Healthy Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
These oatmeal cookies are supremely soft and chewy, with bits of crunch from the pecans. Between the warm cinnamon in the background and the prominent sweet maple flavor, every bite tastes extra cozy and comforting! Leftover cookies will keep for at least two days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature or at least five days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1 cups (100g) Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats (measured like this and gluten-free, if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour (measured like this – see Notes for gluten-free option!)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- 4 tsp maple extract (see Notes!)
- 3 tbsp (42g) finely diced pecans (see Notes!)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil and egg. Stir in the pure maple syrup until fully incorporated. Stir in the maple extract. Pour in the oat mixture, and stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in 2 ½ tablespoons of pecans. Chill the cookie dough for 20 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. Flatten to ⅜”-thick using a spatula. Gently press the remaining pecans 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
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out your cookies and leave them cakey or dry instead of moist and chewy – especially the oats! They act like little sponges and soak up moisture from your cookie dough.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These cookies only spread a little. They’ll look very similar before and after baking (just no longer raw!), so it’s important to flatten the cookie dough before baking.
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: Quick cooking oats are smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. (You’ll also use quick cooking oats in all of these snack cake recipes, these oatmeal muffin recipes, and these oatmeal cookie recipes of mine, too!)
In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times, or until the oats are about ¼ of their original size.
If you can’t find the organic kind, then the regular version (Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Rolled Oats) works equally well! Alternatively, you can also use Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (the regular version!) to make your own “DIY” quick cooking oats.
FLOUR NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
If you can’t find the organic kind, then the regular versions of all three flours (Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, and Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour) work equally well.
CINNAMON NOTE: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon! It’s stronger, richer, and sweeter than the regular kind commonly found at grocery stores. (It’s basically the only kind I use in my baking recipes now!)
PURE MAPLE SYRUP NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Pure maple syrup is the kind that comes directly from maple trees. It’s usually sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this). It only includes one ingredient: maple syrup. (In contrast, pancake syrup is maple-flavored syrup that’s often made from corn syrup or sugar and natural maple flavor, along with other ingredients.)
In other recipes, I’d say that honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup… But that seems silly to include here, given that these are supposed to be maple cookies! However, it’s still true; honey and agave will work in place of the pure maple syrup, if you’d like to substitute them for any reason.
I don’t recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. Those are often water-based, which affects the cookies' texture. They usually turn out cakey or bready, rather than soft and chewy.
MAPLE EXTRACT NOTE: I do not recommend substituting anything for this! It adds a big boost of maple flavor, so your cookies will taste rather plain without it. Maple extract is usually sold on the baking aisle right next to the regular vanilla extract. I generally use this kind.
PECAN NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Make sure they’re chopped fairly small, no larger than the size of chocolate chips, to ensure your cookies bake evenly. I like to toast the pecans before using them; I think it makes them taste richer and a little sweeter!
I’m not a huge fan of nuts in my cookies, which is why the amount is on the smaller side. If you’d like more pecans in your cookies, you can add up to an additional 5 tablespoons (for a total of up to ½ cup).
Other nuts (such as walnuts or macadamia nuts) may be substituted for the pecans. For a nut-free version, substitute dried fruit or chocolate chips. You can also omit them and make plain maple oatmeal cookies, if you’d like!
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: For the oats, use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Gluten Free Quick Cooking Rolled Oats or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Rolled Oats (non-organic).
If you’re unable to find either of those, then add the same amount of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (non-organic) to a food processor or blender, and pulse 10-12 times, or until the oats are about ¼ of their original size.
For the gluten-free flour, use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Alternatively, use the following homemade blend: ½ cup (60g) Bob’s Red Mill Millet Flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour, and ½ teaspoon Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum.
DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (such as this or this) in place of the unsalted butter.
NUT-FREE VERSION: Use the unsalted butter option or stick-style vegan butter (such as this or this), and substitute dried fruit or chocolate chips for the pecans – or simply omit them.
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 at least five days (if not longer!). 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, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, nut-free option}
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.