These healthy chocolate oatmeal cookies are thin, crispy and crunchy. They need just 4 ingredients and they don’t require any flour, eggs, refined sugar, or butter. The cookies are easy to make and store well.
I’ve spent this past week preparing some healthy snacks and meals as we get ready to start a new year. My family loves crispy oatmeal cookies and these chocolate flavored ones make a nice snack or dessert.
Ingredients
- Quick oats
- Cocoa powder
- Maple syrup
- Almond butter (or peanut butter)
Quick oats: Quick oats are rolled oats that are smaller and thinner. It is not the same as instant oats which have added sugar and other flavorings. Quick oats are pulsed in the food processor so that they become even more finely ground and start to resemble flour. You don’t want the oats to fully become flour though. The consistency should be a mix of very small oat pieces and flour. This consistency helps the cookies crisp up.
Cocoa powder: I recommend using dutch process cocoa powder which has a more rich cocoa flavor and isn’t as bitter. Since these cookies are only lightly sweetened, you do taste the cocoa powder and I find that natural cocoa powder can taste a little too bitter.
Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup is used to sweeten the cookies. I use maple syrup over honey because the cookies don’t get quite as crispy if you use honey.
Almond butter: I chose to make these with almond butter because almond butter has a more subtle flavor and once you add the cocoa, you don’t really taste the almond. You can substitute with natural peanut butter but you will taste some peanut butter flavor in your cookies. Make sure to use natural almond butter or natural peanut butter that has no added oils. This recipe will not work if the almond or peanut butter contains added oils. Sometimes peanut butter or almond butter are labeled natural but still include added oils so check the ingredient list on the packaging. If you need a nut-free substitute, you can try natural sunflower seed butter.
How to Make Crispy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- The quick oats are first pulsed until they become very small pieces and some of the oats are starting to become flour.
- The cocoa powder, maple syrup and almond butter are then mixed in.
- Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Flatten the dough to form thin round disks.
- The cookies are then baked in the oven.
Cookie Texture
These are meant to be healthier cookies so they won’t have the classic texture of crispy oatmeal cookies. The cookies have a texture more like biscuit cookies.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you use natural almond butter or natural peanut butter that does not contain any added oils. The cookie dough will not thicken properly and the cookies won’t come out crispy if you use nut butter with added oil.
- You can substitute honey for maple syrup. I prefer maple syrup for a crispier cookie, but the cookies will still work with honey.
- You can add a little more syrup if you prefer sweeter cookies.
More Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
- 4 Ingredient Crispy Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Crispy Honey Oatmeal Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
4 Ingredient Healthy Crispy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (70 g) quick oats
- 1 tbsp (6 g) dutch process cocoa powder
- 6 tbsp (96 g) natural almond butter or natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Add quick oats to a food processor. Pulse oats until they become very small and fine and start to partially become flour consistency. See photo in post for reference. I pulsed mine on high for about 30 seconds.
- Add cocoa powder, almond butter and maple syrup into the oat mixture. Pulse a few seconds until everything is evenly combined and the mixture becomes thick like a cookie dough.
- Using a 1 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing the dough balls about 2 inches apart. Roll each dough between your palms and then flatten the dough balls into thin round disks. You want the cookies to be fairly thin, about 1/8 inch thick and no more than 3/16 inch thick. The thinner the cookies are, the crispier they will be. The cookies do not spread much during baking, so shape them as you want the final outcome to be. I usually flatten the cookies first with my palm a few times and then smooth and shape the edges with the back of a spoon to make the cookies round.
- Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes or until the surface looks done and the edges turn slightly darker. Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. They will crisp up further as they cool.
Notes
- These are meant to be healthier cookies so they are only lightly sweetened. The texture is similar to a biscuit cookie. If you prefer sweeter cookies you can add another 1 tbsp of syrup. Adding too much will prevent the cookies from crisping up.
- You can substitute natural cocoa in place of Dutch process but I recommend Dutch process because it has a richer chocolate flavor and is less bitter. I used Rodelle Dutch process cocoa powder*
- Make sure to use quick oats and not instant oats. I used Happy Belly Quick Oats*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Make sure your natural almond butter has no added oils. Some brands label their almond butter as natural but still contain added oils so make sure to check the ingredient list on the packaging.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
