Healthy Almond Joy Oatmeal Cookies

 
This past weekend, it was just the girls — our little pup and me — at home. We spent lots of quality time playing fetch with her tiny walnut-sized tennis ball, walking around the block, and cuddling in bed. Waking up with her little face peering down into mine, “Is it time to get up yet? Are you up? Are you up?” was just the cutest thing!  

The few times I dashed out to the grocery store or ran over to Karen’s for pie, my heart melted a bit each time I patted her head goodbye. We only recently moved, so this new place doesn’t quite feel like home to her. Her tall ears bend over a little, making her look incredibly worried. “But… But… Can’t I come too?” she always seems to ask.

So whenever I open the front door, she’s always perched in the hall, listening and waiting. Once I close out the cold, she comes bounding over, acting as excited as if I’d been gone for a year, and jumps up, licks my shins, and begs for belly rubs. Her pure joy is the sweetest thing!
 

 
Just like these cookies! (I’m sneaky, huh?) They’re super sweet and full of joy too… Well, at least the chocolate, coconut, and almond flavors. They’re “Almond Joy” oatmeal cookies!

I’ve noticed how much readers love cookies, and oatmeal ones seem to be the most popular! Blueberry, raspberry, carrot cake, pineapple coconut, and now… Almond Joy joins the big cookie family! Just like the rest, these are clean eating friendly and made with entirely wholesome ingredients. Nothing processed, nothing overly refined — just pure healthy goodness.
 

QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY ALMOND JOY OATMEAL COOKIES

Difficulty: Mainly easy, including for many beginner bakers.

Taste: Sweet almond-flavored dough studded with bright coconut and rich chocolate, paired with a comforting backdrop of cozy oats.

Texture: Really chewy with plenty of soft oats and gooey chocolate chunks.
 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY ALMOND JOY OATMEAL COOKIES

Let’s go over what you’ll need to make these healthy almond joy oatmeal cookies! Since your kitchen cupboards probably hold common baking staples like baking powder and salt, we’ll mainly cover the more interesting and important ingredients.

Oats. First up, the oats. You’ll use instant oats, which are also called “quick-cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned ones, but in a pinch, you can make your own. Pulse the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender until they’re ⅛ to ¼ of their original size. That’ll make them much closer in size and thickness to instant oats!

Hint: Instant oats are not the kind sold in individual packets with flavors like apple cinnamon or maple brown sugar. Just like old-fashioned rolled oats, they only contain one ingredient: oats! Because they’re smaller and thinner in comparison, they soften faster, which gives these oatmeal cookies their exceptionally moist and chewy texture.

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy almond joy oatmeal cookies gluten-free, then use certified gluten-free instant oats. They work perfectly!

Flour. To make these oatmeal cookies healthier, I opted for whole wheat flour. It has more fiber and micronutrients compared to all-purpose flour, and it also gives these cookies an extra cozy flavor.

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy almond joy oatmeal cookies gluten-free, then check the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve shared my top gluten-free flour recommendations there!
 

 
Coconut oil or unsalted butter. Both work equally well, so you’re welcome to use whichever one you typically keep on hand! Because these are “Almond Joy” oatmeal cookies, I tend to reach for coconut oil to stick with the flavor profile of this popular candy bar. (More on that momentarily!)

Unlike many traditional recipes, you only need 2 tablespoons of either one to make these. That helps keep your oatmeal cookies low calorie and low fat — but they still turn out perfectly soft and chewy!

Sweetener. For the sweetener in this recipe, I turned to agave. It’s a liquid sweetener, and the extra moisture helps the cookies spread really nicely. It also keeps them soft and chewy for a whole week! You can easily substitute honey or pure maple syrup, if you prefer. Just keep in mind that both of those have a subtle undertone to them that can occasionally detract from the almond flavor.

“Almond Joy” ingredients. For the three “Almond Joy” components, you’ll need almond extract, shredded coconut, and dark chocolate. Almond extract is my favorite baking extract! It yields a lovely sweet almondy flavor. I opted for unsweetened shredded coconut, but you can easily substitute the sweetened kind if you can’t find the unsweetened version.

As a chocoholic, I think the last item on that list is the best! I like using chopped dark chocolate bars (this kind and this kind are two of my favorites!) because they turn perfectly melty and gooey in the oven.

Tip: If you’re short on time, you can substitute miniature chocolate chips instead. (I love these and these!) Just keep in mind that some brands of chocolate chips don’t melt as well, so you might not see that same beautifully gooey consistency in your warm, freshly baked cookies. They’ll still taste delicious though!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY ALMOND JOY OATMEAL COOKIES

Let’s quickly talk about how to make the best almond joy oatmeal cookies! I have a few tips for you.

Measure correctly. You may have heard me say this once or twice… It’s extremely important to measure the ingredients properly. This makes a huge difference in the taste and texture of your cookies!

For the oats and flour, use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!). Do NOT scoop them directly from their containers. If you do, you’ll end up with up to 1 ½ times as much, which will make your cookies dry, cakey, bready, or crumbly, and it’ll also prevent them from spreading while baking. This is particularly true of the oats! They act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the cookie dough.

For the sweetener, use measuring cups — not a kitchen scale! Although many kitchen scales offer a fluid ounces or mL option, this is only accurate for liquids with a density of precisely 1.0g/mL (such as water). So unless you want to look up the density of your exact sweetener and do the math to convert it to grams… Measuring cups are more accurate — and faster too!

Chilling is mandatory. When you first mix everything together, the cookie dough should be really wet and sticky. It’ll almost look like very thick muffin batter — and that’s a good thing! It means your cookies will be perfectly moist, soft, and chewy. Chilling helps stiffen the cookie dough and makes it easier to work with.

Skip your hands. Even after chilling, the cookie dough will still be stickier compared to traditional recipes, so it’ll completely adhere to your hands if you try to roll it into balls. Instead, I use a spoon and this mini spatula (← isn’t it cute??) to drop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet and shape it into round hemispheres.

My #1 secret to soft and chewy cookies. This is my favorite cookie baking trick! You’ll ever so slightly underbake them, then leave them on the warm baking sheet to cool for longer than usual. I let them sit for anywhere from 10-30 minutes, depending on how well they hold their shape when I try to move them. This allows the centers of the cookies to continue cooking through without the outsides turning dry, cakey, or crisp.

Promise me you’ll take them out of the oven early too. It yields the best ever oatmeal cookie texture!
 

 
These healthy almond joy oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite oatmeal cookies yet! They have a little extra chewiness from the coconut, my all-time favorite flavor of almond extract (it stems from my chemistry days… a story for another time!), and dark chocolate. Ooey gooey, beautifully melted chocolate. My biggest weakness!

There’s no way these cookies could last more than 3 days in my house… How long will they last in yours??

And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy almond joy oatmeal cookies!

Healthy Almond Joy Oatmeal Cookies

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 15 cookies

These almond-flavored oatmeal cookies are filled with shredded coconut and chocolate — the same flavors in Almond Joy candy bars! They’re incredibly soft & chewy, and they’ll stay that way for an entire week if stored in an airtight container. But… They rarely last that long!

5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients 

• 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
• ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• ¾ tsp almond extract
• ½ cup (120mL) agave (room temperature)
• 2 tbsp (10g) shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 tbsp (28g) finely chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

• Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and almond extract. Stir in the agave. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the coconut and a little over half of the chocolate. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet. Press the remaining chocolate into the tops. Flatten to ⅜”-thick using a spatula. Bake at 325°F for 9-12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy.

 

IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies spread some — but not very much. Flattening the cookie dough before baking helps give them a spreading “head start.”

 

Do not over-bake these cookies! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. The heat from the warm baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest for 10 minutes after pulling the pan from the oven.

 

OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.

 

In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours!

 

ALMOND EXTRACT ALTERNATIVE: If you aren’t a fan of almond extract or don't have any, substitute vanilla extract instead.

 

SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or pure maple syrup may be substituted for the agave. Regardless of which you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. If chilled, it will re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil.

 

I generally don't recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which makes your oatmeal cookies turn out more cakey or bready.

 

SHREDDED COCONUT ALTERNATIVES: Shredded coconut is very small and thin. It has a little more moisture than desiccated coconut. I really like the shredded unsweetened coconut from Bob’s Red Mill, Let’s Do…Organic, and O Organics.

 

Shredded coconut is not the same thing as flaked coconut or coconut flakes! Flaked coconut (aka coconut flakes) is thicker and stiffer, so it produces a different texture. However, if you can only find unsweetened flaked coconut, then blitz it in a food processor or blender until it’s ⅛ to ¼ of its original size (so it’s closer in thickness and size to shredded coconut!).

 

Shredded sweetened coconut may also be substituted for the unsweetened coconut.

 

DARK CHOCOLATE NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: I love this brand and this brand of dark chocolate. Cut the dark chocolate slightly smaller than the size of miniature chocolate chips to ensure the cookies bake properly (and that every bite contains multiple morsels of dark chocolate!).

 

Miniature chocolate chips may be substituted for the dark chocolate.

 

ADDING MORE COCONUT OR NUTS: I’m not a huge fan of nuts or coconut in my baked goods, which is why the amounts are fairly small. You’re welcome to increase the coconut, if you prefer! You're also welcome to add sliced or chopped almonds for a stronger almond flavor.

 

GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats (like these) and certified gluten-free oat flour (like this). Alternatively, for a non-oat-flour version, use the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.

 

DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one).

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they’ll keep for a couple of days (often closer to a week or more!). If refrigerated, they’ll last longer. Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!

 

For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.

 

{gluten-free, dairy-free option, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Pineapple Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Healthy Almond Joy Brownie Bark
♡  Healthy Almond Joy Bran Muffins
♡  Healthy Almond Joy Cupcakes
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!