These steel-cut oatmeal cookies taste like the perfect cross between a regular oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and a bowl of oatmeal. They’re lightly sweetened with maple syrup, completely gluten-free thanks to oat and almond flour, and low-FODMAP thanks to the use of dairy-free coconut oil.
The original recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies joy of cooking Tome was one of the first baked goods I learned to make myself. I have the fondest memories of hand creaming butter for them, folding in both sugars and finally adding oats and chocolate.
Over the years, I’ve tried to recreate them with healthier, gluten-free ingredients so I can enjoy an after-dinner cookie without the inevitable blood sugar crash (and trouble falling asleep).
One of the simplest changes you can make to your blood sugar is to swap out regular rolled oats for steel-cut oats in cookies. Yes, it’s still dessert. But your body has to work harder to convert the starch into glucose.
What is steel cut oatmeal?
The less processed the oats are, the better they are for your blood sugar. Although you can buy whole grits (the whole kernel), the more common variety is steel cut, which is exactly what it sounds like: chunks of whole grits cut into smaller, more manageable sizes. Steel cut oats retain their shape and bite even after prolonged cooking. This may be an acquired texture, but certainly a refreshing one if you’ve never been a fan of Dickens’ overly soggy mush.
How do you use oatmeal in cookies?
Since steel rolled oats are denser and tougher than rolled oats or old-fashioned oats, they benefit from some pre-cooking before mixing into your cookie dough. In this steel cut oatmeal recipe, I cook the oats in water on the stovetop for 15 minutes until they reach a porridge consistency. Normally, when preparing steel-cut oatmeal, you would simmer the oats even longer. But it’s okay to have some bite to add texture to your cookies.
The steel cut oats are then fully chilled before being folded into your chocolate chip cookie dough.
Since this recipe uses coconut oil as the main fat, placing the steel-cut oatmeal cookie dough back in the fridge to set will help. The oil is solid at room temperature and once melted makes the batter more soupy. I prefer my steel cut oatmeal cookies to be on the thicker side with crispy edges.
Do these steel cut oatmeal cookies freeze well?
Because of all the refrigeration, this dough is perfect for making ahead and baking to order. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or even longer in the freezer in portions.
Simply place them on the baking sheet and add a few extra minutes in the oven per the instructions below.
Can I make these Gluten Free Steel Cut Raisin Oatmeal Cookies?
Any mix-ins that work in a regular oatmeal would be awesome with these steel cut oatmeal cookies. Along with other dried fruits, raisins are insidious sources of sugar—sometimes they even contain more than chocolate chips!
If you use raisins, try adding some walnuts to add more fiber to these steel-cut oatmeal cookies and slow down the glucose roller coaster.
Can I make these steel cut oatmeal cookies nut free?
On the other hand, you can simply omit the walnut mixtures to make these cookies nut-free.
Add an additional 1/3 cup of oatmeal instead of almond flour. The cookies will still be tasty, just less fiber.
How about vegan?
You can swap the eggs for two Flax Eggs in these steel-cut oatmeal cookies. It’s even more important to chill the batter to get some volume on these cookies without the regular egg.
If you’re looking for more gluten-free cookie recipes, check out some of these favorites:
And for more steel cut oats ideas, this Banana Bread Baked Steel Cut Oats Recipe is a fan favorite, as are these Gluten Free Steel Cut Overnight Oats!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Steel-cut oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips
Print recipe
These steel-cut oatmeal cookies taste like the perfect cross between a regular oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and a bowl of oatmeal. They are lightly sweetened with maple syrup, absolutely gluten-free thanks to oat and almond flour and low FODMAP with non-dairy coconut oil. The dough is best chilled before rolling, making it great to prepare ahead or freeze for later.
portions 24 Cookies
instructions
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Cook Oatmeal: In a medium saucepan or stockpot, bring 2 ½ cups of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the oatmeal, then simmer over medium-high heat, until the oatmeal has a mushy consistency and all the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. The oats should clump together on your spoon, not be soupy. It’s ok if they still bite.
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Set the steel-cut oatmeal aside to cool until just warm to the touch. You can speed this up by placing the pot in the fridge and stirring occasionally.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until incorporated. It’s okay if the coconut oil is a bit chunky.
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Stir in the oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until a smooth batter forms.
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Add the cooked, cooled rolled oats and stir until incorporated. The batter should look like thick oatmeal. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts (if using).
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Place the bowl in the refrigerator and refrigerate until the dough is cool and hard (more cookie dough than oatmeal).
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Using a tight ice cream scoop or 2 rounded tablespoons, scoop batter onto prepared sheets, keeping cookies 2 inches apart. You should end up with about 8 cookies on each tray.
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Bake for 15 minutes or until cookies appear soft but firm and crispy on the bottom. Remove the pans from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat the baking process with each additional dough.
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Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or longer.
If you do, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!