Last summer, I fell in love with strawberries. Again.
On a random Wednesday afternoon, I drove up the winding, narrow mountain roads edged by gigantic boulders threatening to fall at any second to visit my parents for the night. They had rented a spacious “cabin” (which practically resembled a mansion) for a week as a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and to relax.
The following morning, we slathered on sunscreen and hopped in the car to reach the dusty trailhead for one of my parents’ favorite hikes. Armed with water, peanuts, and honey mustard pretzels, we climbed the steep rocks under the beating sun until we reached the first of five lakes.
And covered ourselves head-to-toe in bug spray. Calm waters attract awe-inspired hikers and lots of mosquitoes!
To avoid another person’s dog splashing in the shallows, we continued on to the second and third lakes before pausing to rest and drink in the scenery. Blue skies, green trees, and bright white rocks… It all convinced me to spend the rest of the day peacefully sitting by the water.
Until my stomach rumbled and ominous gray clouds appeared in the distance. As addictive as those honey mustard pretzels were, my body craved fresh fruit and refused to get caught up there in a thunderstorm!
We hustled back down the mountain to Dad’s car below and drove back to the safety of the cabin. After rinsing off the sunscreen and bug spray in the shower, we set up a build-your-own sandwich bar on the kitchen counter, piling our plates high with whole wheat bread, Dijon mustard, spinach, pepperoncinis, pickles, and deli meat just before the clouds broke open.
As we sat on the sofa in the great room, gazing out through the two-story floor-to-ceiling windows at the drops pelting the glass and the lightning striking over the lake in the distance, I bit into one of the strawberries Mom had set out from the fridge. And nearly dropped the fruit in surprise.
Plump and deep red, it released so much juice from its soft flesh that it practically melted in my mouth like chocolate. Despite living in an area where grocery stores stock strawberries year-round, it had been years since I tasted one so fresh, so ripe, so juicy… And I fell in love all over again.
But I never found another basket of strawberries that deliciously sweet for the rest of the summer, and I nearly gave up hope… But then I stumbled upon the sale at my local grocery store this past week. I bought two pounds on a whim, brought them home, and popped a freshly washed berry into my mouth.
Memories of last summer and those ripe post-hike strawberries flooded back, and all intentions of baking with them flew straight out the window. I ate strawberries morning, noon, and night for two days until the basket disappeared, so… I had to improvise so I could still make these Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies to share with you!
Instead of fresh strawberries, I turned to frozen. (Those strawberries in the picture? They’re all I managed to save from the two pounds!) Yes, I could’ve picked up another basket at the grocery store, but with my lack of control around fruit, that second batch probably would’ve disappeared the same way as the first! Besides, using frozen fruit means you can bake these cookies year-round, instead of just during strawberry season. It’s a win-win!
I used my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe as the base. Many of you have tried and loved those cookies too—they’re the most popular recipes on my blog for a reason! No butter, no refined flour or sugar, and all of the chewy cookie texture. They’re irresistible!
However, this cookie dough must be chilled for at least 1 hour. The frozen strawberries release water as they thaw, and they’ll release more juice while the cookies bake. Chilling for longer allows the oats to soak up the additional moisture and prevents the cookies from spreading into flat pancakes in the oven. Watch my video to see what the texture of the dough should look like after chilling and just before baking!
Because the strawberries release juice while baking, I highly recommend shaping the mounds of cookie dough to be taller than they are wide. This helps ensure that the cookies have a little thickness instead of ending up paper-thin!
Then pour a glass of milk, wait for them to cool, and dive right in!
| Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies | | Print |
- 1 c (100g) instant oats (measured correctly)
- ¾ c (90g) whole wheat flour (measured correctly)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ c (120mL) honey
- ¾ c (105g) frozen unsweetened whole strawberries, thawed slightly and diced
- 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 vanilla. Stir in the honey. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the strawberries. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, ensuring that the mounds are as tall as they are wide. Bake at 325°F for 14-17 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.
To make your own instant oats, measure the same amount of old-fashioned oats. Add them to a food processor, and pulse 7-10 times or until about half of their original size. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
The strawberries must be measured before dicing. Do not add more than the recipe calls for. The strawberries release juice while they bake, which will cause the cookies to spread to be flat and thin while they bake. If using fresh strawberries, the cookie dough may be chilled for 15-30 minutes less.
Agave or maple syrup may be substituted for the honey. Alternatively, ½ cup (106g) brown sugar + ¼ cup (60mL) milk may be substituted as well. The chilling and baking times stay the same.
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and a gluten-free flour blend. I recommend the following blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum.
If the cookies are still really flimsy after cooling on the baking sheet for 15 minutes and threaten to break apart, let them cool completely to room temperaure on the baking sheet.
For all other questions regarding the recipe, including ingredient substitutions, please see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ + Video page.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
More strawberry cookie recipes from other food bloggers…
♥ Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies by Sally’s Baking Addiction
♥ Strawberry Chip Cookies by Mandy’s Recipe Box
♥ Strawberry Lemonade Valentine Linzer Cookies by Neighborfood
♥ Strawberry Pudding Cookies by Lil’ Luna
Amy these look amazing and I’m so glad we’ve connected- I’m obsessing over all your recipes- We have such a similar recipe style! Never had a strawberry oatmeal cookie though but that will be rectified!
Thanks for your kind words Arman! Your funfetti breakfast cookies were completely calling my name. 🙂 I hope you enjoy adding strawberries to oatmeal cookies!
These look super yummy:) I was just wondering if I could use fresh strawberries, and if I would need to adjust the recipe at all? I am always looking for ways to use fresh strawberries before they go bad, as to not waste them:)
Thanks Rylie! You can definitely use fresh strawberries. You may be able to cut 15-20 minutes off of the chilling time, but otherwise, you shouldn’t have to adjust the recipe at all. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Do you know what would happen if I substituted about half of the liquid sweetener with applesauce or mashed banana? Would it retain the chewiness? I’m tempted to try that, but don’t want to ruin the whole batch. Thanks!
If you tried that substitution, the cookies wouldn’t be as sweet and they’d turn out more cakey than chewy, similar to the texture of muffins. The cookies may turn out slightly chewier than cakier if you reduced or skipped the chilling step, but I’m not sure how much they’d spread in the oven as a result. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try that substitution, and I hope you enjoy them Tea!
I felt brave today and put puree of one ripe banana to compensate for the lost volume of the honey(I only put one tbsp of honey and 1/2 tbsp maple syrup). I think they turned out good. The problem being that I don’t know how they’re supposed to turn out in the original. (I have to do my best to reduce all things sweet, so that’s why I can’t make them with so much honey). Anyways, I was happy with them. With some stevia added as well, the banana makes them quite sweet, more than enough. The only issue is that the banana flavor is very strong and dominates, which I guess can be ok. But the texture is quite chewy, and they hold their shape nicely (I even subbed 20g of flour with oat flour which I know binds things weakly, but they weren’t falling apart). I didn’t skip the chilling, and they didn’t spread much at all in the oven. Maybe next time I try with the milk version as you suggest in the recipe. Or apple butter (if I ever get around to making it; there’s no such thing in my country). All in all, I thank you for a lovely recipe, it made my day to make those cookies, and I love everything you’re about with this blog. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. All the best!
I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies Tea! If you can find or make applesauce, its flavor isn’t nearly as strong as banana, so hopefully you enjoy that version even more. I’ve also had readers report good luck with substituting Stevia for the equivalent of ½ cup of sugar plus 6-8 tablespoons of milk to make up for the missing liquid. That may be the best substitution for you. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what recipe you try next!
I’m so excited to try these! Can I add chocolate chips to them?
Definitely Alyssa — that’s a brilliant idea! I hope you enjoy the cookies!
I used the brown sugar instead, fresh strawberries, and added an 1/8 tsp of baking soda, and these were nice and thick & deliciously chewy.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies Alissa!
I must have had some pretty dry strawberries; They’d been in the fridge for almost a week and used this recipe to use them up! I weighed everything on the kitchen scale to ensure accurate measurements.. I Just took them out of the oven and they didn’t change shape at all! Still came out in ball/lumps sort of..
They’re still pretty soft and manageable so I just smoothed them down with the palm of my hand into “cookie” shapes. They’re in the 10 min cool down phase, so I’ll have to see how they are; I’m sure they taste just fine lol.
I’m sorry the cookies didn’t spread Alicia; that must have been disappointing! I had the opposite problem — way too much spreading! — so I’m not entirely sure what happened. It could be that you used fresh strawberries, whereas I originally used frozen, which have more moisture to release. How long did you chill the cookie dough for? The longer it’s chilled, the less the cookies spread. If you watch my video, it shows what the texture of the cookie dough should look like before the cookies go in the oven. You can also try flattening the cookie dough mounds to about half of their height if the dough seems thicker than in the video. I hope that helps and you still enjoy their flavor!
Hi Amy!
Super excited to try these…I’m absolutely awful at baking but these look so yummy! Can I release the whole wheat flour for almond or coconut flour? If so, should I use the same amount?
I would not substitute coconut flour. It behaves very differently than other flours, and the cookies would turn out dry and crumbly. You can substitute the same amount of almond flour if you prefer though, and the cookies should still have a similar taste and texture. I really hope you enjoy the cookies Alex!
Is there any good substitute for the honey? I usually have plenty but it’s run out, and I won’t be able to get some more for a while.
Yes, I’ve already included multiple substitutes in the Notes section beneath the recipe. I hope you enjoy the cookies Hannah! 🙂
Thank you! I don’t know how I missed that when I read over it. I’m sure they’ll be as delicious as your carrot cake (;
The Notes can be easy to miss Hannah. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies!
They turned out great! They had a very mild, hearty sweetness with the replacement of honey for maple syrup, and I really enjoyed them. This recipe also has a thumbs-up from my friends.
I’m so happy to hear that Hannah! 🙂
I made these and just love them. Wondering if and how I could add some cinnamon protein powder to these?
Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies Kara! You probably could, but you may need to tweak the amount of flour to compensate for the protein powder. I’d love to hear how that turns out if you try it!
I have made this twice now and they are fantastic! Both times the batter turned out runny so I just added about 2 more cups of oatmeal and they turned our wonderful! I also added more strawberries. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies Josie! 🙂