I’m not a cookie-lover until the “-ber” months arrive. I get an itch to bake cookies as the weather gets cooler, which is around October in Southern California. Then, when January comes, the craving for cookies suddenly disappears.
As the night temperature dropped and I saw Halloween decorations popping up, I started craving oat cookies. I have an oat cookie recipe on my blog created when my youngest was in the weaning stage. Those cookies are a hearty and satisfying snack with little sugar, but I wanted more of a treat that tastes like traditional cookies- without the headache-inducing sugar spike. So, I set out to recipe test gingerbread oat cookies, and after several tries, I have a delicious treat that doesn’t feel too bad even after eating a bit too many. I was able to cut back a lot of sugar by incorporating sweet aromatic spices such as cinnamon and ginger.
If you don’t have quick oats, you can use rolled oats. When using rolled oats, make sure to chill/rest the dough before baking for at least 30 minutes.
If you tried this recipe, I would love to hear from you!
Gingerbread Oat Cookies
These oat cookies with a warm cinnamon, ginger, and honey aroma.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp honey or 1 tbsp molasses
- 1/3 cup all-purpose or white whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cup quick oats
Instructions
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In a large bowl, add olive oil, egg, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla extract, and honey. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
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Add flour and baking soda. Mix with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
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Mix in oats until they are evenly distributed.
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Line a full-size baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tbsp size), distribute the dough onto the baking sheet. Press with your damp fingers to flatten the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. The cookies will spread a bit while baking, so leave some room between each cookie.
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Chill the dough in the fridge for 20~30 minutes. It is important to give some time for oats to hydrate to make soft, chewy cookies.
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Meanwhile, position the rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350F.
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Bake for about 14 minutes until the edges start to brown. The middle part will be a little soft.
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Cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes for the cookies to firm up. Using a flat spatula, transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
If you don’t have quick oats, you can use rolled oats. When using rolled oats, make sure to chill/rest the dough before baking for at least 30 minutes.
