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!
You were right Amy, I DO love this recipe!! 😉 Anything chai-spiced makes me happy! 🙂 Your mom and I are going to be great friends! 😉
Yay!! I’m so glad you approve Marina! 🙂
Could you tell me if these cookies are soft or crunchy. I tried your Apple Pie recipe but it was too soft for my liking and these look like they too might be too soft for me. They sound delicious though with the chi flavor, which I love. Thanks for all you share with us.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Annabelle! Like the intro text at the beginning of my blog post states, these are chewy cookies, not crunchy. They’re very similar to the texture of my apple pie oatmeal cookies. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try them!
Hi Amy! I was wondering if there is a substitute for the whole wheat flour? ( besides the gf flour) Could I possibly use all purpose flour? The rest sounds fabulous! Also, my heart goes out to you and your family. Sending hugs and thoughtful wishes❤
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe! I’ve actually answered that already on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, which is linked to in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these cookies, and thank you so much for your kind wishes!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I read your post about it on Monday morning and I just had to try it that evening. The cookies are so chewy and tasty! An instant favorite! with me and my family,
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed these cookies Melanie! I’m truly touched that you baked them so soon after you read my blog — thank you for sharing that with me! 🙂
Hi!! Thank you for this recipe!! I love it!! But i need asking you, how can i replace the maple syrup for brown sugar?? how much i should use?
Hugs✨
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Maria! I’ve actually covered that already on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, which is linked to in the Notes section underneath the recipe Instructions. It can be easy to miss! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
HI! these look amazing. Is it possible to substitute with almond flour and cinnamon instead of chai?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Lynn! I’ve actually covered your almond flour question already on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, which is linked to in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. It can be easy to miss! 😉 You can substitute cinnamon for the homemade chai spice, if you prefer. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
Question, I just went out to buy the ingredients but they didn’t have whole wheat flour so I had to get whole wheat graham flour will that be okay?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Grace! Your whole wheat graham flour should be fine. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
Great for the super simple recipe Amy. I baked up half the batch but found they were too sweet, so I’ll definitely remake with half the sweetener!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Sharon! If you’d like to use half of the sweetener (maple syrup, honey, agave, etc), then replace the other half with milk (any type will work!) to ensure that the cookies don’t turn out too dry. That’s what I do for all of my breakfast oatmeal cookie recipes! (Perhaps those would be more up your alley too?) 🙂 The cookies probably won’t spread at all when using half sweetener + half milk, so remember to flatten them to your desired thickness and width with a spatula before baking. I’d love to hear whether you enjoy that half-sweetener batch any better!!
Hi! This recipe looks so yummy, that I & my flatmate couldn’t wait a minute to bake it! Only thing: we did not have any maple syrup, so instead used some honey & coconut sugar. However, (like you mentioned how it might happen), the cookies turned out to be very crumbly and not chewy. Do you have any other suggestions for a maple syrup substitute (as personally I don’t use it)? 🙂
I’m honored that you tried this recipe of mine Aysegul! How much honey and how much coconut sugar did you use? Did you make any other modifications or substitutions to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? Also, what flour did you use? How did you measure the flour and oats — with a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe how you used them to measure?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but once I know your answers to all of them, I’ll have a much better idea of why your cookies turned out so crumbly and how to solve that issue for your future batches! 🙂
Hi Amy! I read the FAQ page and saw the substitutions for the egg, but could I use almond milk instead? If so, how much? I’ve made these before but not without an egg substitute.
It means a lot that you’d like to try making these cookies, Whitney! I appreciate you mentioning that you reviewed my FAQ Page. It’s always helpful to know that you’ve done that research! 😉 I haven’t tried almond milk as an egg substitute in this recipe, but I think it might work. I’d recommend 2-3 tablespoons to replace the egg. Your cookies probably won’t spread (this is because almond milk is mostly water, and water often prevents my oatmeal cookie recipes from spreading!), so just make sure you flatten the cookie dough before baking!
I’d love to hear how your cookies turn out if you end up trying that!