Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Freshly baked cookies are the perfect smell to lure guests into the house. Imagine warm oatmeal cookies dotted with sweet plump raisins, crispy on the outside, but moist and chewy on the inside. Ahh…

Me baking cookies is like my parents making rice (or my Grandpa boiling water). It’s something we do all the time, and have become so accustomed to that we simply do it without really thinking what goes in it. I’ve been on a search for a healthy oatmeal cookie for a long time (you know, how everyone’s always on that search for the “prefect” chocolate chip cookie recipe) and I think I’ve finally found what I’ve been looking for. This recipe from David Lebovitz’s blog really does meet my standards for taste, appearance, and nutrition. I adjusted the recipe ever so slightly to make it even healthier just because I really am that picky about healthy food. You can use refer to his recipe here.

Maybe these cookies shouldn’t exactly be called “healthy” oatmeal cookies, but they’re really as healthy as cookies can get. While they have a reasonable amount of sugar, they are actually low fat. To make you feel even better about eating them, they have a lot of oatmeal, which means fiber and all that wholegrain goodness!

These cookies will freeze very well. Once they are completely cooled, simply put them in a plastic container or zip lock bag and place in the freezer. When you need a quick fix to satisfy your sweet tooth, just grab one of these and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds, or if you’re like me, just eat it straight from the freezer. It tastes perfectly fine I swear! In fact, I dare you to try one.

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp trans fat-free margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins (or dried cranberries)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the margarine and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in the brown sugar, then the egg, applesauce, and vanilla.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients, then the oats and raisins.
5. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons on the baking sheets and use a fork to gently flatten the dough.
6. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are golden brown.