During the last few days that we spent with Grandpa before he passed, my family fell into a new daily routine. Wake up, shower, drive to the hospital, sit by Grandpa’s bed… And only leave his room to grab food or when one of his friends stopped by to give those people privacy to say their final good-byes.
While Grandpa slept, I found a pencil so my family could work on the New York Times crossword puzzles, whispering clues and answers back and forth, with Bach’s classic music softly playing in the background. When Grandpa’s eyelids fluttered and he awoke for brief stretches, we told some of our favorite stories and sang show tunes from musicals like “The Sound of Music” and “The Music Man.”
Since we spent eight hours or more at the hospital during those days, we ate most of our meals at the cafeteria. Sometimes people grabbed a sandwich for something quick and easy, other times they opted for a hot meal like quesadillas or meatloaf, and my parents even tried the vegetarian sushi one day.
After almost every lunch, Mom returned to Grandpa’s hospital room with an oatmeal cookie in hand. She usually took a few bites before sticking it in her purse, intending to share half with Dad, and yet… By the time dinner rolled around, the cookie had usually disappeared, and Dad rarely received more than a bite!
Although I managed to avoid almost all of the cookies while on that trip in San Diego, I ate more than my fair share of these Chai Spice Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies when we returned home. Their cozy spices tasted so comforting, and all of the chocolate really helped too. At least they’re much healthier than those hospital cookies with no butter, refined flour or sugar and only 97 calories!
These healthy oatmeal cookies are the next installment in my clean eating oatmeal cookie recipes. ← Have you tried any of those other recipes yet? They all contain no butter, refined flour or sugar—and they taste just like traditional indulgent cookies! The carrot cake, apple pie, and chocolate chip peanut butter versions are some of my most popular recipes!
Just like the rest, this recipe starts with whole wheat flour (or gluten-free, if you prefer!) and instant oats. Instant oats are also called quick-cooking or one-minute oats, and they’re sold in canisters right next to the old-fashioned oats.
It’s incredibly important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either ingredient will dry out the cookie dough and make your cookies taste cakey, rather than chewy. This is especially true of the oats because they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from your cookie dough!
For this reason, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale. This is the one I own, and it has been the best $20 I’ve ever spent. I use it to make every recipe I share with you on my blog because it ensures my treats turn out with the perfect taste and texture every time.
Rather than refined sugar, you’ll sweeten your healthy cookies with pure maple syrup. Make sure you buy the real kind. Skip the pancake and sugar-free syrups because those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients, which we’re avoiding in this recipe! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs. (I’ve also bought it online here!)
Since most grocery stores don’t sell bottles of “chai spice,” you’ll make your own blend. It’s super easy! You just need cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. With their cozy flavor, I find them even more irresistible than pumpkin pie spice! And of course, don’t forget the chocolate! I love these mini chocolate chips because they taste so rich and melt really well… And because their small size ensures that every bite contains chocolate!
Time for cozy cookies, rich chocolate, and a tall glass of milk! ? 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 cookies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Chai Spice Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ¾ tsp homemade chai spice (see Notes below!)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, homemade chai spice, baking powder, and salt. 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. Gently fold in 2 ½ tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough 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, and flatten to the desired thickness and width with a spatula. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
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 and love! It’s been the best $20 I’ve ever spent!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them crumbly instead of chewy.
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 or until they’re about half of their original size.
For a gluten-free version, use 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. Most store-bought gluten-free blends will work as well, if measured like this.
For more tips and answers to ALL other questions {including substitutions and videos!}, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Chai Spice Snickerdoodles
♥ 25-Minute Healthy Chai Spice Ice Cream
♥ Easy Blender Chai Spice Cashew Butter
♥ Raspberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies
♥ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!
Hi Amy
How many minutes should I bake it for if I want to make them crunchy?
Amazing cookies! I even forgot to add the butter that I was heating in the microwave. The entire family loved them
and they were gone in a matter of minutes. Next time I will double the recipe. I did however add extra mini chocolate chips, Always!!
I’m so glad your family loved these cookies, Connie! That’s the BEST compliment there is, if the entire batch disappeared in minutes. Thank you for taking the time to let me know — it means a lot! 🙂 (And I’ll never turn down extra chocolate chips either! 😉 )
Absolutely love! Doesn’t make me feel so guilty about cookies! Thank you!
If I wanted to make them vegan would I need to change or add anything?
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, Erica! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. It truly means a lot! 🙂
My favorite way to make these vegan is to use the coconut oil option (or stick-style vegan butter in place of the unsalted butter!) and Ener-G to replace the egg. My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute! If you haven’t heard of it, Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white, and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of stick-style vegan butter or coconut oil for each egg yolk.
I’d love to hear what you think of the vegan version, if you end up making them that way too!