Keto oatmeal cookies, just like Grandma used to make! Well, not exactly. They look like oatmeal cookies and they taste like oatmeal cookies, but they don’t contain any oats at all. Let me show you how it’s done.
Okay, you caught me. There is no oatmeal in these keto oatmeal cookies. Nope, not even a little bit. Completely grain free, with nary an oat to be seen. Not even the tiniest oat flake. There were no oats even in the vicinity when I made them.
But guess what? I am still going to call them sugar free keto oatmeal cookies. I am not one for clever little low carb names like “faux-tmeal” or “N’oatmeal”. Those just annoy me, I don’t know why.
The most I can do is put “oatmeal” in quotations; that’s as far as I will go. I am a stubborn old fart and I don’t care who knows it. If I want oatmeal cookies and I want to make them without the blood-sugar spiking oats, you’re just going to have to go along with it. I will brook no opposition. Got it? Good.
Seriously, who doesn’t love oatmeal cookies? They are the classic childhood after-school treat. Everybody’s mother or grandmother or aunt had the best oatmeal cookie recipe, right? But being devoted to the low carb, grain-free way of life, we can’t exactly have those any more. What’s an oatmeal cookie lover to do?
How to Make Keto Oatmeal Cookies
So how do you make oatmeal cookies without oats? Pure low carb ingenuity, that’s how. And an easy grain free stand in that gives these delicious keto cookies that classic oatmeal taste and texture.
Do you remember my super awesome low carb Carmelitas? Those might have been one of my favourite recipes of the summer, all crumbly, oatmeal-like crust and gooey caramel and chocolate filling. If you never saw them or don’t remember them, I suggest you hightail it on over to that post and take a look.
Similarly to my keto carmelitas, coconut flakes and sliced almonds become the replacement for the oats. You simply give them a whiz in the food processor to break them up a little more and you get that perfect oatmeal consistency. It’s really quite remarkable how much it resembles oatmeal in both taste and texture.
Then you proceed the way you would with any low carb cookie recipe. Cream the butter and sweetener together, add an egg and some vanilla, and stir in the “oatmeal” and flour. Scoop them up, roll them into balls and bake.
It’s a pretty simple formula but it really works for those oatmeal cookie cravings.
Other additions for your “oatmeal” cookies
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.
When I originally created this recipe, I simply added sugar-free dark chocolate chips. And that’s certainly an excellent option.
But when I re-made these cookies for the video, I decided to add in some sugar-free dried cranberries as well. They don’t exactly taste like raisins, but they give the cookies that chewy, dried fruit texture. I really liked them this way!
I have a recipe for homemade sugar free dried cranberries, which do use some sweetener. But you can also buy entirely unsweetened dried cranberries as well. They are very tart when eaten on their own, but in these keto oatmeal cookies, they are delicious!
Praise for Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies
“This is hands-down the best cookie I’ve made Keto.” – Gwen
“Wow! These smell great cooking. My family could not wait to try. Amazed out how much these taste like oatmeal cookies!” – Lori
“Made these tonight—Loved them! Thank you for the recipe!” – Laura
Other great Keto “Oatmeal” Recipes
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Keto Do-si-dos (Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies)
- Keto Granola Bars
- No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Coconut Cacao Nib Granola
“Oatmeal” Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- ¾ cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free
- ¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flaked coconut and sliced almonds. Process until mixture resembles oatmeal. Add almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and pulse a few times to combine.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with sweetener until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract and then beat in coconut/almond mixture until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
- Form into balls a little over 1 inch in diameter and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. With the heel of your hand, press cookies down to about ½ inch thickness.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and just barely firm to the touch. Remove and let cool on pan.
Video
Bonnie says
Hi Carolyn! I’m in the middle of making these and am scared that I over processed the “oatmeal.” I had to use a nutribullet because I don’t have a food processor. Do you think they will still turn out? I’m so mad at myself!
Thanks!
Carolyn says
They will still turn out… just may be a bit less oatmeal like!
sandra Caulfield says
Made a batch tonight-YUM! Definitely an oatmeal cookie “vibe”. Last year (after a long obsession with your Cranberry Pecan Biscotti), I ran out of your Sugar-Free Dried Cranberries with nary a fresh berry available in stores. This year I stocked up and keep several batches of the sugar-free berries in my freezer. They were a great replacement for raisins in this recipe…I look forward to baking with them all year.
Carolyn says
I have several bags of cranberries in my freezer too!
Nichole Allen says
My family absolutely loves this recipe. Even my non-keto peeps love these cookies. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
I make a slight change by using pecans instead of almond slices. I use Lakanto Monk Fruit sweetener instead of Swerve.
Nichole Allen says
Oh and we use 75% of the called for sweetener. Thanks again! God bless you!
Angy says
I have yet to try this recipe,but it made me think of something I was wanting to make yesterday as I saw my box of Oatmeal I keep for others. Do you think you could use the coconut/almond mixture to make the no bake oatmeal cookies of the past? We made them with cocoa and oats…they were a fudge like cookie. You are so inventive I just wondered if you had ever tried converting that recipe.
Thanks for all the hard work you put into these wonderful creations. I had ordered your book on Amazon but it never arrived so finally had to cancel .
Carolyn says
Yes, you can use this mixture for no bake cookies. I have done similar things!
Susan Hoefer says
Making these today! Favorite cookie is Oatmeal Raisin, yes, even over chocolate chip!!! I do love cranberries and have white chips, that I haven’t tried! Love your dried cranberries, on my second batch! Eat them for snack and never got to make anything out of them! Thought about putting them and white chips in these oatmeal cookies! Love your recipes! Have all your books! Thank you! Have helped me get off diabetic meds and lose 170 lbs.! I appreciate you sooooooo much!
Elizabeth says
These cookies are just perfect for that crunchy cookie craving! Thank you for creating this delightful treat! I never do these reviews but in this case it’s worth it to spread the word about these cookies!
Carolyn says
So delighted to hear it!
Karen says
I love all your recipes by the way! Thank you so much for sharing them!!!
Tricia says
Just made these and them came out pretty crumbly. Any tricks to getting the cookies to stay together as cookies?
Carolyn says
Sounds to me like your batter was too thick, or you over-baked them. What brand of sweetener and almond flour did you use?
Karen says
I just made them and the same thing happened to me. Came on here to see what I might have done wrong. I definitely didn’t over bake them. I used erythritol and superfine blanched almond flour. I’m thinking maybe I was supposed to pack them together more when putting them on the cookie sheet??? I don’t know…
Karen says
Also, I don’t like erythritol cooling affect. Can Lankanto monkfruit be substituted 1:1 ratio with erythritol?
Carolyn says
Lankanto Monkfruit is mostly erythritol, so you may experience the cooling with that one as well. I’d recommend using half Bocha Sweet and half Swerve or Lakanto if you want to offset that sensation. I don’t get it at all with Swerve but we are all very different in that regard.
Carolyn says
Same question applies… what brands of flours?
Karen says
blue diamond almond flour and great value organic coconut flour.
I made some more and packed the dough together more and they held together a little better.
Carolyn says
Okay I suspect one or the other of your flours. Probably the coconut flour. I’d go with less of it in your next attempt. 🙂 It’s probably more dense and absorbent and so it dries out the dough.
Ofir Daniel says
Carolyn – trying these tonight, but as general, your Keto sweet recipes are honestly the only ones which work!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much, I appreciate that!
Belinda Guerette says
When I print out the recipe, your name/website isn’t on it. I like to be able to share favorite recipes with friends, and it would be easier if I could see your name somewhere on the printed recipe. Just a suggestion. All your recipes I’ve tried are delicious. Thank you for all the time you commit to make us satisfied on keto!
Carolyn says
Can you not just write my name/website on the print out? I am not sure there is a way for me to make it be on there.
KK says
Your name/website prints on every recipe that I print. Right before clicking on ‘print’, you have to adjust the ‘options’ to say ‘headers and footers’. If you don’t see ‘options’, you may have to click on ‘more settings’ first, then ‘options’, then ‘headers and footers’. Good luck!
Carolyn says
Thanks for the tip!
Beth says
This recipe is awesome. I am constantly disappointed in keto/low carb cookie recipes. But after reading these ingredients and the method of pulverizing the coconut and almonds for a chewy texture, I had a feeling these would be a ????????. I followed the recipe exactly. And these will definitely be a regular cookie recipe for me. I even posted a picture of them and tagged you on Instagram under singingirlcooks. Thanks again!!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much! Going to check IG now…
Carolyn says
Darn, I am not seeing it. Sorry!
Cheryl G says
Just got around to making these – so many recipes; so little time. I am counting these as my top real-textured cookie. I have tried many, many different cookie recipes trying to find one I truly like. I didn’t use chips but will likely put a raisin or two in each cookie next time. Thank you.
Carolyn says
Delighted you liked them!
MaryAnn says
OMG! These are amazing! I just made these today. This low carb eating is a whole new world for me. I absolutely LOVE oatmeal cookies, so I had to try these. I did a half batch with and without chips. They are both great., I just ordered some naturally dried cranberries, so I can’t wait to try them with those, next time. I miss raisins 🙁
This is definitely a keeper!
Carolyn says
So glad you like them!
Sue says
Maybe a silly question, but is there any reason I can’t use whole almonds instead of the sliced almonds? Thank you!
Carolyn says
Yep, there sure is! They are too large and too hard to break up into an oatmeal like texture.
Lynn Ellis says
Made these on Saturday. Delicious. They are so close to the old-fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that I used to make and are much healthier for a diabetic. Next time I won’t grind up the coconut and almonds as much. Love them. Thank you for coming up with another great recipe.
Carolyn says
So glad you like them!
Jamielyn says
Great idea! These look healthy and delicious!
Courtney O'Dell says
These cookies are heavenly – a perfect low carb substitute! Your recipes are always our favorites when finding low carb baking ideas!
Tara says
So tasty — and I love that you used chocolate chips instead of raisins!
Jennifer says
I made these for my family and the LOVED THEM! This is a keeper.
Gwen E Swanson says
This is hands-down the best cookie I’m made Keto.
Carolyn says
Delighted to hear it!