Healthy Oatmeal Snickerdoodles

Last year I hosted my first annual Cookie Week and it was a BLAST.

I released some of my best cookie recipes ever, including these Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies and my BEST Healthy Snickerdoodles.

So, I thought for this year's Cookie Week, I'd do a spin off of one of the reader favorite recipes from last year.

That's where today's recipe for Healthy Oatmeal Snickerdoodles was born!

Imagine the iconic Christmas cookie married a chewy oatmeal cookie and they had a baby. Amazing, right?!

These oatmeal snickerdoodle cookies are perfectly sweet, studded with cinnamon, and extra chewy thanks to rolled oats.

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Why you'll love this recipe

Tried and true: my original snickerdoodles are one of the top recipes on my blog, and these oatmeal snickerdoodles are an adaptation of that original recipe!

Made in one bowl: all you need is a stand mixer or a hand mixer and a rubber spatula.

No chill time: a game changer for sure! You can have a delicious batch of cookies in just 30 minutes.

Perfectly chewy: each cookie has a slightly crispy edge with gooey, chewy centers

Secretly healthy: you would never guess each cinnamon sugar cookie is gluten free, dairy free, and low sugar!

Seasonal and festive: an oatmeal snickerdoodle is the perfect cookie for your Christmas party, feeding Santa, or sharing with your neighbors this holiday season!

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Ingredients you'll need

• Vegan butter: I prefer using dairy free butter made from either olive oil or avocado oil because those are heart healthy fats! Any butter will work though, as long as it's unsalted. If you have to use salted butter, reduce the total amount of salt by half.
• Brown sugar: to help the cookies spread and add sweetness to the cookie dough. You can use equal amounts of white sugar or coconut sugar, but don't replace with Stevia. A cookie made with 100% Stevia will not spread one bit! If you use coconut sugar, the texture will turn out a bit more granular and there will be a hint of caramel in the cookie dough.
• Stevia: a zero calorie sweetener that helps keep these cookies low sugar and lower calorie. You can use any zero calorie sweetener you like or an equal amount of sugar.
• Large eggs: to bind the wet and dry ingredients and help leaven the dough. I haven't tried this recipe with a flax egg, so let me know if it works for you! This is the only thing you'll need to make these vegan oatmeal snickerdoodles.
• Oat flour: a healthier alternative to all purpose flour that really brings out the "oat" flavor in these oatmeal cookies. It also makes these gluten free cookies! Since this recipe was developed specifically with oat flour, I don't recommend any substitutes. I DO recommend buying oat flour from the grocery store or here on Amazon instead of making your own.
• Rolled oats: for that amazing chewy texture and boost of soluble fiber. Don't misread though! You'll need rolled oats, not quick oats or instant oats. We don't want the oats to absorb any moisture, and instant oats will do that, so be sure to use old fashioned rolled oats.
• Cream of tartar: the classic snickerdoodle ingredient. Yes this is 100% necessary, no there aren't any substitutes. It's not a snickerdoodle without cream of tartar!
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: warm spices that not only make the snickerdoodle an iconic cookie recipe but compliment the oatmeal flavor and texture, too. If you want to get really fancy, you can use equal amounts of pumpkin pie spice.
• Cinnamon sugar: made from Stevia and more cinnamon. This will be the coating on the outside of the snickerdoodles!

Equipment you'll need

• Cookie sheet or baking sheet
• Parchment paper - for evenly baked cookies
• Wire rack - for cooling
• Kitchen aid mixer or hand mixer
• Large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer
• Small bowl - for the cinnamon sugar mixture
• Rubber spatula - for folding in the oats

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How to make healthy oatmeal snickerdoodles

Step 1: prep the kitchen

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Note: using aluminum foil is NOT the same as parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper (buy some!) just use a bare baking sheet.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup Stevia (or 1/3 cup sugar) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Step 2: cream the wet ingredients

Cream your room temperature butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 full minutes.

Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, then add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat for another 1-2 minutes until well combined.

Note: I like to start on low speed for 10-30 seconds to make sure everything is distributed, then I cream on medium-high speed for the remainder of the time.

Step 3: mix the dry ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, whisking until well combined.

(You can also pulse all the dry ingredients in a food processor or sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients if you don't want to use an extra bowl or appliance.)

Add the mixed or sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a few streaks of flour remain.

Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in the oats until just combined.\

Step 4: roll in cinnamon sugar

Using a cookie scoop (either 1 or 2 tablespoons in size), portion out the dough into equal sized cookie dough balls and roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar.

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Step 5: bake the cookies

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each dough ball.

If you used a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. If you used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, bake for 10-12 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

How to store snickerdoodle cookies

Let the cookies cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container or ziploc bag on the counter for 3-5 days.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I make these oatmeal snickerdoodles vegan?

I have not tested this recipe without an egg. If you use an egg substitute like a flax egg and have success, please leave a comment and let me know!

Can I use homemade oat flour for these cookies?

If you have a powerful blender that makes ultra fine oat flour without any gritty pieces, sure! I haven't had success with it, so I recommend using store bought oat flour. I get mine in bulk here on Amazon.

Can I substitute the flour in this recipe?

I haven't tested this recipe with any other type of flour. If you want a snickerdoodle recipe with regular flour, try this recipe!

Can I make my cookies smaller?

Yes! For smaller cookies, use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop or a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon and portion out the cookie dough. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then let sit for 10 minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

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More holiday cookie recipes

No Bake Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Frosted Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Healthy Mini Chocolate Peppermint Pies

The BEST Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Pizookie

Healthy Chewy Snowman Molasses Cookies

If you haven't joined cookie week yet, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list and get all the details for how to enter our exclusive giveaway!

This year, you could win the chance to create your own cookie recipe with me and have it permanently on the blog!

As always, please leave a star rating and review if you try this recipe so other readers know how you liked it.

Merry Christmas and happy baking!