Healthy Cranberry Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Yields: 15 cookies
 
These cookies are perfect for the holiday season! They’re supremely soft and chewy, and they’re bursting with sweet banana and tangy cranberry flavors. Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container—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
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • ¼ cup mashed banana
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
  • ¾ cup (83g) whole fresh cranberries, diced
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. To prepare the cookies, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, banana, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Gently fold in the cranberries.
  3. 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.
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.

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.

The cranberries should be measured when whole, then diced! To quickly dice the cranberries, I add them to my food processor, and pulse until they’re no larger than ¼ of their original size.

Frozen and thawed cranberries that have been patted dry to remove any excess moisture may be substituted for the fresh. In a pinch, ½ cup of diced dried cranberries that have been hydrated may be substituted. To hydrated the dried cranberries, add them to a microwave-safe bowl, add water until it rises ½” above the cranberries, and cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the cranberries sit while preparing the cookie dough. Just before mixing them in, drain and pat dry.

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

{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan, low fat}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/11/09/cranberry-banana-oatmeal-cookies/