Healthy Cowboy Cookies Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free) -- Made with only 9 ingredients, with no added oils, sugars, flours, or eggs!
Howdy partner!
And ho, ho, happy Monday to you. I hope it is slightly less messy than Maine's current freezing rain/snow mood right meow. Hizzah for walking commutes!
So maybe the non-cookie (but equally awesome) holiday dessert roundup didn't tickle your fancy. That's okay, I still love you.
...and caved and made cookies anyways.
Rough and tough 'em cookies at that. They are called COWBOY cookies after all.
..but for that cowboy who makes a killer quinoa salad, buys low-sodium black beans, and has been known to attend a yoga class or two.
Cuz they be healthy AF.
I'm hosting my second annual cookie swap party this week, and with frands that have all different food preferences, intolerances, or other annoyances ( I kid!), these fit the bill for all the hey dudes at the ranch.
...Am I aging myself, or please tell me someone gets the Hey Dude reference. PLEASE.
That chocolaty drizzle is optional, but hey so are leather chaps to a cowboy. We all know what the right decision is here. 😉
Money-Saving Tips for this Healthy Cowboy Cookies Recipe:
- Use frozen bananas. Instead of throwing out those brown bananas, or succumbing to another banana bread, peel, and freeze them for this recipe. They actually work better than fresh once you thaw and mash them.
- Buy in bulk. Opt for that BIG canister of oats instead of the small one. You get more for your money, and can make a batch of these super easy energy bites or another batch of cookies with the leftovers.
- Use the snack packs. This goes against the above tip, but it's for a good reason. Buying the applesauce in the snack-sized containers is both the exact amount you need for the recipe, and saves you from throwing away extra if you don't eat it regularly.
More cookie recipes:
Healthy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Print
Healthy Cowboy Cookies
- Total Time: 17 mins
- Yield: 1 dozen cookies 1x
Description
This healthy cowboy cookie recipe is a vegan and gluten-free dessert made with only 9 ingredients, with no added oils, sugars, flours, or eggs!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups oats*
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large banana, mashed
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup semi-sweet or dairy-free chocolate chips
- melted chocolate for drizzling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add mashed banana, applesauce, and vanilla, and stir to combine.
- Stir in remaining ingredients until combined.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.
- Press down each cookie gently with back of greased spoon or oiled hands to flatten.
- Bake 12-14 minutes, or until firm and golden brown.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate if using.
- Let cook 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
Notes
*Use certified GF oats if gluten-free.
*2 large mashed bananas or 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce can be used instead.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Keywords: cookie, recipe, dessert, healthy, vegan, gluten-free, chocolate
Inspired by averie cooks
Pin this recipe to your Cookies board!
Make it a great day!
Today's the first day of the 12 Days of Giving! Follow along on what I'm sharing on Instagram, and use the hashtag #12DaysGivingSN to share your own acts of kindness too!
What's your favorite type of cookie?
Yankee swap, cookie swap, or secret santa?
Susie @ SuzLyfe
Pinned! These look so good! So many delicious ingredients, and I love how simple they are!
Tricia Vaughn
Wow these do look good, dude! 😉
When I first saw the picture I thought they were balls I'm glad they are cookies!
Sien
mmm these are great! Thanks 😉
Emily Cooper
So glad you enjoyed them Sien! 😀
Lizzie
These are delicious! They are a much healthier alternative to my chocolate chip cookie. I skipped the drizzled chocolate to try and save on a few extra calories 🙂
★★★★★
Emily Cooper
Awesome thinking Lizzie. 😉 So glad you enjoyed!
Brad Baum
These look pretty good and I am severely tempted to make them, however, I am a new type 2 diabetic and am missing my nightly cup of tea with a cookie. Do you have any idea how much sugar is actually in them once cooked and served?
Renee Hayer
Hi Brad -
I have a friend who has been Type 2 diabetic for at least 15 years now. She went to nutrition classes and one thing she remarked to me is that it is not necessarily the sugar but the carbohydrates that are converted to sugar by your body that a diabetic should be concerned with. Don't know this to be true or not as I have not researched it myself, but may be worth you looking in to.
Jenny Shea Rawn
Hello cowboy! I mean ... cowboy cookies! You look amazing. Saving to make.
★★★★★
Deborah Brooks
I used to make cowboy cookies for my kids when they were little. These look much healthier!
Abbey Sharp
I would definitely love to snack on these goodies! Looks so good
★★★★★
Kelly
Hooray for some healthy cowboys! These cookies look terrific.
Janelle
Yum, these cookies look so delicious! They wouldn't last long in my house!
Chrissy
I just came across this recipe on Pinterest last week when I was looking for cookies to make with my son! We have it on our list of things to try 🙂
Renata
One bowl, one cookie sheet, fast assembly, and healthy ingredients. I Will definitely make again.
CanadianMama
Really good! I made them twice already (once with walnuts instead of pecans). I was looking for a healthy cookie recipe to satisfy my craving during pregnancy. This works! Thank you
★★★★★
Emily Cooper
So glad to hear it! Thank you!! 😀
Jodi
Are these chewy? If not, would there be any way to make them chewy? I Love chewy cookies and this recipe looks really good!
Emily Cooper
Hi Jodi! These are more of a soft, cake-like cookie and not crispy. Hope you enjoy!
Suzanne
These look so good! I bet they are actually filling too!
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Emily Cooper
They last longer if kept in the fridge, but not too long at room temperature since they are a more moist cookie. I like to keep mine in the fridge & reheat in the microwave for a few seconds. Just like they came out of the oven! 🙂
Elena
Hello Jodi, I found your recipe for cowboy cookies after doing a google search for ‘healthy cookie recipe’! These look delish and I can’t wait to try them.
However, I have a question... should I use quick oats or old-fashion oats? I’m not positive but I think it makes a difference? Thanks in advance for your reply!
Emily Cooper
Hi Elena! Thanks for stopping by. I would suggest using rolled oats for the cookies. Hope you enjoy! 😀
Suzanne Holt
I used to make cowboy cookies all the time, but stopped after I discovered how unhealthy they were for you. However these cookies are so much better, and healthier! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Ryanne
My husband hates coconut! What would you recommend as an alternative? Looking to keep the husband in this situation.
Emily Cooper
Hi Ryanne! You could always just leave it out, or add in another chopped nut or dried fruit if he likes any in particular. Hope this helps!
Sabah
These cookies are delicious as is. I highly recommend them.
★★★★★
Suzanne
This looks delicious, thank you for sharing!
Juliet
Hi, I can’t have banana. Would u recommend using pumpkin or puréed sweet potato as a substitute?
Thanks!
Juliet
Emily Cooper
I would use the sweet potato over pumpkin to provide more sweetness, but I do have a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe as well! 😀
Juliet
Hi, I can’t have banana. Would smash sweet potato work instead?
Emily Cooper
Mashed sweet potato would work, but it would change the flavor/sweetness of the cookies.
Angela
Amazing! I omitted pecans and I just used regular old sweet applesauce that I had on hand. The texture is very “soft-baked” and PERFECT for a breakfast cookie! Lovely use of my single, sad, browning banana that nobody would eat. Next time might add in some dried cranberries to get a little tartness (not that they need it, I just think it would taste great). Loved the recipe, will definitely make again. Thank you!
★★★★★
Patricia Goggins
Do you have the nutritional information? I would like to add these as a snack for my diet plan.
Susan Schafer
I made these to take on our vacation since my husband was dieting and he didn't want to snack on a lot of calories while we enjoyed the beach. I really thought he would just tolerate these healthy cookies, but he LOVED them! They curved our sweet tooth everytime! Time to make another batch for home!
★★★★
Emily Cooper
So happy to hear it Susan! <3
elle
yum ! I added raisins, cranberries and a flax egg. I ground most of the oats in a food processor. love them- vegan and no refined sugars! perfect:
★★★★★
Emily Cooper
Love these tips/additions elle!