Some days, a girl just needs a cookie. A soft, sweet, freshly baked cookie… The comforting kind of cookie that fills you with a cozy warmth from the moment your teeth sink into it.
Over the past two weeks, I’ve felt that cookie craving nearly every night. Long (but super fun!) days of filming new episodes for my YouTube TV show, getting a head start on countless taxes and forms with my accountant, editing hundreds of photos from yummy recipe photo shoots…
An emergency flight home to say one final hello to my beloved second mommy, memories flooding through my mind as Mom and I recalled our favorite moments with that special lady, the return airplane trip where it hit me that life will never be the same…
Celebratory cookie days. Comforting cookie days. Grieving cookie days. Trying to find a sense of peace cookie days. From all of my years of baking and eating cookies, I’ve found there’s only one type that’s universally satisfying for any I-just-need-a-cookie occasion…
Oatmeal cookies. Sweet, simple, chewy oatmeal cookies.
Like these Healthy Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! Hearty oats, juicy raisins, cozy familiar flavors… With an added pop of sweetness and whimsy from the fruit. These cookies brighten moments, fill the empty spaces, and leave me feeling a little bit better than before.
And it really helps that they’re only 92 calories and made from entirely wholesome ingredients!
I’m a true oatmeal cookie monster… I just counted, and as of January 2018, I’ve shared 47 oatmeal cookie recipes with you. Eep! Have you tried any of them yet? (← You can find all of my oatmeal cookie recipes right there!) They’re some of the most popular recipes on my blog because they taste really sweet and cozy, just like traditional “indulgent” oatmeal cookie recipes, but they contain no refined flour or sugar!
So you’ll start with whole wheat flour (or gluten-free, if you prefer) and instant oats (like these… or these for a gluten-free version!). Instant oats are smaller and thinner than traditional rolled oats, and you can find them in canisters right next to those old-fashioned oats at the grocery store.
I probably sound like a broken record by now… But because I ♡ you and want your cookies to turn out perfectly soft and chewy, I’m reminding you again… Measure your flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale! (← That’s the one I own and love. It only cost $20!) Too much of either ingredient will make your cookies taste cakey or dry, rather than chewy. This is especially true of the oats—they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture from your cookie dough!
See those bananas? And all of those brown spots? When it comes to baking with bananas, brown = beautiful! I ♡ extra speckly bananas because they have so much bright, bold flavor—and extra natural sweetness! That’s the minimum amount of brown that I recommend. More is even better!
The rest of the cookie dough’s sweetness comes from another natural ingredient… Pure maple syrup (like this!). You want the kind that comes directly from maple trees, which is usually sold in thin glass bottles or squat, round plastic jugs. Skip the pancake syrup and sugar-free syrup!
The raisins add even more natural sweetness! The freshly bought, extra plump, perfectly soft ones are ideal… But if you have older, somewhat dried out raisins (hmm… it sounds silly to describe dried fruit as dried out! 🙈), that’s okay!
Simply add them to a microwave-safe bowl, and pour water on top until they’re completely covered. Seal plastic wrap over the top, and microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute. If you let the raisins sit while mixing together the cookie dough, this little trick hydrates them so they’re exceptionally juicy—and that makes a big difference in these cookies once they’re baked!
Trust me… With two weeks’ worth of cookie day cravings, these definitely hit the spot every single time! 👌🏻 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 oatmeal cookies!
| Healthy Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- ¼ cup (63g) mashed banana
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (40g) raisins
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, mashed banana, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the raisins. Let the cookie dough rest for 10 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 the desired thickness and width using a spatula. Bake at 325°F for 10-12 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 or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following 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 flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.
For the best results, use the ripest and spottiest bananas you can find!
If your raisins are older, drier, and not very plump or juicy… Add them to a microwave-safe bowl, and pour water on top until they’re completely covered. Seal plastic wrap over the top, and microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute. If you let the raisins sit while mixing together the cookie dough, this little trick hydrates them so they’re really soft and juicy!
For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page.
{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan, low fat}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy Cranberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
♡ …and all of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!
I love your recipes but I am concerned that the whole wheat white flour has been produced using GMO one of the things that all Health Experts say to stay away from. I would really like your view on this.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Gayle! I haven’t heard anything about that. If you have a scientific journal article that cites studies about that, I’d love to read it! 🙂
can I replace the maple syrup with honey?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Inas! I’ve actually answered that already on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, which is included in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. It can be easy to miss! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these oatmeal cookies!
Omg!! I think these are the best cookies I’ve ever had! I’m from the Czech republic so some ingredients were hard to buy or they were slightly expensive. 🙊 But the taste of these cookies absolutely worth it. I’ll definitely try another recipe. Thank you!
That means SO much to me that you’d call these the best cookies you’ve ever had! What a huge compliment — thank you so much Linda!! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what recipe of mine you try next!
Great cookies, very well presented and easy recipe, good luck waiting 20 minutes for them to cool!
I’ll be making these again for sure.
I’m so glad you loved these cookies Ben! That means a lot to me! 🙂
I noticed your warning about the cookie becoming dry if the oats and flour were not measured exactly a certain way, so instead of measuring them exactly a certain way, I made a chia egg and added it to the recipe. The cookies were amazing. Also I increased banana to a half cup. They were almost all gone before they’d cooled (as it should be).
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Jennifer! 🙂
Make these often! So great! To cut out the maple syrup sugar I use about 2/3 the amount and add extra banana it keeps them just as moist and I love the extra hint of banana taste. Never dry! Do not overcook though thats key!
your raisin trick I’ve shared with so many friends also, this has saved so many of my cookies. I hate biting into old hard raisins!
Thanks!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying these cookies, Caylin! That means so much to me that you’re making them often. That’s the best kind of compliment! 😉 I’m honored that you’d share my raisin trick with your friends, too! So glad it’s helpful!
These cookies turned out amazing! Almost like banana cakey inside but crunchy on the outside, so yummy. Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Ellen! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂