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These are the Christmas cookies everyone loves. Every single time I make them, someone asks for the recipe – so consider this me getting ahead of the questions. These Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect antidote to the cold, dark afternoons that winter brings – a cozy, comforting treat with chewy oats, rich dark chocolate, and just the right sprinkle of salt. Whether you’re enjoying them with a cup of coffee or sharing them with friends and family, they’re guaranteed to brighten your day. Plus, with gluten-free oats and almond flour, they’re a treat everyone can enjoy
Table of Contents
😍 Why You’ll Love My Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are everything you didn’t know you were missing in a classic oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. They are perfectly chewy with just the right amount of crisp edges, basically the ideal texture for cookie lovers, and the combination of old-fashioned oats and almond flour adds a subtle nuttiness that makes them feel just a little more special.
And then there is the chocolate. Dark chocolate chips melt into rich pockets of gooey goodness, while a pinch of cinnamon adds warmth without stealing the spotlight. To top it all off, a sprinkle of flaky salt enhances every bite, balancing the sweetness and making the flavors pop.
They are also made with a few sneaky swaps to lighten things up, like applesauce for moisture, so you can feel good about having more than one (or three – I won’t judge).
🗒️ Ingredients
Gluten-free all-purpose flour: The base of the dough, keeping these cookies gluten-free and perfectly structured.
Almond flour: Adds a subtle nuttiness and keeps the texture tender and moist.
Old-fashioned rolled oats: The star ingredient that gives these cookies their chewy, hearty texture. Remember to use gluten-free oats if you need them to be gluten-free!
Unsalted butter: Soft but cool for a creamy, rich flavor in every bite.
Dark brown sugar: Adds depth and a hint of molasses sweetness.
Granulated sugar: Balances the brown sugar and adds a light, crisp edge.
Kosher salt: Enhances all the flavors in the dough.
Baking soda: Helps these cookies rise just enough for a soft, pillowy bite.
Ground cinnamon: A warm, subtle spice that ties everything together.
Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavors with its sweet, aromatic richness.
Large egg: Binds the dough and adds structure.
Applesauce: Keeps the cookies moist and a little lighter without extra fat.
Dark chocolate chips: The ultimate pockets of gooey, melty goodness in every bite.
👩🍳 How to Make My Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
🍶 In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, gluten-free flour, and almond flour. Use a fork to blend everything evenly.
🍪 In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix on low until moistened, then increase to medium and beat for about 30 seconds.
🥚 Crack in the egg while the mixer runs, then mix until smooth. Add the applesauce and blend for about 10 seconds more.
🍂 Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low until a thick batter forms.
🍫 Stir in the chocolate chips on low speed or with a spatula until evenly distributed.
❄️ Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up the dough and prevent spreading.
🔥 Heat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
🥄 Use a cookie scoop or two tablespoons to portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving a couple of inches between each. Sprinkle the tops with flaky salt.
⏳ Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look slightly underbaked.
❄️ Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
🥳 Enjoy!
🎩 Tips and Tricks
- 🧊 Chill the dough: Don’t skip the chilling step! Refrigerating the dough for a couple of hours helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and gives them a thicker, chewier texture.
- Scoop evenly: To ensure all your cookies bake evenly, try using a cookie scoop to measure the dough. This also helps make uniform-sized cookies.
- Underbake slightly: For the perfect chewy cookie, pull them out of the oven when they’re golden on the edges but still soft in the middle. They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Don’t overmix the dough: When adding the dry ingredients, mix just enough to combine. Overmixing can make the cookies tough.
🤲 Substitutions
- Gluten-free flour: If you’re not gluten-free, you can easily swap in regular all-purpose flour instead. Just use the same amount and skip the gluten-free flour blend.
- Almond flour: If you don’t have almond flour, you can use oat flour, coconut flour, or even regular flour. Keep in mind that almond flour gives a nice texture and moisture, so other substitutes might result in a slightly different cookie texture.
- Butter: You can use dairy-free butter or coconut oil as a non-dairy substitute. Just make sure the coconut oil is softened but not melted for the best texture.
- Applesauce: If you don’t have applesauce, mashed banana or Greek yogurt can be used in place. Just remember that they might slightly change the flavor of the cookies!
- Brown sugar: Coconut sugar or maple sugar are great alternatives to brown sugar for a more natural option. The cookies will still have a lovely sweetness, though the flavor may be a little different.
- Kosher salt: Table salt can be used, but you’ll need to reduce the amount by half as table salt is finer and more concentrated.
- Chocolate chips: You can substitute the dark chocolate chips with milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate, or even chunks of chocolate bar if you prefer larger chocolate pockets in your cookies.
- Egg: To make these cookies egg-free, you can use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water) or a chia egg. Both will help bind the dough together.
📓 These Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Are Best Served With…
- A glass of milk – a classic!
- A hot cup of coffee or tea.
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh fruit
👝 How to Store These Cookies
To keep your Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If you want to keep them longer, freeze them by wrapping each cookie in plastic wrap or placing them in a freezer-safe bag. They’ll stay good for up to 3 months, and you can easily warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds to get that soft, chewy texture back.
Just make sure the container is sealed tightly to avoid any moisture getting in. With these simple tips, your cookies will stay delicious and ready to enjoy anytime!
🧠 Common Questions
Yes, you can substitute regular all-purpose flour for the gluten-free flour if you don’t need to make these cookies gluten-free. Just use the same amount.
You can swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar or maple sugar if you prefer a more natural option. The flavor might change slightly, but it will still be delicious.
If you don’t have applesauce, you can use mashed banana or Greek yogurt. Keep in mind that these will slightly alter the flavor and texture, but they’ll still work well.
Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and gives them a chewier texture. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step, but the results might vary a bit.
Yes! You can replace the butter with dairy-free butter or coconut oil for a dairy-free version. Just be sure the coconut oil is softened, not melted.
Yes, you can freeze the dough. Scoop out the dough into cookie-sized portions, place them on a baking sheet to freeze, and then store them in an airtight container or bag. When you’re ready to bake, just pop them straight into the oven (no need to thaw).
The cookies are ready when they’re golden brown on the edges but still soft in the center. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool. Be careful not to overbake them for that perfect chewy texture.
Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 sticks unsalted butter, soft but cool — about 65 degrees
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the oats, flour, almond flour and mix with with a fork to combine.
- Combine butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase to medium and beat for about 30 seconds. With the mixer running, crack in the egg and continue beating until smooth.
- Add the applesauce and mix for 10 seconds more. Add the oat and flour mixture and mix on low for 20 seconds or until a thick batter forms.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix on low for a few seconds to distribute throughout the dough.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for two hours to firm up and keep the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F.
- Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop if you have it (or two tablespoons) scoop out 2 tablespoon portions of dough onto parchment-lined aluminum baking sheets, leaving a couple of inches between them.
- Sprinkle the tops of the balls of dough with flaky salt and bake for about 11-13 minutes. The cookies should look golden on the edges and slightly underbaked in the middle.
- Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes or until the bottoms are firm before transferring with a spatula to a cooling rack to cool further.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
