Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Cookies

 
Partway through middle school, I started to visit the mall in my hometown about three or four times a year — or whenever an upcoming special occasion like Easter or Christmas required a new outfit — with one of my close friends. Since my mom rarely enjoyed shopping, she dropped off the pair of us at one of the big department store entrances and handed me a few larger bills before I hopped out of the car.  

As a saver rather than a spender, I mainly looked forward to those shopping trips for the social time to chat and hang out with my friend, much more than trying on jeans and tanks in dimly lit dressing rooms with doors that never quite seemed to latch properly. (Especially the curtain “doors” at Forever 21 that simply flowed down from the ceiling — those always made me nervous!)

As a result, I typically returned home with a fairly full wallet and only one or two new pieces to add to my closet, but I almost always brought back a certain white paper bag with red scripted lettering… From Mrs. Fields!
 

 
My best friend introduced me to the little bakery located in a small corner at the end of the mall on one of our first few shopping trips. Thankfully, she ordered her cookies first, which gave me plenty of time to stare at the options in the display case and try to sort through my indecision. I usually ended up with snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin cookies, or something extra chocolaty!

On one shopping trip, my friend decided that she wanted a pastry from Cinnabon instead of Mrs. Fields. Since I had been looking forward to those warm, chewy cookies all day long, we briefly stopped by that little dessert stall for me before walking around the corner to Cinnabon for her ginormous cinnamon roll. It was bigger than my entire hand and completely doused in sweet cream cheese icing!

As we strolled around the mall nibbling on our treats, the wheels in my head started to turn. My oatmeal cookies have cinnamon… Her cinnamon roll obviously has cinnamon… I wonder how they would taste together…
 

 
That memory resurfaced when I recently drove past the mall, so I finally put my middle school musing to the test and baked these cinnamon roll oatmeal cookies to find out. The result?

Aaaahhh-mazing!! The cozy cinnamon made these cookies absolutely irresistible (I couldn’t stop myself from eating three in a row!), and the sweet cream cheese drizzle takes them over the top. Pure bliss!
 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY CINNAMON ROLL OATMEAL COOKIES

This is the next recipe in my clean eating oatmeal cookies series. Have you tried any of the others yet? They’re some of the most popular recipes on my blog, and for a good reason… They’re so soft and chewy, just like traditional oatmeal cookies — yet they don’t taste “healthy” at all!

Oats. These cinnamon roll oatmeal cookies begin with — surprise! — oats. More specifically, instant oats. No, they are not the ones in the individual-sized brown paper packages! They’re also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats, and they’re usually sold right next to the old-fashioned rolled oats.

Hint: Instant oats only contain one ingredient: oats! They’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats, and that size difference means they soften faster… Which gives your cookies the best soft and chewy texture!

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 I love how its slightly nutty undertone adds to the extra cozy flavor of these cookies. It’s a win-win!

Tip: If you’d like to make your cinnamon roll oatmeal cookies gluten-free, then use certified gluten-free instant oats (they work perfectly!), and see the Notes section of the recipe for my gluten-free flour recommendations.

Cinnamon. It’s the star of this cookie show! I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon. It has a slightly stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor compared to “regular” cinnamon. This is the one I stock in my kitchen, and it’s basically the only kind of cinnamon I use in my baking recipes now. I absolutely love its flavor — I’m obsessed!
 

 
Unsalted butter or coconut oil. Just a small amount! Unlike traditional recipes that call for ½ cup or more, you merely need 2 tablespoons to make this one. That helps keep your cinnamon roll oatmeal cookies low calorie, and they’re still perfectly soft and chewy!

Sweetener. Instead of refined sugar, you’ll sweeten these cookies with pure maple syrup. Be sure to use the real kind! The only ingredient on the label should be “pure maple syrup.” You can generally find it in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this), either on the baking aisle or on the same aisle as the oats and breakfast cereals at the grocery store.

Tip: Skip the pancake syrup and sugar-free syrup! Those contain other ingredients, which change the way they behave in baking recipes. This is especially true of sugar-free maple syrup! It’s often water-based, and that will make your cookies bready and dry.
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CINNAMON ROLL OATMEAL COOKIES

Ready to start baking? I hope so! Grab your mixing bowls, and I’ll share some tips to help you bake the best cinnamon roll oatmeal cookies imaginable. We’ll start with…

Measure correctly. It’s incredibly important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using either this method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either will make your cookies cakey or dry instead of chewy and soft. This is especially true of the oats. They act like little sponges and soak up moisture from the cookie dough, so please take the time to measure them correctly!

Tip: I highly recommend a kitchen scale to ensure your cookies have the perfect texture. This is the inexpensive one that I own, and it’s worth its weight in gold. I use it every single day — it’s my all-time favorite kitchen appliance and the best money I’ve ever spent!

Chill. When you first make the cookie dough, it will be rather wet and sticky. Chilling helps stiffen the cookie dough and makes it easier to work with, so pop your bowl in the fridge. A brief 30 minutes is all it needs!

Flatten. These cookies don’t spread very much while baking, so remember to flatten the cookie dough before sliding your pan in the oven. I use my favorite mini spatula to do this! The cookie dough tends to be rather sticky, so avoid using your hands or the bottom of a drinking glass. A spatula is definitely the way to go!

Bake + cool. These cinnamon roll oatmeal cookies finish baking relatively quickly. They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone.

Yup, it’s true! This is my #1 trick to perfectly soft and chewy cookies. You’ll let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, and the residual warmth from the metal continues to cook those centers all the way through — without overbaking or drying out the cookies’ outsides. It yields the best texture, and I use this approach for almost all of my healthy cookie recipes!

But you’re not quite done! There’s still one more thing left to do… After you let your cookies cool completely to room temperature, that is!
 

 
Drizzle. Of course, cinnamon rolls aren’t complete without cream cheese icing! So let’s quickly whip some up to finish off these cinnamon roll oatmeal cookies.

Hint: It’s important to wait until your cookies have fully cooled. If you try glazing them while they’re still warm, it’ll melt the drizzle and create one rather gloopy mess!

You’ll use Greek yogurt cream cheese to make this healthier drizzle. I found my Greek yogurt cream cheese at Safeway (their own Lucerne brand), and many Walmart stores stock this brand as well.

Tip: If you can’t find Greek yogurt cream cheese, then Neufchâtel cream cheese works perfectly as a substitute!

Then you’ll sweeten the drizzle with one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly. It’s really concentrated, so a little goes a long way! You only need a few drops for this recipe. This is the kind that I buy because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertastes. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)

Tip: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best flavor and results, I highly recommend using the same one that I do!
 

 
Time to eat! 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 cinnamon roll oatmeal cookies!

Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Cookies

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 14 cookies

These soft and chewy cookies taste just like cinnamon rolls! The sweet cream cheese drizzle truly takes them over the top. The cookies will keep for at least four days (if not closer to a week!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator — if they last that long!

4.84 from 12 votes

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Ingredients 

FOR THE COOKIES

• 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free, if necessary)
• ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup

FOR THE DRIZZLE

• 1 tbsp (14g) Greek yogurt cream cheese, well softened
• 1 ½ tsp nonfat milk
• 8-12 drops liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste – and see Notes!)

Instructions

• Whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Chill the cookie dough for 30 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 ⅜" tall using a small spatula. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Just before serving, prepare the drizzle by stirring together the cream cheese, milk, and stevia in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle on top of the fully cooled cookies.

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: 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” and “one-minute” oats. They often come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned rolled 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!

 

CINNAMON NOTE: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon. It has a slightly stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor compared to “regular” cinnamon. This is the one that I use, and it's really affordable. (It's basically the only kind I use in my baking now!)

 

COCONUT OIL + BUTTER ALTERNATIVES + NOTES: Melted stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) or stick-style margarine may be substituted for the coconut oil or unsalted butter. Regardless of which one you use, make sure that the egg is at room temperature before whisking it in. A cold egg added straight from the fridge would rapidly cool the fat source, resulting in small blobs of semi-solid coconut oil, butter, or margarine.

 

PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. 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.

 

GREEK YOGURT CREAM CHEESE NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I found my Greek yogurt cream cheese at Safeway (their own Lucerne brand), and some other stores stock this brand, which I've used and enjoyed as well.

 

If you can't find Greek yogurt cream cheese, Neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese is the best alternative. Fat-free cream cheese and regular cream cheese may also be substituted. Regardless of which one you use, make sure it's block-style (not tub-style!) for the best results.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

 

STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they're not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, I recommend using the same one I do. I buy mine online here because that's the best price I've found. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too!)

 

If you strongly prefer to omit the stevia, then substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave AND omit the milk to compensate for the added liquid volume.

 

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

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least four days (if not closer to a week or more!). Once baked and fully cooled, the undrizzled oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!

 

For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page.

 

{gluten-free, 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…
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
♡  Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Cinnamon Roll Scones
♡  Cinnamon Roll Almond Butter
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Cinnamon Rolls
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!