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Home » Healthier Cookies

Agave Honey Oatmeal Cookies

Modified: Sep 24, 2024 · Published: Jan 12, 2009 by Anna · This post may contain affiliate links · 18 Comments

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Agave Honey Oatmeal Cookies is a recipe I posted years ago when agave nectar was introduced as a low glycemic, immunity boosting, bone density enhancing (I could go on here) substitute for sugar. Ten years later we know more about its effects on the body. For instance, while agave doesn't immediately spike blood sugar, it's high in fructose, which stays in the liver longer and which could potentially build up and lead to insulin resistance and weight gain.

Agave Honey Oatmeal Cookies

That is just my understanding, and because I am old and have seen so many things put on pedestals and then dethroned, I am a little skeptical. Still, the more I read about agave the less I want to use it. I'd love to see some studies showing it really does have benefits, but so far it's not looking good.

The fact is there are a lot of different types of syrups we can bake with. If you like using agave in moderation, these cookies are pretty good. You could also try substituting a different syrup or combining a few others.

I don't do a lot of baking with agave these days, but I've kept this recipe around because it's a fun one to play with. These Agave Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies combine the two syrups to make sweet, chewy, soft oatmeal raisin cookies I've updated the recipe and have added some notes. Despite being a simple recipe, it's not foolproof for a few reasons, but it's a small batch recipe that's fun to experiment with.

Substitutes for Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

When I went back to make these, my first thought was I needed to use something other than whole wheat pastry flour. I tried 2 oz weight of other flours, cake and all-purpose. Cake flour worked and helped with spread. All-purpose worked too, but there was less spread even though I was using the same weight as the pastry flour. This probably was due to the protein content. Whole wheat pastry flour is ideal, but you can use substitutes.

Measuring Agave Syrup & Honey

It's easy to be a little off on syrup recipes when measuring by volume because a tablespoon can weigh as little as 15 or up to 20 grams. When I made my recent batch, the cookies weren't sweet enough and didn't spread. It's because I was measuring by volume, and syrups can weigh anywhere from 15 to 20 grams per tablespoon each. I went back and made the cookies using tablespoons of honey that weighed 20 grams each and the recipe worked as usual. I also tried increasing the ratio of honey to agave and found that I needed a tad more honey to get the right sweetness. That's because agave is sweeter than honey.

Leaving Out the Agave Completely

I also tried leaving out the agave syrup completely and just using honey and brown sugar. That worked too. I used 40 grams of honey ( 2 tablespoons) and 36 grams of brown sugar (about 3 tablespoons). However, if you are leaving out the agave you may not want to even bother with this recipe. You could just make the Chewy Vegan Oatmeal Cookies.

Two Tablespoon of Egg

This is kind of an annoying measurement, but I always find ways to use the other 24 grams of egg. If you keep a carton of pasteurized egg product in the refrigerator, you can use 2 tablespoons of it instead.

Grapeseed Oil or Olive Oil

Grapeseed oil is my new favorite oil for baking because it has a more neutral flavor. Or at least it does to me! Aldi sells it as a pretty reasonable price. If you want flavor, you can use extra virgin olive oil. I haven't tested with coconut oil, but I suspect the cookies will spread less with that.

More Agave Honey Oatmeal Cookies Tips

  • The batter will seem a bit loose/wet at first. If for some reason it is too loose for you to scoop, cover and chill or just let it stand for 10 minutes so that the oats soak in some moisture.
  • The cookies aren't super sweet, so it's important to add raisins or chocolate chips for sweetness. The cinnamon adds a lot of flavor as well.
  • The Agave Honey Oatmeal Cookies recipe is good as written, but if you happen to have some almond flour (something that wasn't widely available when I first posted this recipe), adding 1 ½ tablespoons of almond flour to the dough adds some richness and even more structure.
  • Agave & Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  • Small Batch Agave Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Chocolate Orange Walnut Cookies
  • Zucchini Walnut Bread with Agave
  • Black Bean Brownies

Recipe

Agave Honey Oatmeal Cookies

Anna
Oatmeal cookies made with agave and honey
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 11 minutes mins
Total Time 21 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 to 10

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg approx
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar (60 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon honey (20 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (26 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour (114 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ (7 grams)
  • ⅛ teaspoon EACH baking soda & baking powder
  • ¼ scant teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ cups old fashioned oats
  • ⅓ cup raisins

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Mix egg, agave, honey, oil and vanilla together in a bowl. Stir very well.
  • Combine flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir very well, then add to agave mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the oats and raisins. Let batter sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Using a tablespoon measure, scoop up dough (large heaping scoops) and arrange on parchment lined cookie sheets spacing 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10-11 minutes (or up to 14 mintues). Let cool completely.

Notes

Use chocolate chips instead of raisins
Keyword Agave Oatmeal Cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Comments

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  1. amnatiburcia says

    May 11, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    I made these cookies yesterday and they were pretty awesome, specially if you think they're almost fat free cookies.
    But when I had them 4 breakfast, they were too chewy, almost like a gum! Haha, its that normal??

  2. Rice Kernel says

    March 14, 2011 at 10:17 am

    I should have known you had an agave cookie recipe! Will add it to my "try" list. Thanks for all your ideas and inspiration.

  3. brian92fs says

    January 23, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    We just tried this and replaced the egg with flax seed and water (1 tsp flax + 1 tbsp water). Also replaced the raisins with grain sweetened chocolate chips. Came out great!

  4. Nick says

    January 16, 2009 at 11:12 pm

    I'll be giving these a try for sure, bookmarked! Perhaps I'll even make them this weekend, I've got nothing else to do!

  5. Sally McEntire says

    January 16, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    Cool! I'm always looking for "healthy" cookie recipes. I'll have to leave out the raisins as well, silly picky children.

  6. Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer says

    January 13, 2009 at 10:22 am

    Great recipe - I use agave all the time now it really is wonderful to cook with and has exceptional flavor!!

  7. RecipeGirl says

    January 13, 2009 at 9:27 am

    I'm all over these Anna! Trying to eat healthier, and trying to find healthier snacks for the little guy. Maybe he'll even eat the raisins!

  8. Deb Schiff says

    January 13, 2009 at 4:55 am

    Wow! These look fantastic. I'm always looking for a good oatmeal cookie recipe. Thanks!

  9. Anna says

    January 12, 2009 at 9:21 pm

    Have fun with your agave nectar, Carly!

    Katrina (from Baking & Boys) made the cookies too. She made a few slight changes, so if you don't like this version you can try hers when and if she posts it.

  10. Carly says

    January 12, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    I am so excited you posted this recipe! I just bought some agave nectar and have been wanting to use it but didn't know how. I can't wait to try these cookies out!

  11. bakingblonde says

    January 12, 2009 at 5:56 pm

    Oh, I love the sounds of this recipe! I have had a cookie recipe using Honey bookmarked for months. I am adding this to my list!

  12. Sara says

    January 12, 2009 at 3:26 pm

    I've never used agave nectar before, but I've heard good things about it.

  13. Katrina says

    January 12, 2009 at 3:00 pm

    I used evaporated cane juice sugar in place of the honey. But my cookies look just like Anna's!

  14. Kay says

    January 12, 2009 at 1:48 pm

    I love agave nectar! I'm going to have to give this recipe a go. Looks delicious!

  15. Katrina says

    January 12, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    I can attest--I made them this morning (with a few slight changes), and they are great as a healthy oatmeal cookie! Thanks, Anna. Now I'm out of agave for the time.

  16. Anna says

    January 12, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    Sue, she's okay with nuts. In fact, if I toast them and leave them on the counter, she comes in and steals them. But she hates raisins, cranberries or anything fruity in baked goods.

  17. Sue says

    January 12, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    One of these days I'm going to have to get some agave nectar to find out what the buzz is about. Your cookies look great!
    Will Fuzz eat nuts? One of mine will still occasionally pass on something because it has nuts in it!

  18. VeggieGirl says

    January 12, 2009 at 12:44 pm

    Looove agave!!

Peanut Butter Fudge Jumbles recipe baked in a 9-inch square Pampered Chef stoneware pan.

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