Or should I say “healthier.” I mean, I don’t know if I can really say these cookies are healthy, but they definitely have less butter and sugar than other cookie recipes I’ve made in the past. The wonderful news is they are tremendously good.
Case in point: my brother is one of those. You know. Those people that turn up their noses at “light” or “healthy” versions of classic recipes, especially cookies or desserts. He was at my house when I first made these and he refused to eat one. Seriously! He refused. Not worth his time, he said. Fast forward a few weeks later when he graciously offers to watch my boys for me. I come home and ask if he is hungry and he sheepishly confesses he found some cookies hidden in the depths of the freezer and snuck a few. The confession is followed with: “By the way, have you posted those cookies yet? They are amazing…some of the best I’ve had.”
Imagine his countenance when I tell him that those yummilicious cookies were the lowfat, heart-smart cookies I had made weeks earlier. The ones he refused to try, the little stinker. To his credit, he didn’t back down from his assertion that they were delicious. But I’m 100% sure I won’t let him live this down.
Make these cookies! I was so pleasantly surprised by the deliciously chewy, nutty texture and wonderful sweetness. I didn’t miss even a tablespoon of the lacking butter. And that’s saying a lot, because I really think butter is divine. The one caveat to the healthy claim on this recipe is that it makes less cookies than some of my favorite traditional cookie recipes. So maybe if you consider that factor, they might not be much lower in fat and calories, but don’t let me know. I like to imagine myself making healthy cookies so I can eat four or ten without feeling guilty.
One Year Ago: Unbelievable Chocolate Cake
Two Years Ago: Southwest Rice and Bean Salad
Three Years Ago: Easiest Brownies in the World
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 1/2 ounces white whole wheat flour (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking soda and salt. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Add the butter/sugar mixture to the flour mixture, beating with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the dried cranberries or cherries, vanilla and egg. Beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, silpat liners or coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010
Can’t wait to try these! I love your other oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Haha! I love the story about your brother! This cookie recipe looks delicious, even if it is “healthier”. I love the dried cranberries/cherries!
I will be making these soon! Have some dried cranberries to use up from a granola recipe. I will have to keep it a secret that they are considered healthy or my family will not eat them either!
I’ve been trying to eat better – I need to try these for sure!!
The cookies look wonderful!
Will be making them this week! Yummy!!
Made them this morning- they are fantastic! My only regret is not doubling the recipe! Be careful to put in 1/3 cup of flour and not look at the ounces and think it’s a 1 1/2 cup (when you’re running at mock speed- you can almost make that mistake).
I can’t wait to try these! I am ALWAYS looking for new oatmeal cookie recipes!
And I especially love that they’re healthier! Thanks!
Mmm, these are my husband’s favorite kind of cookie! I love that they are “healthier.”
I always add wheat germ to cookie recipes and it gives them a wondeful nutty taste and boosts nutrition. These cookies are so good
I made these tonight, yummy!
Ohhhh I can’t wait to try these! I’m always trying to find a lighter yet still delicious version of all my favorite naughty foods!
Cute story about your brother
These sound really good!
Your brother sounds like my husband!! I’ll have to make these and tell him afterwards they are on the healthier side as far as desserts go! I tend to cook the opposite of low-calorie but these look delicious!!
[...] Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from here) makes about 18-24 cookies but I didn’t [...]
My absolute favorite cookie is oatmeal chocolate chip and my husband adores cherries and chocolate. So needless to say we are super excited to make these! Thanks!
whole wheat flour in cookies is actually something i don’t believe i’ve ever seen in a recipe, much less tasted! this would be the perfect cookie to try it on–lovely batch, particularly because there are no raisins involved!
As usual, everything I make from your blog is great…These taste unhealthy—which means there very good!
These have been added to my personal list of favorite cookies. They were sensational!
ha ha I know two of your brothers and am wondering if the “stinker” is one of them. lol. The cookies do look good!
YUM!! I just made these and they were yummy! I plugged in the recipe at SparkPeople Recipes so that I could add them to my nutrition tracker and using a 1.5″ scoop you can get 28 of these babies for 43 calories a piece!! Thank you!!
Here is the link:
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1835538&ff=1
OOPS!!! I looked again at the calories and they are actually 69 calories! sorry about that!!
I can’t wait to try these. I have loved all of your reciepes!
Wow, 69 calories is awesome, if you can eat just one, but if not, even three of them are better than a candy bar! Normally, I am a little like your brother….if I am going to eat dessert, I am going to make sure it’s good…I don’t really like eating stuff that doesn’t taste good because it’s wasting calories…I would rather have 3 bites of something amazing than some healthy cookie that tastes like cardboard. That being said, these are amazing! I bought tons of dried cranberries awhile ago and decided I need to use them. When asked to make a plate of cookies for a funeral, i came to my most trusted source and did a search for cranberries and found these (I didn’t see them in the index though). Boy am I glad. I do wish I had doubled the recipe. I made smaller cookies and got 32 cookies. I also had quick oats I was trying to get rid of and they still were yummy. So glad I found this jem. They really don’t taste healthy, they taste fattening, in a good way. Yum. Thanks for another winner.
okay, i have one more confession… when i plugged in the recipe i left out the dried cranberries. i just don’t do dried. so the calories may be slightly higher if you add them.
Glad I found this recipe! I was pleasantly surprised how much they fluffed up during baking. This recipe is a keeper!!! Not only did MY tummy approve but so did my husband.
[...] though, so i cut some of the sugar out, quite a bit actually. but they were still really good. here’s the original recipe from mel’s kitchen cafe (btw-there are a lot of really helpful [...]