Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Cookies (Flourless!)

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Holding a gluten-free vegan chai-spiced oatmeal cookie with the top facing the camera

Our Chai-Spiced Nut Butter makes a great gift, but can we blame you if you decide to keep it all for yourself? No way. Especially now that cookies are on the table! And not just any cookies…Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Cookies that come together in 1 bowl in just 25 minutes!

These chewy, flourless, spiced cookies are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, wholesome, and SO delicious! Let’s bake, friends!

Chia seeds, pecans, oats, chai-spiced nut butter, maple syrup, baking soda, and salt

When you have Chai-Spiced Nut Butter around, these cookies are about as EASY as it gets: stir, scoop, and bake! They might even win a world record for having the fewest wet ingredients: just nut butter + maple syrup. That’s it!

Pecans, chia seeds, and oats in a bowl of cookie batter

The dry ingredients are almost as simple and filled with wholesome goodness: oats, chia seeds, and pecans. AMAZING cookies with no oil, butter, refined sugar, or flour?! Is this real life?

Bowl of mixed cookie batter

The only remaining ingredients are baking soda for a little lift and sea salt to enhance the flavors. That brings us to just 7 INGREDIENTS for these incredible oatmeal cookies!

Freshly baked chai-spiced oatmeal cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet

We can’t wait for you to try them! They’re:

Crisp on the edges
Chewy in the centers
Caramelly
Nutty
Salty-sweet
Spiced
& SO delicious!

Bring them to holiday cookie parties, share with neighbors, enjoy as snacks throughout the week, or make a batch any time you’re craving a wholesome sweet treat in a hurry!

Love Wholesome Cookies? Try These Next:

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Picking up a vegan gluten-free chai-spiced oatmeal cookie from a stack of cookies

Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Cookies (Flourless!)

EASY, wholesome Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Cookies that come together in 1 bowl in just 25 minutes! Vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, oil-free, and made without any flour.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Picking up a flourless chai-spiced cookie from a stack of more cookies
4.85 from 20 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12 (Cookies)
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Chai-Spiced Nut Butter (or store-bought)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats (ensure gluten-free as needed)
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chai-spiced nut butter, maple syrup, baking soda, and salt and stir or whisk until smooth and thoroughly combined.
  • Add the rolled oats, chia seeds, and chopped pecans and stir well to evenly distribute ingredients.
  • Scoop out ~1 ½ Tbsp portions of dough using a cookie scoop (we like this one) or two spoons, place on the baking sheet, and press lightly to make a thick, flat cookie about 2 ½ inches in diameter (they will not spread much, so it’s okay if they are close together). It’s normal for them to stick to your hands a bit when pressing — you can lightly oil your hands if needed!
  • Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Let cool slightly before enjoying.
  • Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

*If you want to use a store-bought nut butter, we suggest cashew and/or almond butter, plus the following sweetener + spices mixed into the nut butter (amounts as recipe is written, so starting with 1/2 cup of nut butter): 1 ⅓ Tbsp coconut sugar, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tiny pinch cloves, 1 tiny pinch sea salt. Add more spices to taste!
*Prep time does not include making the nut butter.
*Adapted from our Easy Flourless Granola Cookies.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 cookie Calories: 135 Carbohydrates: 13.3 g Protein: 3.2 g Fat: 8.5 g Saturated Fat: 1.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2 g Monounsaturated Fat: 4.6 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 68 mg Potassium: 127 mg Fiber: 2.1 g Sugar: 6.1 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 32 mg Iron: 1.1 mg

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    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Rose, hmm, we think it might be bitter since it’s a fairly large amount of nut butter. But these cookies are so delicious that it might be worth trying with sunflower seed butter if you can’t have cashews/almonds!

  1. Andie says

    These are phenomenal! As someone who is GF with numerous other food allergies, these cookies are life changing. I made them for my mom (who is not GF) and she couldn’t believe that they’re grain-free. The chai nut butter recipe is so worth making for these cookies, it adds so much flavor. I’m pleasantly surprised with how well they held their shape too. So tasty, satisfying and cozy. 10/10!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh yay!! We’re so glad these cookies have been life changing for you, Andie. Thank you for the amazing review! xo

  2. Charlene says

    Made these last weekend, my husband declared these “the best cookies you have ever made”! Today is his b-day asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he said those cookies you made last week would be better than cake! But I had another MB recipe up my sleeve for today-the one bowl carrot cake. Spoiler alert-it was AMAZING as well!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, we’re SO honored he wanted them for his birthday! And YAY that the carrot cake was also a success. Thank you for the lovely review, Charlene! xoxo

  3. Nellie says

    I made these for non-vegan folks and they loved them! The crunch and texture are great. I made the Chai-Spiced Nut Butter just to make these cookies so now I have two different delicious sweet items to enjoy. I used cashews as written and a mix of almonds and pecans and it is especially buttery. Yet one more wonderful recipe.

  4. Monica says

    These are devastatingly delicious. We rarely bake, but we could not pass these up. The chai spiced nut butter, oats, and chopped nuts are an absolute dream combination.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Cheryl, we haven’t tried either of those products, but think the second one would be better because it has added sweetener, similar to our homemade version. It might not have as much cinnamon though, so consider adding more. Hope that helps!

  5. Lindsay says

    I love these cookies–they come together in a snap and taste great. They will work perfect for pre-run bites! :)

  6. Nicole says

    These were nice, quite wholesome. I used ready-to-go almond butter and subbed half the pecans with raisins, which I definitely recommend!

  7. Jordyn says

    These cookies are yummy, but really nothing special in my opinion. It’s essentially nut butter and oats mixed together and baked. It really didn’t create any sort of dough similar to a cookie. I found pre-made chai spiced nut butter at Whole Foods instead of making my own. They tasted good, but I wouldn’t make it again.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry you didn’t love them, Jordyn! These should be super delicious and we wonder if perhaps the store-bought nut butter wasn’t as sweet or flavorful?

  8. Joanna says

    I have saved and printed hundreds of your recipes over the years, and prepared few of them. But I did make these cookies in December, and they are the best vegan cookies I’ve ever eaten. I substituted spelt flakes for the rolled oats, but kept everything else the same. Next time I’m going to make a triple batch!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you got to make these cookies and enjoyed them so much. Thank you for sharing, Joana! xo

  9. Sasha says

    So good and easy even with making my own nut butter (did it in a Vitamix). Used pecans+cashews for the chai butter, skipped the chia, added raisins plus extra chai seasoning for the cookies.

  10. Annette Marblo says

    These cookies are my new mantra. They are astonishingly forgiving. My first batch only had almond butter. It was anguishing to stop the “one more” process. Second batch, mixed cashew and almond – Anandamaya Kosha has been achieved. One thing to note, silly me mixed my metals and one was on a dark metal cookie sheet and spread quite a bit – guess that needs a lower temp… but I’ll still eat em. Also giving to sisters in law for gifts, for all the hard work during the season. Thank you on all the levels for all these recipes – I enjoy 99% of all your flavor profiles. Don’t stop!!!!

  11. The Vegan Goddess says

    Ding, Ding, Ding! Yeah, baby! This hits all checkmarks that I look for and love in homemade goods: healthy, vegan, free of chemicals and DELICIOUS!

    No eggs, dairy (milk, butter), flour, oils (other than in the nut butter)! High in protein and fiber! (The only caveat is for people with nut allergies that can’t eat this but subbing seeds might work for them.)

    It would be difficult to find this equivalent in a restaurant or grocery store.

    I made the chai-spiced nut butter from scratch so that added to the time it took to make the cookies but it was worth it and is fun to watch it form and come together. And I love that I have leftover nut butter to enjoy.

    The nut butter and cookies would make great gifts.

  12. E Hud says

    These cookies were fantastic. Even my picky husband loved them. I baked them a minute or two longer so they would be crisp and they turned out great.

  13. Rachel Matthews says

    I made the chai spiced oatmeal cookies and they flew off the counter! I just made a triple batch and have requests for yet more! Delicious, easy, healthy, what’s not to like!? YES YES YES

  14. Jan says

    I was kind of wondering how these would turn out without using a butter or oil of some sort. Am I glad I made them, they are simply fabulous! You could add a few mini choc. chips or a few raisins and that would be good but they are very delicious as is. I used flax meal as I was all out of chia seeds. Thank you for another super good cookie, MB! ❤️

  15. Amaya Gayle says

    These cookies are incredible. They are a helalthy snack that tastes better than a regular cookie. Thanks so much for this recipe. I would have never guessed that these ingredients would turn into what seems like a real cookie. I am going grain free (most of the time) and am already dairy free so these are simply perfect.

  16. Dakota says

    Just made these tonight and they’re insanely good! I’ve been trying to find ways to eat more nuts and I think these will become a new staple!

    Only regret is not doubling the recipe! I also used a chai nut butter blend I found at Whole Foods. Would love to try to make my own next time.

  17. Lisa says

    These are so crunchy and delicious! I was concerned they wouldn’t hold together before baking as they seemed so chunky. I let them sit for a few minutes before baking so the oats and chia would have some time to hydrate and they baked up beautifully. Also, the chia nut butter is fantastic on toast!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you’re enjoying the cookies and nut butter, Lisa. Thank you for sharing! xo

  18. M says

    Are the chia seeds needed? I have a denture and can’t get along with tiny seeds no matter how much I try. Are they optional or is there an alternative? These look really good otherwise!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! The chia seeds help a bit with binding, but it might work to leave them out! Another option would be flaxseed meal.

      • Beeb says

        Or just grind the chia before adding! (And a plus: evidently grinding chia seeds in general helps with getting the most benefit from them.) I’m looking forward to making these! Thank you for such a nice twist on the conventional oatmeal cookie.

  19. Emily says

    Is 1 tbsp of chia seeds the right amount? the pictures look like a lot more chia is used. can’t wait to try these!

  20. Abby says

    Could we make these into no-bake balls by omitting the baking soda and perhaps pulsing the pecans into finer bites? I’m thinking you could combine it all in the food processor, roll into balls, and eat directly? The oats will soften with time?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Ooo that sounds incredible! Great idea! You might want more oats + pecans. Let us know how it goes!