Oatmeal Scotchies
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These flourless oatmeal scotchies are made with almond butter, maple syrup, rolled oats and studded with butterscotch chips. They’re soft, chewy and absolutely delicious!
If you know me you know I’m a huge fan of oats… baked oatmeal, stovetop oatmeal, oatmeal cake… I’m here for anything with oats, especially these oatmeal scotchies!
If you’ve never heard of oatmeal scotchies before they’re essentially chewy oatmeal cookies that are studded with butterscotch chips and packed with cinnamon flavor. Trust me when I say, one bite and you’ll be hooked! I can’t wait for you to try these cookies… they’re sure to be a new family favorite.
Table of Contents
“So simple and so delicious! Once I saw this recipe come through my email I knew I had to bake these. Finally got around to it today and they are so worth it!”
Why I Love These Oatmeal Scotchies
- Soft and chewy texture: Thanks to the almond butter and oats, these cookies stay perfectly soft and chewy without any flour.
- Made with simple, wholesome ingredients: You only need a handful of pantry staples like oats, almond butter, and maple syrup.
- Naturally gluten free: No special flour blends needed. Just straightforward ingredients that work.
- Perfect balance of sweet: The butterscotch chips add just enough sweetness without overpowering the cookie.
Ingredients Needed
- drippy almond butter – I used Wild Friends almond butter because of their minimal ingredients and drippy consistency, but any brand of almond butter will work. Just look for natural almond butter that’s drippy and doesn’t have any sugar or oil.
- old fashioned oats – my favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but can be easily cross-contaminated so make sure to grab certified gluten-free oats if needed!
- maple syrup – I love using maple syrup because it’s a natural sweetener that pairs so well with these oatmeal scotchies.
- eggs – used as a binding agent.
- ground cinnamon – the perfect warming spice for these cookies.
- butterscotch chips – I used Lily’s butterscotch chips for a low-sugar option, but you can easily use any brand of butterscotch morsels/chips.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Oatmeal Scotchies
Step 1: Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients except the rolled oats and butterscotch chips.
Step 2: Add the rolled oats and butterscotch chips, then stir until everything is evenly combined.
Step 3: Use a heaping tablespoon or cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently press each mound down to form a cookie shape.
Step 4: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for the Best Cookies
- Use a hand mixer if needed: Almond butter can be thick and hard to stir by hand. If the dough feels stiff or isn’t coming together smoothly, a hand mixer makes mixing much easier.
- Don’t overbake: These cookies set up as they cool, so pull them from the oven when the edges are just lightly golden and the centers still look soft.
- Flatten the dough slightly: The cookies don’t spread much on their own, so gently pressing the dough into a cookie shape helps them bake evenly.
- Let them cool before moving: Give the cookies a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack so they can firm up without breaking.
How to Store
After letting your cookies cool completely, I recommend storing them in a sealed airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for 2-3 days at room temperature, 5-7 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. If you store them in the freezer, just thaw them in the fridge overnight or for a few hours at room temperature before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
These cookies are made without flour and use almond butter and maple syrup instead of refined oils and white sugar. They’re still a treat, but the ingredient list is a bit more balanced than traditional oatmeal scotchies.
Yes, these are naturally gluten free as long as you use certified gluten free oats.
This dough is thicker than traditional cookie dough and doesn’t spread much on its own. Gently pressing the dough into a cookie shape before baking helps them bake evenly.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Oatmeal Scotchies
Ingredients
- 1 cup drippy almond butter, I used Wild Friends
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup butterscotch chips, I used Lily’s butterscotch chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients, except for the rolled oats and butterscotch chips. If you’re having trouble whisking your almond butter mixture, you can use a hand mixer!
- Add in rolled oats and butterscotch chips and mix until combined.
- Using a heaping Tablespoon scoop dough onto baking sheet. Form into cookie shapes and press down slightly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
- Let cool for a few minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage: Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature before eating.
- Use drippy almond butter: Natural, drippy almond butter works best here. Avoid almond butter with added sugar or oil, as it can change the texture of the cookies and make them too dry or greasy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
I love all of your recipes, and I’m so excited to make these this year! If I have unsalted almond butter, should I add any additional salt? Or will the 1/4 tsp be enough?
Hi Rebecca – You could sprinkle in a tiny bit of salt in the wet batter, that should be enough. Hope you enjoy these cookies!
11/ 25.
I feel the need to preface this comment by saying I have a very spoiled tongue.
This tongue is not used to healthy foods or bird food at all current day .
So I shopped around for a healthier oatmeal scotchy recipe and I landed on this one. I thought it’d be interesting to sub some pumpkin puree for this time of year to replace some of the almond butter. that made it too runny. finally had to add flour.
by the time I was done with my high protein oats by Kodiak and adding pecans which I love I ended up with a very dry little biscuit. wasn’t sweet at all using a half a cup of bourbon maple syrup. Had plenty of healthy bird seed flavor I must admit.
don’t take this as criticism on the author. I hope you just laugh at me for tweaking another recipe to Frankenstein level. Back to the drawing board.
oh something significant though. Lily no longer does a butterscotch morsel. I had to sub a caramel chocolate morsel by Lily. and it had no flavor whatsoever.
My very healthy bird seed-eating son-in-law said, “Wait there’s chips in this?”
I loaded the chips on top as indicated by the above recipe. Which made it look visually appealing but you just can’t taste them after you bake them. weird
Rats. Guess it would be unreasonable to give you low stars after I butchered your recipe. Almost did thinking of how mine turned out. whoops
Hi Leslie – You made me smile with this comment. It definitely sounds like you had quite the baking experiment! I hope you’ll give the recipe another try as written sometime, I think you’ll love how it turns out. Thanks for sharing your experience!
So simple and so delicious! Once I saw this recipe come through my email I knew I had to bake these. Finally got around to it today and they are so worth it!
Ah yay! I am so glad that you are loving this recipe, Emily. They are easy and delicious, the perfect holiday cookie. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
I’m not always drawn to butterscotch, but I’m so glad I made these. They are delicious!
yay! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, Kate. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!