Healthy and So Delicious Oatmeal Cookies

This weekend, I had a big craving for oatmeal cookies. Luckily, they are easy to make, and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. Plus, I am a terrible baker, and these cookies are pretty foolproof. Rowan was being very demanding that day, so I take pride in the fact that I made most of this recipe using only one hand with a baby dangling off my hip. I am getting very good at doing everything literally single-handedly.

Here is my toddler-friendly version based on this delicious Smitten Kitchen recipe. I cut the sugar in half, substituted in whole wheat flour and added coconut, flaxseed meal, dried cranberry and cherries, making it a decent treat for the little ones.

Oatmeal Raisin, Cranberry and Cherry Cookies

1 stick butter softened

1/3 cup light brown sugar loosely packed

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sifted whole wheat flour (sifting the flour keeps the cookies light.)

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups of rolled oats

3/4 cup raisins, dried cranberry and dried cherries (or whatever you like)

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (gives added sweetness since there is less sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy. In a medium sized bowl, whisk sifted flour, flax meal, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add this flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add oats, dried fruit and coconut. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be golden around the edges when they are ready. Cool for 5 minutes on the warm baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to finish.

I like to bake a batch and then freeze the rest for later. To freeze, just lay out the rest of the cookies on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. When they are fully frozen place them in a zip lock bag until you are ready for more.

Try my personal favorite option, substitute the fruit with semi-sweet chocolate chips, heaven!

Also, if you like a savory snack try this recipe for Spinach Gruyere Whole Wheat crackers. Really simple and so good!