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This healthy apple pie oatmeal cookies recipe is the BEST! It’s made with no refined sugar, lots of cinnamon & plenty of oats. These chewy apple oatmeal cookies are clean eating, low calorie & SO easy to make! You’ll never need another oatmeal cookie recipe again! (PS I’ve made them with both whole wheat & gluten free flour. Both taste AMAZING!) Healthy oatmeal cookies low calories. Apple oatmeal cookies easy. Healthy oatmeal cookies clean eating.

Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 15 cookies
These oatmeal cookies are full of apples and cinnamon, and they’re incredibly soft and chewy. They’ll stay that way for up to one week if stored in an airtight container — if they last that long!
4.87 from 87 votes
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
  • ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120mL) agave (see Notes!)
  • 1 cup (125g) finely diced red apple (about 1 medium – and see Notes!)

Instructions

  • Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the agave. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the apple. Chill for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet using a spoon and spatula, and flatten slightly. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 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 and love!) Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy.
 
IMPORTANT APPLE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For the best results, dice the apples very finely. I cut mine into ⅛" bits. The larger the chunks, the crisper and less soft they’ll be. Finely diced apples won't completely soften while baking, but they won’t be nearly as crisp and crunchy as larger apple chunks. If the cookies are stored in an airtight container for a few days, the apple pieces will naturally soften over time as well.
 
I prefer Fuji apples because they're naturally sweet and have a great texture for baking, but any red apple will work. If you prefer a tarter taste, green apples would be fine too.
 
It's up to you whether you peel your apples. (I generally leave the skin on.)
 
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: As long as the ingredients are measured correctly, these cookies should spread while baking. Flattening the cookie dough before baking also helps give them a spreading “head start.”
 
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.
 
OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned rolled oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.
 
To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
 
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours!
 
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or pure maple syrup may be substituted for the agave. Alternatively, ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar or brown sugar + 5 tablespoons (75mL) milk (any type!) may be substituted as well. 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.
 
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats (like these) and certified gluten free oat flour (like this). Alternatively, for a non-oat-flour version, use the following: 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 (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
 
NUT-FREE VERSION: Use stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) or unsalted butter.
 
DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one).
 
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they’ll keep for up to one week. If refrigerated, they’ll last longer. Once baked and fully cooled, these oatmeal cookies also freeze really well!
 
For all other questions regarding the recipe, including additional ingredient substitutions, please see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page.
 
{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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.