Warm cinnamon, chewy oats, sweet raisins – this Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Dip has all the flavors of the classic cookie all while being better for you and your family. Let's eat cookie dough every day!
Direct quote from my husband, “What's the point in making cookies if you can't eat the dough?”
As much as I hate to admit it, as a child/teenager/young adult, I would have completely agreed with him.
It took caring for one very sick kiddo at Primary Children's Hospital (in my pediatric nursing years) and having my own kids to finally listen to the advice, “Don't eat raw cookie dough.”
Well, that's great and all, but dang, cookie dough is really good. I decided a few years ago that my children simply couldn't live their best life without enjoying spoonfuls of cookie dough so this mama was going to create a cookie dough that was:
- Edible
- Actually kind of healthy
- Tasted like real deal cookie dough
How are we doing this, you might ask? With chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans), a natural sweetener, and some kind of nut or seed butter.
Many of you have already tried and loved the other two versions of edible, healthy cookie dough on the blog: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Double Chocolate Cookie Dough AKA Chocolate Hummus.
I'm excited to bring #3 to you today with this all new Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Dip!
Being a former oatmeal-raisin-cookie-hater, I'm surprised how much I loved this version. In fact, even the kids, who often complain about raisins, LOVED this one.
We were dippin' fruit in it, spreading it on toasted bagels, sandwiching it between graham crackers, etc.
IT IS REALLY REALLY GOOD! In fact, 2 of 3 kids pronounced it the best one yet. The other child said she would never say raisins are better than chocolate chips – smart kid.
Now, you can make this cookie dough with homemade Instant Pot Garbanzo Beans (directions in the recipe card below) which makes it ultra-smooth and creamy, or you can grab a can of chickpeas and just plan on extra blending time to get the consistency you want. More details on that in a sec.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE HEALTHY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE DOUGH DIP
- ALL THE FLAVORS OF THE CLASSIC COOKIE: Warm cinnamon, chewy oats, sweet raisins . . . it's so close to the real deal it's shocking.
- HEALTHY COOKIE DOUGH: I'm not going to say it tastes exactly like cookie dough. It's not a ball of butter and sugar for cryin' out loud. But the sweet, buttery, cookie dough taste and texture is absolutely there and you will be shocked at what a great healthy substitute it is.
- EASY: Throw everything in the food processor, scrape it a few times, stir in the raisins and oats, you're done. Got 10 minutes? Then you can make this cookie dough.
- SMOOTH AND CREAMY: The silky smooth texture of this cookie dough is similar to hummus making it great for dipping, spreading, and finger-licking. The addition of oats and raisins gives it a little texture and something to chew on, which I really appreciate in these “sweet hummus” type recipes.
- LUNCH BOX FRIENDLY: My kids love taking this to school and telling their friends they brought cookie dough for lunch, haha! I put a dollop in a container, layer chopped fruit on top, and send them with a fork to eat it “cookie dough bowl” style.
- THE RAISINS: If you think you're a raisin hater, you still might love this one. There is something amazing that happens as the raisins hang out in the cookie dough for a few hours. They become soft and plump and really elevate this cookie dough to rockstar status. Of course, you could swap it for dried cranberries (which we also love), but if I beg enough, might I convince you to try the raisins just once?
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE DOUGH DIP
- Place garbanzo beans, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and water into the food processor and blend until smooth
- Add the raisins and pulse a few times to chop them up a tiny bit and incorporate them into the dough
- Stir oats in by hand
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- HOMEMADE VS CANNED GARBANZO BEANS: Making homemade garbanzo beans/chickpeas is so easy in the Instant Pot. I tend to make them often so I have them on hand for making hummus and these cookie dough recipes. The nice thing about using homemade, is that I can cook them until the bean and skin are so soft, it purees quickly and easily. But, if you don't want to bother with making your own, just open a can of beans, rinse them well, and just plan on blending and scraping a bit longer. It'll taste amazing both ways!
- VIETNAMESE CINNAMON: This is the best, most flavorful, sweet cinnamon I've ever found. If you really like cinnamon and want the best, I highly suggest using this variety.
- RAISIN SUBSTITUTE: If you really just hate raisins, go ahead and swap them for cranberries, chopped dates, or really any kind of dried fruit. Mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs also taste amazing.
- ADD NUTS: My family are avid “don't put nuts in my food” people, so I did not include nuts in the recipe. If you love toasted pecans and walnuts like I do though, stir a big handful into your cookie dough along with the oats. In my opinion, they are a must, so I end up making a big batch of it, then when I take a scoop for myself, I top it with a handful of crushed pecans. Oh my goodness, it's so so good.
- RUNNY ALMOND BUTTER: Go for the runny almond butter for this recipe, the kind you have to stir when you first open the jar. If yours is thick, you may need to add extra water while blending for the right texture.
- ALMOND BUTTER SUBSTITUTES: Tahini and cashew butter both make a great substitute for almond butter. I'm sure peanut butter would also be good, but the flavor will be much stronger than the others.
- JUST KEEP BLENDING: For extra smooth chickpea cookie dough, plan on blending for up to 5 minutes. This sounds like a long time, but it's the only way to get the ultra creamy texture we're looking for. Scrape down the bowl a few times to make sure everything is getting well blended.
- COOKIE DOUGH WILL THICKEN: The “dough” will thicken once it's completely chilled. For this reason, I always blend my cookie dough a bit on the thinner side so once it's cold, I can still easily dip crackers and fruit in it.
HOW TO STORE AND FREEZE
- Store: Place cookie dough in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freeze: The cookie dough freezes great! I like to double the dip and split it into 4 containers. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before using. However, if you're a fan of frozen cookie dough, a chunk of this right out of the freezer is just plain awesome.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS
If you make your own chickpeas, they can be cooked up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge until you're ready to make the oatmeal raisin cookie dough.
The cookie dough keeps well in the fridge, so it can easily be made up to 5 days in advance. If you're serving it for a party though, I would suggest making it fresh the day of so the oats and raisins don't become overly soft.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH COOKIE DOUGH DIP
- Fruit: Apples, oranges, berries, grapes, pears, etc.
- Crackers: Sweet graham crackers or salty crackers are both good.
- Chips: Salty potato chips, pita chips, all the chips!
- And More: Toast, crepes, rice cakes, hot waffles, etc.
VARIATIONS
- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie Dough Dip: Swap the raisins for cranberries. I suspect a little orange zest would also be amazing here.
- Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Dip: Omit the oats and raisins for a snickerdoodle type vibe.
- Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dip: Swap the almond butter and raisins for peanut butter and chocolate chips.
- Don't forget these versions: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Double Chocolate Cookie Dough (I also call it Chocolate Hummus).
How excited are you to eat spoonfuls of cookie dough with abandon without the fear of getting sick from raw cookie dough batter?!
Actually, how excited are you to finally hand over a spoonful of cookie dough to your kids/grandkids without an ounce of worry?!
My kids are on cloud nine every time they find this in their lunch box, I can't wait to hear what you and your kids think too!
That's all for today. If you need me, I'll be in the pantry nibbling on a scoop of cookie dough pondering what the next flavor will be.
Enjoy!
MORE HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES
- Instant Pot Homemade Chocolates
- Instant Pot Healthy Peanut Butter Cups
- Instant Pot Hasselback Apples
- Instant Pot Apple Pie
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE HEALTHY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE DOUGH DIP
Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Dip
Creamy, Healthy, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Dip served with fruit, crackers, or chips is bound to be your new favorite snack!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the dried garbanzo beans (see note if using canned garbanzo beans)
- 1 pound dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), rinsed and sorted
- 6–8 cups water (enough to cover the beans by about 2 inches)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Dip
- 1 ½ cups cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 15-ounce can low sodium chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained)
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ – ⅓ cup maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 2–3 tablespoons raisins
- ⅓ cup quick oats
Instructions
For the garbanzo beans
- Place beans and water into the pressure cooker pot.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 50 minutes (this cook time will make them very soft, perfect for hummus and cookie dough).
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release.
To make Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Dip
- Strain and rinse 1 ½ cups of garbanzo beans.
- Place beans in a food processor. Add almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, kosher salt, and hot water.
- Blend until mixture is very smooth, stopping to scrape it down 1 – 2 times if needed. Taste and add extra maple syrup and water if a sweeter or looser hummus is desired. You want it to be thick/creamy, but still thin enough to dip into.
- Add raisins and pulse a few times until they are mixed into the dough. I like them to be chopped up very slightly, but not pureed into the mix.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in the oats.
- Serve in a bowl with a side of fruit and graham crackers for dipping.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Notes
- 1 pound of homemade garbanzo beans is more than you’ll need for this recipe. Refrigerate leftovers in a little bit of the cooking liquid or freeze in 1 ½ cup portions so they can be used for future batches of hummus or cookie dough.
- A 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans can be used in place of homemade. The mixture won’t be quite as smooth, but it’s still delicious!
- Swap the raisins for dried cranberries or chocolate chips if you like!
- A handful of chopped pecans in the dough is delicious if you and your family like nuts in cookies.
- Use thin, creamy almond butter. If yours is quite thick, just add more water to the food processor when blending. Tahini or cashew butter make a great substitute.
- Blend until very smooth. This may take up to 5 minutes of blending, scraping, and blending some more to achieve a very smooth consistency.
- The cookie dough will thicken once chilled so I suggest making the hummus slightly thinner than you think you want it. This makes it a lot easier to dip into with fruit and crackers.
Keywords: Healthy Cookie Dough, Chickpeas Cookie Dough, Healthy Snack

This is my favorite version of all your edible cookie dough recipes. Cinnamon and raisins just go together.
I substituted great northern beans for the chickpeas and used Penzey’s China Tung Hing Cinnamon. The cinnamon flavor was really good, but you can bet I’ll be trying it with Vietnamese cinnamon soon. To quote Seinfeld on cinnamon, “It should be on tables at restaurants along with salt and pepper.” I wholeheartedly agree.
★★★★★
Candice, Chocolate is still my favorite, but this is definitely my second fave, even over the PB and chocolate chip one. I just made a pumpkin version this week that was bomb too. I can’t be stopped! I’ve never tried it with a different bean. How did it compare? And that quote needs to be on my wall, haha!
I found I prefer the taste of black beans for the chocolate hummus/cookie dough, so I tried using white beans for this cinnamon raisin cookie dough. Black or white beans seem more neutral tasting to me than chickpeas. I got the idea after making some black bean brownies that were really good. I hope you will share the pumpkin version soon!
Candice, well now I can’t believe I haven’t tried this yet. Thanks for the tips! I’m testing the pumpkin out again today in fact 🙂
But can you also bake this dough into cookies? I realize that would miss the point, but to paraphrase your husband, “What’s the point of making cookie dough, if you can’;t bake cookies?
Larry, haha! Touche! I’ve actually never tried baking them, but they’re missing a lot of regular cookie dough ingredients, so I don’t think it would work that well. But maybe I’m wrong!
Chickpeas, hm? I am very tempted to try this as I happen to love oatmeal cookie dough. It would be nice to eat it without fear of it making me sick! I’ll let you know how it goes…adding the ingredients to my shopping list!
😊Cecilia
Cecilia, yes! Report back!
This looks just as yummy as the edible chocolate chip dough recipe you posted awhile ago. Can’t wait to try it!
Karen, it’s a toss-up between this one and the chocolate one, but this one is my favorite of the moment 🙂