I’m really glad you’d like to try my oatmeal cookie recipes! Because I receive the same questions over and over, I’ve assembled them into this FAQ page. If your question isn’t answered below, please leave it in a comment on the specific recipe that you’re interested in, and I’ll respond there!
FAQ
♥ My cookies turned out cakey and/or crumbly and/or didn’t spread. What happened?
It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using the this method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them crumbly instead of chewy. This is especially true for the oats! Oats act like little sponges and soak up moisture in the cookie dough.
♥ What are instant oats?
Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or one-minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned rolled oats, and just contain one ingredient: oats! They’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats. They are NOT the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.
♥ I only have old-fashioned rolled oats. Can I substitute those instead?
Yes! To make your own instant oats, measure the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats. Add them to a food processor, and pulse 7-10 times or until about half of their original size. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
♥ What about steel-cut oats? Can I use those?
No, I don’t recommend using steel-cut oats. They don’t behave quite the same or soften properly while baking.
♥ I don’t have whole wheat flour. What can I use instead?
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and all-purpose flour will all work as substitutes. Use the same amount of any of these. For my preferred gluten-free flour alternative, see below.
♥ How can I make the cookies gluten-free?
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and a gluten-free flour blend. 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. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, as long as they’re measured like this.
♥ Can I use coconut flour instead of the whole wheat flour?
I do not recommend this substitution. Coconut flour behaves very differently than any other flour because it’s about 3 time as absorbent. If you do decide to use coconut flour, only add ¼ cup (28g).
♥ Can I use almond flour instead of the whole wheat flour?
Yes! It tends to be less absorbent than other flours, so you may need to add a bit more (1-4 tablespoons) to achieve a similar texture and prevent your cookies from spreading too much. You can see what the consistency of the cookie dough should look like before and after chilling in my videos below!
♥ Can I use oat flour instead of the whole wheat flour?
Yes! Just be very careful when measuring it because oat flour tends to be slightly more absorbent than whole wheat flour.
♥ I don’t have the sweetener required in the recipe. What can I substitute?
Honey, pure maple syrup, and agave will all work in these recipes! Use the same amount of any of them. For a less expensive alternative, ½ cup (96g) brown sugar + ¼ cup (60mL) any milk -OR- ½ cup (96g) granulated sugar + ¼ cup (60mL) any milk -OR- ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar + ¼ cup (60mL) any milk may be substituted as well. The chilling time, baking temperature, and baking time stay the same for all of these options.
♥ Can I substitute stevia as the sweetener?
Readers have reported that stevia will work! Use the stevia equivalent of ½ cup of sugar; then add 4 tablespoons of milk (any milk will work!) to the cookie dough. If the cookie dough seems too thick, continue adding 1 tablespoon of milk to the cookie dough until it reaches the consistency shown in the videos below.
♥ Why does the egg need to be at room temperature?
A cold egg will rapidly chill the melted coconut oil or melted butter, which solidifies the fat source into tiny blobs. To quickly bring the egg up to room temperature, microwave 1 cup of water for 20-25 seconds. Place the egg in the warm water while measuring and mixing together the dry ingredients (about 5 minutes). By that time, it’ll be at room temperature and ready to use!
♥ What can I substitute for the egg to make the cookies vegan?
Ener-G is my favorite egg replacer. It’s a shelf-stable powder that keeps for months. Whisk 1 ½ teaspoons of Ener-G with 2 tablespoons of warm water, and let that sit for 5 minutes. Add the mixture to the cookie dough along in place of the egg white, and add ½ tablespoon of additional melted butter, stick-style vegan butter, or coconut oil in place of the egg yolk. Alternatively, 3 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce or ¼ cup of mashed banana may be used instead; however, both of these substitutions will add a fruity flavor to the cookies, and your cookies won’t spread very much, if at all.
♥ The cookie dough is still sticky after chilling. How do you shape it?
With a spatula! I own these cute ones, and their small size is great for shaping the cookie dough into perfectly round circles.
♥ Can I double the recipe?
Yes, most definitely!
RECIPE VIDEOS
Here are the videos I created to help you with baking my oatmeal cookie recipes! I make my Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in the video, but the texture of the cookie dough is the same for almost all of my clean-eating oatmeal cookie recipes. Enjoy!
Note: As a default, the volume is generally muted the first time you watch these videos. If that happens to you, click on the volume icon to the right of the play icon, and adjust the volume as needed.
I’ve also included the videos for my Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Oatmeal Cookies, Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies below. (And two older videos of my Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, including lots of baking tips, too!) All of these give you an overhead view of the entire process so you can easily follow along!
*Disclosure: Some of the links included in this post may be affiliate links and I will earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you purchase through those links. I really appreciate your support!
