While visiting my grandparents in San Diego last weekend, my family and I went to a couple of baseball games. If you’ve been reading AHB for a while, you probably remember that my dad and I are huge baseball fans. As an 11-year-old, I told my dad that I wanted to visit all 30 MLB stadiums with him, and we’ve seen games at 22 so far!
Petco Park in San Diego definitely falls within our top 5 favorite stadiums. Located in the heart of downtown just a few blocks from the ocean, the design actually includes the walls of an old four-story brick building, previously abandoned before the ballpark’s construction. With a very fan-friendly layout, Petco is charming, modern, clean and just about everything you could want in a sports stadium.
Even better, the ballpark offers some of the best food of any stadium we’ve been to! Just walking from the entrance to our seats a few sections over, we passed by stands for tri-tip sandwiches, freshly made crêpes, gourmet gelato, and Dippin’ Dots. (Hello childhood memories!) Although we didn’t explore the entire stadium, our family friends reported that the outfield food booths boasted the best Mexican street corn they’ve ever eaten too.
But as we watched the first game and cheered from our seats, I smelled the faint aroma of freshly baked cookies wafting by every so often. I tried to peer at the people walking down the aisles to see what they were holding, but I only spotted peanuts and ice cream. You guys know how much I love my cookies… So that nearly drove me crazy to smell some and not eat one!
So the day after we returned home from vacation, I baked these Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies to curb my cravings. And boy, were they worth the wait! Soft, chewy, hearty, chocolaty… And probably way better than anything I could’ve bought at the ballpark!
These are the next flavor in my clean-eating oatmeal cookie series. I’ve created some fun recipes like peach pie and carrot cake, as well as classics like oatmeal raisin and peanut butter chocolate chip. You guys seem to love them all, especially because they’re low in calories and contain no butter, refined flour or sugar!
But in case you haven’t tried any of those recipes yet, let’s talk a little bit about the ingredients. First up, the oats and flour. These cookies use instant oats (also called quick cook or minute oats), and they’re sold in large canisters right next to the regular old-fashioned oats. If you don’t have instant oats, you can easily make your own by adding the same about of old-fashioned oats to a food processor and pulsing 10-15 times or until they’re about half of their original size.
It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly because too much of either will dry out the cookies and turn them cakey or crumbly. I highly recommend a kitchen scale for this. This is the inexpensive one that I own, and it’s worth its weight in gold! A kitchen scale ensures that your baked goods turn out perfectly every time, and I use it in every recipe that I make for this blog.
For the almond butter, I recommend using homemade (here’s my recipe!) or a really good quality brand like Trader Joe’s. The only ingredients should be almonds and salt! No sugar, no preservatives… Just simple nutty goodness.
To enhance the almond butter’s flavor, we’ll add in a touch of cinnamon for warmth and depth, and we’ll use pure maple syrup to sweeten the cookies. Again, use the good quality kind! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.” Avoid the faux or sugar-free varieties; these will give the cookies a different taste and texture.
And now for the best part… The chocolate chips! I always add both regular-sized and minis to my cookies. The former provides those big rich, gooey, melty chocolate pockets that erupt in your mouth, and the latter ensures that every bite contains at least a little bit of chocolate. I love these dark chocolate chips and these mini chips because they melt really well while baking.
Because of the maple syrup and runny almond butter, chilling is mandatory. Chilling gives the oats time to soak up the extra moisture in the dough, and it also helps stiffen the cookie dough so it doesn’t spread into one big cookie blob on the baking sheet while in the oven.
However, without any butter or egg yolks, this cookie dough really doesn’t spread too much, so you must flatten the cookie dough to your desired thickness and width. I use this adorable little spatula to do so because the cookie dough is much too sticky to flatten it with my hands! Then bake, cool, and…
Time to eat!
| Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured correctly and gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (64g) creamy natural almond butter (homemade or good-quality like Trader Joe’s)
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (28g) dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp (14g) miniature chocolate chips
- Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla. Mix in the almond butter until smooth. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and ½ tablespoon of miniature chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough for 20 minutes.
- 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, and flatten to the desired thickness and width using a spatula. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 11-13 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, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times.
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.
For the best results, the only ingredients in the almond butter should be almonds and salt. You may try substituting crunchy almond butter, although I can’t guarantee the results.
If you prefer, honey or agave may be substituted in place of the maple syrup. You may also substitute ½ cup (106g) brown sugar plus ¼ cup (60mL) of milk. Any milk will work.
For more substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookies FAQ page.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
Healthy cookies really can look just as good, if not better than unhealthy ones! These look so scrumptious!
Thanks Marsha!
Hi Amy
When this landed in my inbox…it was an instant YES !! Dark chocolate and almond butter ….how could it
not be !? And since I live in magical house where chocolate is calorie free…I did add more chips…,
Between my 12 year son and myself, the batch lasted a day and a half, barely. You’re a HERO for sure in our world Amy !!
I want to live in that magical house — when can I move in?? 😉 I’m so glad you and your son enjoyed the cookies Kimberly! That’s the best sort of compliment!
Well, this did not work at all with honey in place of maple syrup 🙁 They were really dry unfortunately
I’m sorry the cookies didn’t turn out for you Ar; that must have been disappointing. If they were too dry, it probably wasn’t the honey. Instead, there are two main reasons for their dry texture. The first would be too much flour or oats. How did you measure these? It’s very important to measure both (yes, the oats as well!) using a light hand with the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either will dry out the cookies, especially the oats. Oats act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the cookie dough! The other reason would be the type of almond butter that you used. It’s important to use a brand where the only ingredients are almonds and salt (a little oil in the jar is okay, too). Brands that include more than these 2-3 ingredients will be too thick and not create the proper texture. Hopefully one of these things is what happened and your next batch turns out better!
Unfortunately I both measured oats correctly (I am from Europe and I never use measuring cups :D) and used a homemade almond butter. Well, next time I’ll try the maple syrup.. or simply another recipe!
Thanks for the information Ar! Was your homemade almond butter thick and scoop-able, or was it really thin and liquidy? For this recipe, the almond butter needs to be the latter, so if yours was thick enough to basically hold its shape on a spoon, then it was probably the culprit. If this happens again in the future, try adding 2-4 tablespoons of milk (any kind will do!) to the cookie dough until it’s no longer dry. Like I said earlier, honey and maple syrup both perform the same in this recipe, so that substitution shouldn’t be the problem. 🙂 Hopefully the milk trick solves the issues that you saw!
Ah, that must have been it then 🙂 The butter is indeed really thick, makes it easier to eat it out of the jar as well haha 😛 Thanks for the help, I’ll soon try the milk suggestion and will report back 🙂
I’m glad we figured it out Ar! I like my homemade almond butter thick so I can scoop it with a spoon too. 😉 I’m excited to hear how the milk trick works!
These are so good! I tweaked the recipe and add dried cranberries bits as well as a finely chopped nut assortment — a little extra protein and crunch!! Has anyone substituted the flour out for coconut flour?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies Sharon! The mix-ins sounds like a fun twist! 🙂 I answer your coconut flour question on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, which is already linked to in the Notes section beneath the Instructions as well.
Amy, will steel-cut oats work in this recipe? I’ve not ever used them and bought some by accident. Thanks, look forward to making these.
No, steel cut oats will not work in this recipe. They don’t soften while baking and instead remain hard and tough. I hope you enjoy the cookies if you try them Candy!
The link to the nutritional info did not work. My brother is diabetic and has other health issues and I am constantly looking for tasty treats to satisfy has sweet tooth. My sister-in-law won’t try anything new for him without the nutritional info…. Can you help?
The link should be working properly now Robin! I’ve included it here again, for your convenience. 🙂 I’m excited to hear what you, your brother and sister-in-law think of the cookies!
Hi Amy!
If I wanted to, could I use the full egg rather than just the egg white? Going to make these tonight or tomorrow. They look delicious 🙂
Thanks!
Nicole
Yes, you can definitely use the full egg! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookie Nicole! 🙂
They look so good. I love almond butter, thanks for the idea
My pleasure Keith!
Great recipe. Thank you
Can I freeze them and bake a week or two later ?
These cookies don’t spread in the oven, so it’d be difficult to freeze the dough. I’d recommend baking the cookie dough once you’ve made it, then freezing the baked cookies. I’ve done that many times with these cookies, and it works like a charm! (And they’re especially good if you thaw individual cookies in the microwave — the chocolate chips remelt! 😉 ) I can’t wait to hear what you think of them Dvorah!
This cookies are soooooo good
There’s no way they can be freeze , they were gone in 10 minutes and now making another batch ?
Thank you Amy
I’m SO happy to hear that Dvorah! That means so much to me — I’m thrilled that you loved them and that they disappeared so quickly! 🙂
I made these with sunflower seed butter! Flavor is great but I think I should’ve added a bit of milk as you suggested people with thicker almond butter should do.
Thank you!! Oh! And I subbed toasted almonds for the dark chocolate (I didn’t have any, but I have lots of sliced almonds), and It’s nice n crunchy!
I think next time I’ll do a half and half substitution of mini chocolate chips and toasted almonds for the dark chocolate – I think I overdid it with the almonds this time around.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the cookies Stephanie! The sunflower seed butter sounds so fun. I’ve only eaten it once or twice — I definitely need to change that! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies with half mini chocolate chips and half almonds!