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Air Fryer Oatmeal Cookies

Small batch air fryer oatmeal cookies are quick, easy and make the most chewy, gooey chocolate chip oatmeal cookies! You won’t believe how easy these are to make and they are ready in just 6 minutes of cooking time! Now you can always have fresh cookies on hand!

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies stacked on a plate in front of air fryer.
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Why you will love this recipe

  • Small batch – these cookies are perfect for those nights you get a cookie craving but don’t want to have 30+ cookies around for the rest of the night! This recipe makes a small batch of 6 cookies that all cook up quickly in the air fryer!
  • Easy to find ingredients – The ingredients are all so easy to find, I bet you have them all in your pantry or fridge already! There are some simple swaps as well as these air fryer oatmeal cookies are very versatile! Even better these vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies made in the air fryer are also gluten free, dairy free and a great plant based option!
  • So simple to make – all you need is one bowl, parchment paper and an air fryer! These air fryer oatmeal cookies are the perfect beginners recipe!
  • Ready in under 10 minutes – these cookies cook up in just 6 minutes in the air fryer and they won’t heat up your kitchen in those hot summer months! This small batch of air fryer chocolate chip oatmeal cookies is perfect for those sweet cravings late at night!
Ingredients to make air fryer oatmeal cookies.

Ingredients

  • Unsweetened applesauce – applesauce adds a touch of sweetness and also provides the moisture for the cookies to help them get that tender chewy oatmeal cookie consistency without butter.
  • Ground flax – ground flax mixed with the applesauce replaces the eggs in this recipe keeping it vegan and egg free!
  • Oat flour or gluten free flour – I typically keep oat flour on hand (you can make your own by grinding up oats in your high speed blender). The oat flour or gluten free flour helps to create the structure in the cookies so they don’t fall apart after baking.
  • Coconut sugar – coconut sugar adds natural sweetness without being too sweet. I would recommend sticking to a granulated sweetener as a liquid sweetener like maple syrup would make the cookies too wet.
  • Rolled oats – be sure to use certified gluten free oats to keep this recipe gluten free. Rolled oats keep their texture as they bake but still create tender and soft cookies.
  • Baking powder – this helps the cookies rise slightly when baking in the air fryer.
  • Salt – just a pinch of salt helps to elevate the natural sweetness of the cookies.
  • Vanilla extract – typically I don’t think vanilla extract is needed in cookie recipes, but the vanilla extract really elevates the flavor – this is optional but not really.
  • Tahini, peanut butter or almond butter – tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds (just like peanut butter) and is great in baked goods. The tahini/peanut butter/almond butter replaces the butter in this recipe and adds healthy fat to the recipe to ensure they turn out soft and tender.
  • Dairy free chocolate chips – you can use chocolate chips or chunks in this recipe. Keep the chocolate chips dairy free to keep the recipe vegan. There are so many great brands of dairy free chocolate chips on the market. Enjoy Life Brand and Simple Truth are easy to find in my local grocery store, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods also now carries their own dairy free chocolate chips as well.

How to make oatmeal cookies in the air fryer

Check out a step by step story on how to make these gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the air fryer!

Start by combining the applesauce and ground flax in a large bowl, stir well.

Applesauce and ground flax in a white bowl.

To the that mixture, add the oat flour, baking powder and salt. Stir well to combine.

Flour and baking powder in bowl with applesauce and flax mixture.

Add the rolled oats, coconut sugar and vanilla extract next and stir well to ensure everything is well combined.

Rolled oats, coconut sugar, vanilla extract in bowl.

Add the tahini next and stir well. I like to wait to add the tahini till last to give the ground flax as much time as possible to absorb the liquid from the applesauce.

Tahini in oatmeal batter.

Next add the chocolate chips and fold them in until well distributed.

Chocolate chunks in oatmeal batter.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside the air fryer. I like to cut a few holes in the paper to allow for air flow when baking.

Parchment paper in air fryer basket.

Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out the dough onto the parchment paper, making 6 evenly sized cookies.

Cookie scoop of vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookie batter.

Press down on the cookies before baking, they do not spread much in the air fryer and need to be pressed down to cook evenly.

Oatmeal cookies pressed down on parchment paper in air fryer.

Set the air fryer to cook at 350F for 6 minutes.

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies on parchment paper in air fryer.

After baking, open the air fryer and allow them to cool slightly so you don’t burn your fingers grabbing them. Enjoy hot or cold.

Top tips

  • Be sure to use parchment paper or foil in the air fryer basket as the cookie dough will melt through the opening in the air fryer tray if you don’t have parchment paper or foil down. Some people say you can even bake them on the bottom tray but this doesn’t provide the same circulation of the heat above and below the cookies so I recommend using parchment paper or foil.
  • Make holes in the parchment paper and allow some air to flow on the sides. Don’t make your parchment paper fit the basket perfectly, as you want to allow some air to flow around the sides to ensure the air can circulate in the basket. They do make parchment paper specifically for air fryers that have holes already if you don’t want to make your own holes in the parchment.
  • Cut your parchment paper based on how many cookies you will bake. I used parchment paper the size of the air fryer basket to make all 6 cookies but I would have use a smaller piece if I was only making 3-4 cookies. This is because the parchment needs to be weighed down by cookies when baking or can fly up and get stuck in the heating element if it’s too large for what you are cooking.
  • After scooping out the cookie dough on the parchment paper, flatten the cookies by pressing lightly with your hand on the top of the cookies. The cookies won’t spread so they need to be flattened ahead of time to bake evenly!
  • Double the recipe and freeze the second batch! These cookies freeze well and cook in 8 minutes from frozen in the air fryer!
Air fryer filled with chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

Mix in ideas

  • Shredded coconut
  • Dried fruit – raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries
  • Chopped nuts – pecans, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pistachios

What to serve with air fryer oatmeal cookies

  • Serve them with coffee or tea
  • With a cold glass of milk (your favorite dairy free)
  • With hot chocolate

Can you bake these in the oven?

Yes! These vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are also great baked in the oven. You will want to preheat your oven to 375F and bake the cookies for 12 minutes. They will not get as brown on top but are equally delicious. This is a great option if you double or triple the recipe and want to bake all the cookies at one time.

Vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies stacked on a plate.

Can you freeze the cookies to bake fresh later?

Yes! The dough for the vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies freezes well and bakes from frozen in the air fryer in 8 minutes! Simply scoop out the cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Once the cookies are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer safe bag and freeze up to 6 months.

Be sure to label the bag with the name of the recipe, the date it was frozen, how long to cook the cookies (specify air fryer vs. oven cooking) and the use by date.

How to store leftover cookies

  • Even though this makes a small batch of air fryer oatmeal cookies, you may still have leftovers! If so, store them in an airtight container in the fridge after they have cooled to room temperature. They will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Freeze them in a single layer then transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer safe bag. Defrost cookies on the counter for about 30 minutes before enjoying. To warm them up, bake in a 350F air fryer for 1 minute once defrosted.

Substitutions

  • Applesauce: you can also use pumpkin puree or mashed bananas in place of the applesauce. Each will change the flavor slightly but will work in a pinch.
  • Ground flax: You can also use ground chia seeds (check out my tips on how to make ground chia seeds at home). The flax replaces the egg in this recipe, you could also try using 1 egg white as well if you are not egg free or vegan.
  • Oat flour or gluten free flour: You can make your own oat flour easily by blending oats in a high speed blender until they resemble flour. This way you can have oat flour on hand anytime you have oats! You can also use your favorite gluten free flour mix (or use regular flour if you are not gluten free).
  • Rolled oats: Rolled oats create the best texture but if you need to use quick cooking oats in a pinch you could. The cookies will have a slightly different texture if you do.
  • Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar is easy to find and available in most grocery stores. You could also use maple sugar, date sugar or light brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar. Each will create a slightly different flavor but all would be good.
  • Vanilla extract: vanilla extract is optional but highly suggested. If you wanted to change the flavor you could use almond extract (half the amount) but I love vanilla extract in this.
  • Tahini, peanut butter or almond butter: the tahini acts in place of the butter in this recipe. You could use peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter or sunbutter in place of the tahini.
  • Dairy free chocolate chips: See the other mix in ideas above if you don’t love chocolate chips in your oatmeal cookies.
Air fryer oatmeal cookies on a white plate.

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Air fryer oatmeal cookies on a white plate.

Air Fryer Oatmeal Cookies

$1.69 Recipe/$0.28 Serving
Vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are chewy, gooey and ready in just 6 minutes! Just one bowl and the air fryer to make this small batch of cookies anytime! Gluten free, vegan, dairy free and plant based!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer oatmeal cookies, vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large bowl combine the applesauce and ground flax.
  • Add the oat flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to incorporate.
  • Add the coconut sugar, rolled oats and vanilla extract. Stir well to be sure the oats are well incorporated.
  • Pour the tahini in batter and stir well.
  • Add the chocolate chips and stir to ensure they are distributed well.
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the air fryer basket. Cut a few holes to ensure airflow.
  • Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out 6 cookies and press them down so they are flat.
  • Bake in 350F air fryer for 6 minutes.
  • Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Equipment

Notes

Top tips
  • Be sure to use parchment paper or foil in the air fryer basket – the cookie dough will melt through the opening in the air fryer tray if you don’t have parchment paper or foil down. Some people say you can even bake them on the bottom tray but this doesn’t provide the same circulation of the heat above and below the cookies so I recommend using parchment paper or foil.
  • Make holes in the parchment paper and allow some air to flow on the sides.  They do make parchment paper specifically for air fryers that have holes already if you don’t want to make your own holes in the parchment.
  • Cut your parchment paper based on how many cookies you will bake. I used parchment paper the size of the air fryer basket to make all 6 cookies but I would have use a smaller piece if I was only making 3-4 cookies. This is because the parchment needs to be weighed down by cookies when baking or can fly up and get stuck in the heating element if it’s too large for what you are cooking.
Can you bake these in the oven?
Yes! These vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are also great baked in the oven. You will want to preheat your oven to 375F and bake the cookies for 12 minutes. They will not get as brown on top but are equally delicious. This is a great option if you double or triple the recipe and want to bake all the cookies at one time.
Can you freeze the cookies?
Yes! The dough for the vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies freezes well and bakes from frozen in the air fryer in 8 minutes! Simply scoop out the cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Once the cookies are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer safe bag and freeze up to 6 months.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
149
Fat
 
9
g
Carbohydrates
 
17
g
Fiber
 
2
g
Sugar
 
9
g
Protein
 
3
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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Recipe Rating




Maria

Monday 29th of November 2021

I'm not vegan, but my daughter is. I happened to see your recipe and sent it to my daughter. We decided to try making the cookies today and all we can say is that they're delicious, easy to make and so healthy. Thanks a lot for this recipe!!

Rosario

Thursday 18th of November 2021

How much coconut sugar should I add? I couldn't find it

Samantha Rowland

Sunday 21st of November 2021

So sorry about that - I've updated the recipe card. It's 1.5 Tbsp. of coconut sugar. Thanks for letting me know!