Okay, you caught me. There is no oatmeal in these Keto Oatmeal Cookies. Not even a little bit. They are completely grain free, with nary an oat to be seen. Not even the tiniest oat flake. There weren’t even any oats in the vicinity when I made them!
But with a little low carb ingenuity, they look and taste like the real deal. I take flaked coconut and sliced almonds and process them until they resemble oats. It’s the very same trick I used in my Keto Oatmeal recipe.
Who doesn’t love oatmeal cookies? But those of us on low carb or keto diets, we can’t indulge any more. So what’s a cookie lover to do? Fake it ’til you make it, I always say.
I confess, I am not one for cutesie little names like “faux-tmeal” or “N’oatmeal”. Those just annoy me for some reason. If I want oatmeal cookies and I want to make them keto-friendly, I will call them what I please. You are free to do the same.
And now they are bigger and better than ever! I decided to adjust the recipe ever so slightly, and made them a little bigger and thicker, for that chewy cookie goodness. Now there’s more to love!
What Readers are Saying…
“I made these this morning. they are delicious. With the coconut, nuts and butter, you really do not even think about them not being true oatmeal cookies. They come together easily and I usually always have the ingredients on hand.” — Linda
Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Classic texture: They have the same chewy, tender texture of real oatmeal cookies.
- Buttery flavor: Butter, brown sweetener, and a hint of cinnamon gives these cookies the classic flavor.
- Easy to make: In less than 40 minutes, you can satisfy your cookie cravings.
- Customizable: Add chocolate chips, dried cranberries, other nuts, or leave them plain.
- Low carb: Each cookie has only 2.5 grams net carbs, so they fit the keto lifestyle perfectly.
Ingredient Notes
- Sliced almonds: I like the sliced almonds that have the skins on, as they resemble oats even more when processed.
- Flaked coconut: Use flaked coconut, rather than shredded, as it will help give the cookies the right texture.
- Almond flour: This gives the cookies a little more structure.
- Cinnamon: A touch of ground cinnamon gives them the classic oatmeal cookie flavor.
- Sweetener: I like the flavor that a brown sugar replacement adds to these cookies.
- Dark chocolate chips (optional): You can use any variety of sugar-free chocolate chips.
- Unsweetened dried cranberries (optional): Instead of raisins, I use my homemade sugar free dried cranberries.
- Kitchen staples: Egg, butter, vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
How to Make Keto Oatmeal Cookies
- Process the nuts: Add the flaked coconut and sliced almonds to your food processor and process until mixture resembles oatmeal.
- Add the other dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and pulse a few times to combine.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the almond/coconut mixture: Pour in the dry ingredients and beat until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries, if using.
- Form the cookies: Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Press cookies down to about 3/4 inch thickness.
- Bake: Bake until golden brown around the edges. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
Tips for Success
It’s truly astonishing how sliced almonds and flaked coconut can resemble oat flakes. But you do need to grind them up a bit. I recommend using your food processor on the pulse setting so you don’t over-process them. Give a few pulses, see how they look, and pulse more if necessary.
Conventional oatmeal cookies typically take raisins, but raisins simply aren’t a keto-friendly option. You could, of course, add a tiny amount of them in, but it really wouldn’t be worth your while. There would be so few of them, the flavor wouldn’t come through. But sugar-free dried cranberries make a great replacement.
Sweetener Options: As with many keto cookie recipes, I recommend an erythritol-based sweetener for the best texture. Allulose can make the cookies overly soft, and they may brown too much, especially on the bottoms). That said, please feel free to experiment with your preferred sweeteners. Just know that it can affect the results.
More Keto “Oatmeal” Recipes
- Keto Do-si-dos (Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies)
- Keto Granola Bars
- Chewy Keto Butterscotch Bars
- Coconut Cacao Nib Granola
- Keto Pumpkin Breakfast Bars
Keto Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (92 g) sliced almonds
- 3/4 cup (63.75 g) flaked coconut
- 1 cup (112 g) almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar replacement, erythritol recommended
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup (45 g) dark chocolate chips, sugar-free, (optional)
- 1/4 cup (30.3 g) unsweetened dried cranberries, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sliced almonds and flaked coconut Process until mixture resembles oatmeal.
- Add the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and pulse a few times to combine.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the almond/coconut mixture and beat until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries, if using.
- Roll into 16 balls and place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. With the heel of your hand, press the cookies down to about 3/4-inch thickness.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, real oatmeal is not okay for keto diets. A a bowl of cooked oatmeal has 27g of carbs and only 4g of fiber. And most people with diabetes see a significant blood sugar spike from consuming it. So you want to avoid oatmeal when following a low carb diet.
Try using more sliced almonds to replace the coconut, in the same amount. They may be a little more crumbly when baked.
Store the cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can also freeze them for several months. Bring the cookies to room temperature before serving.
This keto oatmeal cookie recipe has 5.7g of carbs and 3.2g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.5 grams net carbs per cookie.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Carolyn, can you share what food processor you use and how many cups (Size)?
I have a KitchenAid 13 cup but you certainly do not need one that big. I had the 11 cup before and it was great.
Wow these cookies are amazing ! I have tried so many different recipes and wasted money on failed recipes (not yours different sites) These are everything you say they are very tasty. Many thanks, and the step by step videos are super helpful.
Many Thanks !
OMG Carolyn these are exactly like you said. I didnt do the brown swerve but definitely will next time and i added a very small handful of my granola breakfast cereal and it took them to the next level. Im soo glad i came back and watched your video on them as mine seemed very moist but so did yours. I used a fork dipped in coconut flour to push them down. i will be sharing this recipe with the Keto group on Facebook 🙂
Can I substitute butter with oil? I can’t have dairy…
Or is there anything else to swap for the butter?
Don’t use a liquid oil. Coconut oil would be fine, so would firm palm oils and shortenings. Nutiva has some good sustainable ones.
Yum. I’ve made these twice now, once subbing macadamias for the almonds (because I was out of almonds). Love them both ways. Even my non-keto daughter approves! I think I will have to have these in the house at all times! Two of them with a cup of coffee or tea even subs as a light meal for me Thank you!!!
These are delicious! Taste just like a non-low carb oatmeal cookie! The portion size makes for a great snack at the end of day w/ a cup of tea. And I normally freeze half of the batch and are great once thawed out.
I don’t have flaked coconut only shedded coconut – will that make a difference in this recipe ?
It does change the texture some, it’s less flakey like oatmeal but if that’s all you’ve got, give it a try!
These are AMAZING!!! My family loved them. They came out perfect, just like the pictures. I even offered one to a KETO hater…haha..you know, just to see. He smiled and said man I just love oatmeal cookies. Never told the truth!
Thanks again for all you do for us. Been following you for so long you feel like family. <3
OMG, what kind of keto voodoo is this???? These cookies are FREAKING AMAZING! Even my non-keto husband swears there is oatmeal in these cookies! I skipped the chocolate and /or cranberries and they are still out of this world! Girl, you are a GENIUS!!!!
Made these today, they are amazing! In fact I made a second batch shortly after the first as they were such a hit! Used your recipe for sugar free dried cranberries, fantastic! Love biting into the sweet cookie and getting a burst of tangy chewy craisen. Only thing that made these better with the second batch was adding in more of your craisens!
Mmmmm. I just made a batch of these. I didn’t have any sliced almonds on hand, so I replaced the almonds with more coconut. I also added a coupled of teaspoons of black strap molasses (a trick I learned from you ). I didn’t have any cranberries either, so I didn’t add those (but I wish I had). They are DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to try them sometime with all of the proper ingredients!
I have made this recipe now twice. Liking it more the second time around. Even though they break easily can’t believe how much they taste like an oatmeal cookie. Thought they would taste two much like coconut and was pleasantly pleased that they did not. Even husband and children like them.
My husbands favorite so far was your butter pecan cookies and now this one just took its place. We demolished half of the cookie tray with the 3 kids. I used lakanto golden for the sweetener. I don’t like oatmeal cookies but I love coconut everything and this hit the spot!
I have tried sooo many recipes to get a nice, slightly crunchy, yummy keto cookie. My wait is over!! These are honestly the best keto/low carb cookies I have ever made! I did not add the cranberries as could not find low sugar ones. Wow, honestly these are the best!!
I am so glad to hear it!
Just made these to take with me to work, and wow!! Amazingly delicious!! Thank you for all the awesome recipes you post. I’ve bought 5 of your books now. You rock and make it so easy for me to stay low carb / sugar free. Love you lemon custard ice cream recipe yum!
Another hit! Thank you so much for your fantastic recipes! My niece and I just love them. I have to find the cranberries for the next batch.