Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
These breakfast cookies are perfect for quick grab-and-go breakfasts — or even snacks! They’re soft and chewy, and they’re full of sweet apples and cozy spices, just like the iconic dessert. Leftover cookies will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they also freeze really well!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) Bob’s Red Mill quick cooking oats (measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- 5 tbsp (75mL) nonfat milk (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (94g) finely diced red apple
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup and milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the apple. 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.
- Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to ⅜”-thick using a spatula. Bake at 325°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: 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!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy.
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These breakfast cookies aren’t overly sweet — and that’s intentional! They have a sweetness level similar to muffins or breakfast scones. For sweeter cookies, substitute pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for an equal amount of milk. (For example, add 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons to compensate.) Alternatively, use my true “dessert” apple pie oatmeal cookie recipe instead.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies don’t spread. They’ll look the same before and after baking (just no longer raw!).
Do not over-bake these cookies! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the centers still feel slightly soft and underdone. The heat from the warm baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through while you let the cookies rest for 10 minutes after pulling the pan from the oven.
IMPORTANT APPLE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I use Fuji apples because they’re naturally sweet and have a great texture for baking. I leave the skin on, but you're welcome to peel yours, if you prefer.
Make sure the apples are diced to be no larger than the size of mini chocolate chips. This ensures they bake all the way through! (If they're bigger, the pieces will stay firm, crisp, and somewhat raw because these cookies don't take very long to bake.)
OATS NOTE: Quick cooking oats are also known as instant or one-minute oats. They often come in large canisters or bags, just like old-fashioned rolled oats, and only include one ingredient: oats! (They are not the ones in the small, individual flavored packets of oatmeal.)
EGG WHITE ALTERNATIVE: If you’d prefer to use a whole egg, then substitute 1 large egg, and reduce the milk by ½ tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolk.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Regardless of which you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. If chilled, it will re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil.
I generally don't recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which makes your oatmeal cookies turn out more cakey or bready.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For a gluten-free version, use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free quick cooking oats and Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour.
NUT-FREE OPTION: Use the unsalted butter option.
DAIRY-FREE OPTION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one). Use your favorite dairy-free milk in place of the nonfat milk.
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they’ll keep for a couple of days. If refrigerated, they’ll last closer to a week (if not longer!). Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!
For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page.
{gluten-free option, dairy-free option, nut-free, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.