Healthy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Yields: 15 cookies

These cookies are great for quick grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks! They’re supremely chewy and bursting with peanut butter flavor. And of course, what goes better with PB than chocolate?? These cookies have the same sweetness level of muffins, rather than typical “dessert-style” cookies. Leftovers will keep for at least 1 week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator—if they last that long! (And they freeze really well, too!)

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
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp salt
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup (64g) homemade creamy peanut butter
¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup
¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
2 ½ tbsp (35g) miniature chocolate chips, divided

Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg white and vanilla. Stir in the peanut butter until fully incorporated. Stir in the maple syrup and milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 2 tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips. Let the cookie dough rest for 10 minutes.
Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to the desired thickness and width using a spatula. 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.

Notes: 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!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey 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 the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ 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 flour blends will also work, if measured like this.

I highly recommend my easy blender peanut butter for these cookies! It only takes 5 minutes to make (literally—I timed it!), and it tastes amazing. Otherwise, you can use a store-bought natural-style peanut butter where the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Do not use crunchy peanut butter.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

For answers to all other questions (including substitutions and tips), see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/10/31/healthy-chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-oatmeal-breakfast-cookies/