Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

 
I’m partnering with Bob’s Red Mill^® to bring you today’s recipe! I absolutely love their healthy, top-quality products (flours, oats, protein powder, and more!). They ensure my recipes turn out perfectly and taste delicious every time I make them!  

During the winter quarter of my first year of graduate school, I ended up with one class that started at 8 am three days a week, plus a spectroscopy lab at 7:30 am on a fourth day. Around twenty other organic chemistry grad students suffered through the same schedule, and we regularly headed to the closest coffee shop on campus for a caffeine boost as soon as the professors let us out of lecture.
 

 
For those four days each week, I set my alarm for 5:30 am (or o’dark thirty, as one of my close friends calls it!) to squeeze in a yoga session, shower, and blow dry my hair. But as a result, I barely ended up with enough time to boil water for tea before dashing out the door… Let alone make a decent breakfast. Staying warm was a much higher priority that winter!

So instead, I usually grabbed a banana to tuck into my backpack. Although a healthier option than the Pop-Tarts and bite-sized powdered sugar donuts that my classmates brought, the banana never kept me full all the way until lunch.
 

 
But these healthy apple pie oatmeal breakfast cookies definitely would’ve done the trick! They’re full of hearty oats and plenty of cozy cinnamon — but no refined flour or refined sugar! — and perfect for quick grab-and-go breakfasts. (Snacks too!)

And I’m always a huge fan of wholesome breakfast foods that taste like dessert!
 

QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY APPLE PIE OATMEAL BREAKFAST COOKIES

Difficulty: Fairly easy, including for many beginner bakers.

Taste: Lightly sweetened with plenty of cozy oats, warm spices, and juicy apples filling every bite.

Texture: Soft, moist, and chewy.
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY APPLE PIE OATMEAL BREAKFAST COOKIES

This easy recipe is the next installment in my oatmeal breakfast cookies recipe series. ← Have you tried any of those other ones? They have the sweetness level of muffins or scones and the same chewy texture as traditional “dessert-style” oatmeal cookies. An irresistible combination in my book!

These healthy apple oatmeal breakfast cookies begin with Bob’s Red Mill quick cooking oats (these!) and Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat flour (this kind!). I’m completely obsessed with Bob’s Red Mill products and keep dozens of them in my pantry! Everything from whole wheat flour and oats to coconut flour and protein powder to almond meal and oat flour. All of the Bob’s Red Mill products that I’ve tried have been so reliable and truly top-quality — and that makes my baked treats taste even better!

Hint: Quick cooking oats are also called instant or one-minute oats, and they’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. This size difference means they soften faster while baking, which makes your cookies perfectly soft and chewy!

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy apple pie oatmeal breakfast cookies gluten-free, then use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free quick cooking oats (these!) and Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour (this one!). They work perfectly as substitutes!
 

 
It’s extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out your dough and make your cookies cakey, bready, or crumbly. This is especially true of the oats. They act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from your cookie dough!

You’ll sweeten your healthy breakfast cookies with pure maple syrup (like this!) instead of refined sugar. Make sure your maple syrup is the kind that comes directly from maple trees, not pancake syrup or sugar-free syrup! Those contain other added ingredients, which often changes the way they behave in baking recipes.

Because we’re only adding half the amount of sweetener compared to traditional “dessert-style” oatmeal cookies, you’ll also mix in some milk to compensate for the “missing” liquid and keep your cookies perfectly chewy. Just about any type will work, so feel free to use whatever is in your fridge right now!
 

 
Of course, we can’t forget the apples and spices that make these cookies taste like apple pie! I prefer red Fuji apples because they’re naturally sweet and have a great texture for baking. They also taste really comforting when paired with the cozy cinnamon and nutmeg!

It’s really important to dice the apples finely. See how small mine are in these photos, especially the one of the mixing bowl? The pieces should be no larger than the size of standard chocolate chips! This ensures they soften while baking. These breakfast cookies don’t spend very long in the oven, so if your apple chunks are larger, they’ll stay crisp and firm. Also, because someone always asks… I leave the skin on my apples — but you’re welcome to peel yours, if you prefer!

One final thing! These cookies do not spread while baking, so you must flatten the cookie dough before popping your tray in the oven. I just use a little spatula (like this!) to do so because the dough is too sticky to touch with your hands.
 

 
Quick, healthy, yummy… All of my breakfast problems are solved! 😉 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 healthy apple pie oatmeal breakfast cookies!

Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 15 cookies

These breakfast cookies are perfect for quick grab-and-go breakfasts — or even snacks! They’re soft and chewy, and they’re full of sweet apples and cozy spices, just like the iconic dessert. Leftover cookies will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they also freeze really well!

4.52 from 29 votes

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Ingredients 

• 1 cup (100g) Bob’s Red Mill quick cooking oats (measured like this)
• ¾ cup (90g) Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat flour (measured like this)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 large egg white (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
• 5 tbsp (75mL) nonfat milk (room temperature)
• ¾ cup (94g) finely diced red apple

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup and milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the apple. 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.
• Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to ⅜”-thick using a spatula. Bake at 325°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

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 FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These breakfast cookies aren’t overly sweet — and that’s intentional! They have a sweetness level similar to muffins or breakfast scones. For sweeter cookies, substitute pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for an equal amount of milk. (For example, add 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons to compensate.) Alternatively, use my true “dessert” apple pie oatmeal cookie recipe instead.

 

IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies don’t spread. They’ll look the same before and after baking (just no longer raw!).

 

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.

 

IMPORTANT APPLE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I use Fuji apples because they’re naturally sweet and have a great texture for baking. I leave the skin on, but you're welcome to peel yours, if you prefer.

 

Make sure the apples are diced to be no larger than the size of mini chocolate chips. This ensures they bake all the way through! (If they're bigger, the pieces will stay firm, crisp, and somewhat raw because these cookies don't take very long to bake.)

 

OATS NOTE: Quick cooking oats are also known as instant or one-minute oats. They often come in large canisters or bags, just like old-fashioned rolled oats, and only include one ingredient: oats! (They are not the ones in the small, individual flavored packets of oatmeal.)

 

EGG WHITE ALTERNATIVE: If you’d prefer to use a whole egg, then substitute 1 large egg, and reduce the milk by ½ tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolk.

 

SWEETENER 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.

 

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

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For a gluten-free version, use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free quick cooking oats and Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour.

 

DAIRY-FREE OPTION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one). Use your favorite dairy-free milk in place of the nonfat milk.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they’ll keep for a couple of days. If refrigerated, they’ll last closer to a week (if not longer!). Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!

 

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

 

{gluten-free option, dairy-free option, nut-free, clean eating, low fat}

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

This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. As always, all text, photographs, recipes, and opinions are my own.
 
 
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