In the spirit of trying to eat healthier, I have developed an oatmeal cookie recipe that is ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU!!! Most recipes contain a lot of fat and sugar, but my recipe is as healthy as eating a bowl of oatmeal with fruit (and it still tastes good!)
I didn’t use any sugar in this cookie dough other than honey. Honey is not only a tasty natural sweetener, but it also has medicinal properties and is great for your immune system! Who doesn’t need that this time of year?! And let’s face it… oats + honey = a DELICIOUS flavor combination! Substituting maple syrup would also be delightful!
This is a really simple recipe using ingredients that most of us keep on hand all of the time, so it can be whipped up in a flash anytime you get the craving!
Oh, and by the way, this recipe is also gluten, soy and dairy free! (Feel free to substitute real butter and oats that contain gluten if you don’t have allergies.)
All you need to do is mix your wet ingredients in a bowl. Then add the dry ingredients and mix again. Lastly, fold in the dried fruit, and YOU’RE DONE!!! This dough is super easy to throw together! The end result will look like a bowl of oatmeal.
Now all you have to do is use a meatball scoop or two spoons to plop your cookies onto a greased or silicone lined sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 11-14 mins. (Mine took 13 mins., but I did open the oven to switch the top and bottom pans about halfway through so they would cook more evenly.) I made my cookies about 1 Tbsp. each and got about 3 dozen cookies out of this batch.
You’ll know that the cookies are done when the ridges on them just barely start to turn brown and you can see the first signs of a few cracks forming on the surface. See the picture below:
I have been snacking on these things (guilt-free!) non-stop for the last few days. I have to tell you, these cookies have saved me so many times when I was too busy to sit down for a meal or when I didn’t have time to cook for myself.
Eating a handful of these cookies really is just like eating a bowl of oatmeal! Because they are packed with fiber and protein, they fill you up faster than you would think! And again, THEY’RE HEALTHY, so chow down!!!
The last thing that I will mention is my preference for dried fruit. In this batch, I used dried cherries and blueberries, which make these cookies even healthier by bringing antioxidants and vitamin C to the table! (You could also use raisins, pineapple, apricots, peaches or any other dried fruit you may like. You can even add nuts, too!) This is my brand of choice when it comes to dried fruit:
I really like Stoneridge Orchards dried fruit the best, not only for the flavor, but also because of the simplicity of the ingredients. These two fruit varieties have nothing but pure cane sugar and sunflower oil added to them. No crazy additives or unrecognizable ingredients. I found these at Giant Eagle, but if you don’t have a Giant Eagle store near you, I’m sure they could be purchased online.
I hope you enjoy these healthy cookies as much as I do! Get creative with the flavor combinations and really make them your own! My recipe is below, and as always, feel free to email me at anne@blessingsinsurprise.com with any comments or questions that you may have. Happy eating!!! 🙂
A healthy, on-the-go snack that can truly satisfy a hungry appetite!
- 1 & 1/2 cups oats (I use gluten free oats.)
- 1 & 1/2 cups oat flour (I use gluten free oat flour.)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 pinch cinnamon (Add more if you really want to taste it.)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine (I use Earth Balance Soy Free margarine.)
- 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or agave nectar (I use honey. Increase amount if a sweeter cookie dough is desired, but remember you will get some sweetness from the dried fruits, as well.)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (McCormick brand is gluten free.)
- 1/4 cup dried blueberries (I like Stoneridge Orchards brand.)
- 1/4 cup dried cherries (I like Stoneridge Orchards brand.)
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
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Mix all wet ingredients together.
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Add in dry ingredients and mix to combine.
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Fold in dried fruit.
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Drop dough balls (1 Tbsp. each) onto 2 greased or silicone lined sheet pans.
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Bake at 350 degrees F for 11-14 mins. (You'll know that they are done when the ridges just barely start to brown and the cookies begin to crack.)
