries are just the ticket. 

I’m so glad I’ve finally got a gluten-free cookie option. Options are good! And these chewy almond flour oatmeal cookies are now high on my list of healthy options!

Variations on this Recipe

Less flour, more oats: If you like, you can add 3 cups of oats and cut back a little on the flours. (My original recipe calls for more oats.)

Coconut: If you want to go all the way with the coconut theme you can work in a cup of shredded coconut, along with the coconut palm sugar and perhaps even some coconut oil in place of some of the butter. 

Raisins: It probably goes without saying that you can easily substitute raisins for the Craisins. 

Walnuts: I love adding walnuts in place of pecans in my cookies. They would be great in this recipe. 

Dark Chocolate Chips: I think these cookies would be delicious with dark or milk chocolate chips.

Maple syrup: If you like, you can add a bit of maple syrup to the recipe for added flavor and sweetness.

Other Healthy Options from Out of the Box Baking

Healthy Bran Muffins with Peanut Butter: If you’re looking for a tasty muffin that you won’t have to feel guilty about, you’ve come to the right place. These bran muffins start with ground oats and finish with a dash of peanut butter, just enough to add flavor and texture.

Healthy Banana Pancakes: These delicious flavor-packed banana pancakes are loaded with protein and antioxidants and they’re easy to make. Best of all, they’re gluten-free!

Healthy Cinnamon Apple Muffins: These muffins are packed with oats, real apple, cinnamon, and even a banana. (Hey, basically a fruit salad with some oats thrown in!)

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. This is one of those tasty cookie recipes you’ll turn to again and again!

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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See this recipe at 

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

The Lazy Gastronome

Busy Monday 

About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.