Coconut Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

More specifically: Coconut Palm Sugar Oatmeal Cookies. 

You’re gonna want to try these.

We LOVE oatmeal cookies, especially these oatmeal cookies.

I know you do too, but have you ever made…

Oatmeal Cookies With Coconut Palm Sugar?

They’re hard to mess up and I always feel like I’m eating a healthier version of any other cookie I could stuff in my piehole.

Little Known OMT Fact: I’ve had them for breakfast in a pinch, because…OATMEAL! 

These cookies are made exclusively with coconut palm sugar, but you can substitute part (or all) with the sugar of your choice.

There’s lots of jibber-jabber on the Internet about how baking with coconut sugar can make a healthier oatmeal cookie.

Let’s take a look at the facts.

Coconut Sugar Cookies

Does coconut palm sugar have any benefit over white sugar?

While the Internet is FULL of differing information when using different kinds of sugar, let narrow it down to this:

Palm Sugar VS Cane Sugar

What we’re after is answering this question: is there a difference?

1. One benefit of coconut sugar is that it has a lower glycemic index than white sugar. I figured if it has a better glycemic index, lower than white (or cane) sugar (there’s controversy whether that is true or not), then that’s a plus. But, it’s always good to keep in mind that a sugar is a sugar, yo.
2. For diabetics or pre-diabetics, slowing the highs and lows of glucose absorption is a good thing. I’m always on the hunt for desserts that can taste good and have some health benefits (considering these are sweets and it’s all relative!), and these cookies fall in that category.
3. Coconut palm sugar does have some nutrients and antioxidants, also a plus. It contains a fiber called Inulin, which may slow glucose absorption and prevents the highs and crashes sugar cause.
4. Coconut sugar contains the fiber inulin (more below).

While this info is all good, is there a doc in the house who can speak to the benefits (if any) of this sugar?

Is Palm Sugar Healthy?

Dr Weil’s take: “…coconut sugar is 70 to 79 percent sucrose and only three percent to nine percent each of fructose and glucose. This is an advantage, because you want to keep your consumption of fructose as low as possible, and cane sugar is 50 percent fructose.”

Sounds good.

But then, “Overall, there isn’t much difference between white table sugar and other natural sugars including coconut, honey, maple syrup (my personal favorite), molasses and sorghum. To the body they are all sugar to be converted to glucose for metabolic fuel.”

What about #4: the fiber inulin?

What Is Inulin?

Medical News Today speaks to that:

Inulin is a specific fiber that may be beneficial to the body, helping improve gut health and slowing glucose absorption.

It is, however, important to note that the quantities of beneficial compounds may be small, and a person would have to eat a lot of coconut sugar to get a healthy dose of them.

Inulin Is A Prebiotic

Inulin’s plus is it’s a prebiotic (thus the gut improvement thoughts), but can have a few side-effects such as bloating and cramping (it’s also found in more than 36,000 species of plants!).

We have never had that issue with coconut sugar, and my guess is because it’s such a low amount per cookie.

Personally, I think coconut sugar’s benefits (small may they be), outweigh using white sugar.

I have switched ALL my baking sugar, actually all the sugar that is kept in my pantry, to organic cane sugar and coconut palm sugar.

To the recipe (printable version at bottom of post)!

Recipe Notes:

1) I have subbed with raisins and chocolate chips (coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies! yum!), but my favorite substitution is chopped dried apricots (I have linked my favorite Apricot Cookie recipe at the bottom of this post – ENJOY!), which I’m generally not fond of, but in these cookies…WOW!

2) If you’ve never used parchment paper, DO NOT BE AFRAID!

Go get some and use it, my babies. It is wonderful.

Clean up consists of wadding up the paper and tossing!

The best part though, is that the cookies bake more uniformly when you use parchment paper.

Get some; bake like a boss!

3) Purists will tell you one sheet of cookies in the oven at a time.

BOOO! OMT! is a busy gal, and I bet you are too. I always throw caution to the wind and bake two giant sheets at a time.

This means that cookies may need to bake a bit longer than 9 minutes. Keep an eye on the first sheets you throw in and bake accordingly.

BONUS Recipe Note:

Of course you can use regular cinnamon and nutmeg, but these two particular ingredients, as written, are the secrets to these cookies being perfect…step outside your comfort zone and try it!

Happy Baking, Y’all!

Continue to Content

Coconut Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes 9 seconds

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 31 minutes 9 seconds

An oatmeal cookie made exclusively with organic coconut palm sugar. Delicious and nutritious. Kid-approved!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups coconut palm sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup Craisins (optional)
• 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled whole oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk together thoroughly flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Beat butter, coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Combine flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended.
5. Stir in Craisins (optional) and oats. (1)
6. Drop by spoonfuls, about 3 inches apart, onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (2)
7. Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. (3)
8. Remove cookie sheet and let stand for a minute or two until cookies
   are slightly firm, before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool.

Notes

1) I have subbed with raisins and chocolate chips, but my favorite substitution is chopped dried apricots, which I'm generally not fond of, but in these cookies...WOW!

2) If you've never used parchment paper, DO NOT BE AFRAID!

Go get some and use it, my babies. It is wonderful.

Clean up consists of wadding up the paper and tossing!

The best part though, is that the cookies bake more uniformly when you use parchment paper.

Get some; bake like a boss!

3) Purists will tell you one sheet of cookies in the oven at a time.

BOOO! OMT! is a busy gal, and I bet you are too. I always throw caution to the wind and bake two giant sheets at a time.

This means that cookies may need to bake a bit longer than 9 minutes. Keep an eye on the first sheets you throw in and bake accordingly.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Kirkland Organic Ground Saigon Cinnamon -10.7 oz
• 
  Wholesome Sweetners, Coconut Sugar, 1 lb
• 
  Kirkland Signature Non Stick Parchment Paper 205 sq ft (Twin Pack)
• 
  KitchenAid 2-Piece Silicone Spatula Set with Bamboo Handles, Red
• 
  Checkered Chef Cooling Racks For Baking - Quarter Size - Stainless Steel Cooling Rack/Baking Rack Set of 2 - Oven Safe Wire Racks Fit Quarter Sheet Pan - Small Grid Perfect To Cool and Bake
• 
  Pot Holders Cotton Made Machine Washable Heat Resistant Potholder, Pot Holder, Hot Pads, Trivet for Cooking and Baking (4, Red)
• 
  Wilton Performance Pans Aluminum Jelly Roll and Cookie Pan, 10.5 x 15.5-Inch

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 167mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

~ Original Post: October 3, 2016 ~ Updated Post: October 21, 2024 ~

If You Like This Post, You Might Like These:

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Yum! I could end there, but I need you to go make natural peanut butter cookies and taste the YUM! for yerself!

Oatmeal Apricot Cookies

More oatmeal cookies, please! Then throw in some dried apricot – trust me on this! Addictive!

Chocolate Bomb Cookies

I adapted this recipe to perfection! They have a heapin’ helping of chocolate goodness and the kiddos LOVE them.

When I ask Sweet E what kind of cookies he’d like me to make, he’ll most often say Chocolate Bombs!

The best part is they are eggless, so you can NOM the dough all ya want, guilt-free!

Thank you for spending your precious time here with me!

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