A little over a year after I finished my chemistry degree, my dad and I scheduled another one of our baseball vacations. On that particular trip, we planned to visit three stadiums on the east coast: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, followed by Camden Yards in Baltimore, and finishing at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.
As usual, we also set aside a few days for sightseeing, so we flew to Philadelphia a full day ahead of our first ballgame to get a taste of the city (starting with classic cheesesteaks, of course!) and soak in some of the historical sights (the Liberty Bell Center and bell itself were big highlights!). We also tacked on a couple of extra days in the Nation’s Capitol to wander around the National Mall, walk past the White House and Lincoln Monument, and spend a full afternoon at the Air and Space Museum.
As we sat at our gate in the California airport on the morning of our trip, we brainstormed how to fit everything into those five days, and I grew more excited with each passing minute while waiting for our flight. The only downside?
There were very few flights to Philadelphia from our usual airport… So we booked the only one that would arrive before midnight local time, which meant waking up at the crack of dawn back on the west coast because of the time difference and layovers!
As a result, my dad and I both stopped by the coffee shop a few yards away from our gate to grab a little extra caffeine as soon as we passed through security at the airport. While I opted for a simple latte to pair with the soft and chewy granola bar I had brought for breakfast, my dad ordered a large black coffee and…
A chocolate muffin. A really big, supremely moist, extremely chocolaty muffin with lots of large chocolate chunks pressed into the top and studded throughout the inside too.
Knowing how much of a chocoholic I am, Dad generously offered to give me a taste or even split his breakfast treat with me. Smiling, I accepted a bite, and as I swallowed, my eyes lit up. That chocolate muffin tasted so good…
…but a little more like a really sweet and butter-laden cupcake than a breakfast item. So to keep my sugar cravings in check, I stopped after that first bite and returned to my chewy oatmeal breakfast bar as I sipped my latte and waited for our plane to arrive.
With the start of the Major League Baseball season right around the corner, Dad and I recently talked about what baseball trips we could potentially plan this year… Which reminded me of that really fun east coast vacation and our early morning airport breakfast!
And now, far too many years later, I combined the two of our breakfasts into one recipe: these Healthy Flourless Double Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies! They’re soft and chewy, exactly the way I love my regular cookies (and oatmeal-based granola bars!), and they have the same extra rich and chocolaty flavor of Dad’s muffin.
Yet unlike either of our breakfasts on that particular morning, these healthy breakfast cookies are flourless, eggless, dairy-free, and have no refined sugar. They’re also really easy to make and 66 calories!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY FLOURLESS DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST COOKIES
Let’s go over how to make these healthy flourless chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies! They remind me of eating brownies for breakfast, which is definitely a good thing in my {chocoholic} book! 😉
You’ll start with a combination of instant oats and unsweetened cocoa powder. Instant oats are also called quick-cooking and one-minute oats. They’re not the ones sold in those individual brown paper packets with flavors like “apple cinnamon” and “maple brown sugar!”
Instant oats have the same exact health benefits as traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. The only difference? They’re smaller and thinner! This means they soften faster, which gives your healthy flourless chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies the best soft and chewy texture.
And you just need regular unsweetened cocoa powder, like this! I don’t recommend using Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. These other two options have a different acidity level than regular unsweetened cocoa powder, which can affect the taste and texture of your cookies. Besides, you’re using a full ½ cup of cocoa powder, so your healthy flourless double chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies already taste really rich and decadent!
Hint: The cocoa powder actually replaces the flour, so if you use gluten-free instant oats, then these healthy double chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies are gluten-free!
Just remember… It’s extremely important to measure the oats and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much cocoa powder will make your cookies taste bitter, rather than rich and chocolaty. Too much of either will also dry out the cookie dough and make your cookies taste cakey or dry, instead of soft and chewy. This is especially true of the oats because they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture!
So pretty pretty please… Take the few extra moments to properly measure! (And if you use a kitchen scale like I do, then you’ll have fewer measuring cups to wash!)
Next, you’ll need a bit of coconut oil or non-dairy butter (this is my favorite one!). Just 1 tablespoon! That small amount really helps keep your healthy flourless double chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies low calorie and low fat… Yet they’re still perfectly soft and chewy!
Instead of eggs, you’ll use unsweetened applesauce! I tried that applesauce-for-eggs substitution in this one-bowl flourless brownies recipe, and it worked so well that I decided to try it with these breakfast cookies too. The results? Absolutely perfect! Nobody could tell that these healthy chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies were egg-free!
Bonus: By using coconut oil and unsweetened applesauce, your healthy flourless chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies are eggless, dairy-free, and vegan! (Plus gluten-free, if you use gluten-free instant oats!)
Since these are breakfast cookies, rather than traditional dessert cookies, you’ll only use half as much sweetener as compared to my dessert oatmeal cookie recipes. That gives these healthy flourless double chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies the sweetness level of muffins, rather than true cookies (or cupcakes, like that particular airport muffin!).
And that sweetener? Pure maple syrup! It’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
Then to compensate for the “missing” other half of the sweetener, you’ll stir in some unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Any kind of milk will work! That’s just my family’s favorite non-dairy milk, so I know they’ll always have some on hand. (Unsweetened cashew milk is my other favorite non-dairy milk!)
Finally, it’s impossible to make healthy flourless double chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies without a second chocolate component… So you’ll fold in a generous sprinkling of miniature chocolate chips into your cookie dough! These are my favorite vegan mini chocolate chips. They taste so rich and turn gooey and melty in the oven!
But wait… I’m getting ahead of myself. You need to chill this cookie dough first! It’s rather moist and liquidy when you first mix all of the ingredients together, but chilling helps stiffen the cookie dough. A mere 30 minutes is all it needs!
Almost time to bake! Because the cookie dough will still be somewhat sticky after chilling (just not wet and liquidy!), use a spoon and a spatula to drop it onto your baking sheet, and flatten each one to be about ¼” to ½” thick. These healthy flourless double chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies do not spread at all while baking, so they’ll look exactly the same before and after baking… Just no longer raw! 😉
And because someone always asks… No, I don’t use a cookie scoop or any special tools to shape my cookies! I just use this mini spatula to flatten the cookie dough and smooth out the edges to make them look as round as possible.
How tempting do these look as a healthy breakfast?? 😉 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 flourless vegan double chocolate oatmeal breakfast cookies!
| Healthy Flourless, Eggless & Dairy-Free Double Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (115g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or non-dairy butter, melted and cooled slightly (see Notes!)
- 6 tbsp (92g) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk, room temperature
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Whisk together the oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil or butter, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup and milk. Add in the oat mixture, stirring just until incorporated. 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 using a spoon and spatula, and flatten to ¼” to ½” thick using a spatula. (These cookies don’t spread, so they’ll look exactly the same before and after baking!) Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 9-11 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. In a pinch, you can make your own by adding the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor and pulsing 10-12 times.
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats (like these).
I do not recommend using Dutched or special dark cocoa powder because they have a different acidity level. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder (like this) has a much better flavor in this recipe!
This is my favorite non-dairy butter! For the best results, use stick-style non-dairy butter, rather than whipped or tub-style. Regular unsalted butter will also work! Do not substitute “light” butter.
Mashed banana may be substituted for the unsweetened applesauce.
Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
These are my favorite vegan mini chocolate chips!
As written, these cookies aren’t overly sweet. They’re meant to have the sweetness level of muffins, rather than regular “dessert” oatmeal cookies!
For sweeter cookies, substitute additional pure maple syrup for an equal amount of milk (ie 2 additional tablespoons of maple syrup for 2 tablespoons of milk). Alternatively, substitute 2 tablespoons (15g) of whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, oat flour, or your preferred gluten-free flour blend (like this one!) and reduce the cocoa powder 6 tablespoons (30g).
For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookies FAQ Page.
{gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy Triple Chocolate Scones
♡ Healthy Double Chocolate Mini Muffins
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Waffles
♡ Healthy One-Bowl Flourless Chocolate Chip Brownies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal breakfast cookie recipes!
Gonna give these a try. Look delicious. I will use regular milk and butter though, as I do not have a problem with dairy, and do have a problem with almond milk. I think dairy has gotten a bad rap, and is very nutritious.but any way, these look amazing. I am allergic to maple syrup, so will replace with 1/2 honey and some brown sugar. Maybe a tsp of expresso powder to up the chocolate flavor. I will also include toasted walnuts. Always like its in my cookies. Amy you have great recipes that I can alway riff. Thank you.
You’re so kind Jiwa — I truly appreciate your interest in my recipes, and I’m so glad that you’re enjoying them! That really means a lot to me. 🙂 I think dairy has gotten a bad rap as well. I’m still a big dairy fan, especially of Greek yogurt! 😉 However, lots of my family members are lactose-intolerant, so I still like to try to make dairy-free recipes for their dietary needs… With these breakfast cookies being one of them!
Substituting honey for the maple syrup will work just fine, and I love your idea to add a little espresso powder. I can’t wait to hear how your breakfast cookies turn out!
Love the rich chocolate in these! I added chia seeds, a bit of espresso powder, some chopped up dried mandarines to balance the chocolate richness, and finally some almond four as the mix seemed too runny to me. Came out wonderful: sweetness is spot on and texture is chewy but delicate. I’d use less maple syrup without the additional ingredients. Thanks so much for sharing!!
I’m so glad you loved these cookies Ali! I truly appreciate you taking the time to let me know! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipe modifications too — I always love hearing what tweaks work! I haven’t seen dried mandarines before, so I’m definitely going to keep my eye out for those. That sounds so fun!
Can another sweetener be used in place of the maple syrup?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Crystal! I’ve actually covered this on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, and there’s a link to that FAQ Page at the bottom of the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these breakfast cookies if you try making them!
Hey Amy, we loved these delicious cookies that my 4 year old helped me bake. My kids love it ! They are so decadent and I wonder if they would last any longer than a couple of hours. I definitely look forward to trying more recipes from your website. Healthy baking is the way to go!!!
I’m so glad you and your kids loved these cookies Sailee! That’s the best compliment if they barely lasted a few hours. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know — your sweet comment made my day!! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear which recipe of mine you and your kids decide to try making next!
I am looking forward more recipes like this. If I want to keep it for few day’s how will be the taste then.
I’m so honored that you’d like to try making these breakfast cookies! I’ve actually covered the best way to store them and how long they’ll last in the paragraph directly underneath the recipe title in the recipe box. I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these breakfast cookies!
I just made these and my whole family loved them! They are so incredibly good!!!! I made mine a bit bigger so I only got 11 out of the recipe. My 11 year old just said to me “Mom, next time you should double the batch because these will be gone today!”
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!!
Oh my goodness Amanda — you and your 11-year-old just made my ENTIRE day!! That’s the best compliment ever, if your family loved them so much to ask you to double the recipe. I’m incredibly honored! Thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know!! ♡
Can you add protein powder to get some more protein?
I really appreciate your interest in so many of my recipes Jessica! Out of the 11 you asked about, the two best ones for you to add protein powder would be these breakfast cookies and my peanut butter banana oatmeal breakfast cookies. Substitute 2 scoops of whey-based chocolate protein powder in place of the cocoa powder in these breakfast cookies, and substitute 3 scoops of whey-based protein powder (I’d recommend vanilla, for the best flavor!) in place of the flour in my peanut butter banana oatmeal breakfast cookies recipe. Both of these cookie doughs will be much stickier, so use a spoon and spatula to drop the cookie dough onto your baking sheets, flatten it, and shape it into circles. The chilling and baking times should remain the same!
I can’t guarantee the results of using plant-based protein powder in these two breakfast cookie recipes, and I really can’t guarantee the results of using protein powder in any of the other nine recipes you inquired about. This is because every protein powder behaves differently in baking recipes. For more information, see my Protein Powder FAQ Page here. 🙂
However, you can find all of my recipes that already call for protein powder here! I also have some high protein recipes here and some higher (not super high but higher than normal!) protein powder recipes here.
I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try making any of my recipes — whether as written or with the protein powder modification!
Hi, Amy, I had to tell you how much i love these cookies! The chocolate flavor is so deep and rich and the texture makes them almost like a decadent candy bar or even fudge! You are so good with chocolate flavors as in this cookie and your chocolate biscotti that it makes me want to make the chocolate scones and muffins! Although I have made the chocolate zucchini muffins and they are perfect, too 🙂 I am always happy when I see an oatmeal recipe from you in my inbox! Chocolate oatmeal is a win win!! I shared some with my cousin and he liked them too.
Awww Susan, you just made my ENTIRE day with your sweet comment!! Thank you so, SO much!! ♡ I’m so incredibly honored that you’ve tried (and loved!) so many of my chocolate recipes… And the fact that you’d compare these breakfast cookies to a decadent candy bar or fudge is the best kind of compliment there is! I truly appreciate you taking the time to let me know!! 🙂
Is there anything I can use instead of the Apple sauce in this recipe. I really really love and enjoy all your recipes.😀