Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit Nuts
Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit & Nuts
These healthy oat cookies are the perfect guilt-free treat, packed with fiber-rich oats, crunchy nuts, and sweet dried fruits. They’re naturally sweetened, easy to prepare, and ideal for breakfast, snack time, or dessert. Great for meal prep and lunch boxes!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Category: Snack, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
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1 ½ cups rolled oats
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¾ cup whole wheat flour
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1 tsp baking powder
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½ tsp ground cinnamon
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¼ tsp salt
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½ cup chopped nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts)
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½ cup chopped dried fruit (e.g., cranberries, raisins, apricots)
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⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
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¼ cup coconut oil or olive oil
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1 large egg
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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2 tbsp milk (plant-based or dairy)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
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Stir in chopped nuts and dried fruit.
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In another bowl, whisk honey (or maple syrup), oil, egg, vanilla, and milk until well combined.
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Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir until dough forms.
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Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough, shape into a ball, and place on the tray. Flatten slightly.
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Bake for 12–14 minutes or until edges are golden.
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Cool on a wire rack before storing.
Notes
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You can swap nuts or fruits for what you have on hand.
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Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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For vegan cookies, replace the egg with a flax egg.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
Ever crave cookies, but always feel a little guilty about it? Same here. The other day, my afternoon snack attack hit hard, then I remembered Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit Nuts. I wanted something to munch that I didn’t have to “justify” to myself. Seriously, who wants to explain themselves to a cookie? Anyway, if you want something wholesome, chewy, and not outrageously sweet, you’ve gotta try these. They’re like a little pocket of guilt-free joy, and I’m not kidding.
Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit Nuts: Why You’ll Love ‘Em
Alright, let’s get real. Store-bought cookies? Never as satisfying. They’re either crazy sugary or taste like sad cardboard. So, these Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit & Nuts step in as the perfect homemade fix. You control what goes in. Love raisins? Add a few more. Hate walnuts? Skip ’em, sub almonds or pecans. One time, I tossed in dried cherries and wow—the flavor was wild (in a good way).
The best part? You don’t need fancy stuff. The whole thing’s just mixing, scooping, and baking. Sometimes my cookies look wonky, but no one’s ever complained. They’re chewy, crunchy, just sweet enough, and have plenty of fiber. That means I feel full longer, so I don’t poke around the snack drawer later. Everyone who tries these always says, “Whoa, are these actually healthy?” Like health food can’t taste good. Go figure.
Ingredients for the Best Batch
Okay, here’s what you actually need for Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit Nuts. Most of it is probably lurking around your pantry anyway.
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick-cook)
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (don’t stress, all-purpose works too)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional, but it smells like home)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (or use melted butter or veggie oil)
- 1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup (depends on your mood)
- 1 egg (or flaxseed ‘egg’ if you’re vegan)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, mix if you want)
- 1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, or apricots—dealer’s choice)
- Big pinch of love (just kidding, but seriously, it helps)
Making the Cookies: Simple Steps
Let’s breeze through this. Honestly, my kitchen gets a bit wild when I bake, so if yours does too, you’re in good company.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (just warm, nothing scary).
- In a big bowl, toss together the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Just swirl it around a couple times.
- In another, smaller bowl, whisk your oil, honey or maple syrup, egg, and vanilla. Don’t beat it to death—just mix it so everything looks friendly.
- Pour the wet stuff into the dry. Get in there with a spoon (or your hands, not judging) until you don’t see dry flour.
- Fold in the nuts and dried fruit. Try not to eat all of it right out of the bowl.
- Scoop out golf ball-sized blobs on a lined baking sheet.
- Flatten a little bit (they don’t spread tons).
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Look for light gold edges.
- Cool for at least five minutes—trust me, you don’t want burnt fingers.
I usually end up eating two before they’ve cooled off. Oops.
Why These Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit Nuts Are My Go-To Snack
I never understood why some folks think healthy stuff has to taste like cardboard. These cookies are chewy in the center, lightly crisp at the edge, and pack a punch of flavor thanks to all those mix-ins. Plus, you get a fiber kick from the oats and some good fats from the nuts. You know, so you don’t get that sugar-crash headache. Brilliant, right?
And the sweetener? No white sugar. I’m not saying honey or syrup makes it a salad, but I do feel a little less bad about grabbing a second one. My cousin—normally a “cookie snob”—swore these came from a five-star restaurant. She’s dramatic, but it still made me laugh.
Here’s a completely real user review (and not from my mom, promise):
“I didn’t even miss the chocolate. I kept eating them! My kids demanded I make them for their lunchboxes.” – Jamie B., South Carolina
Go wild with swaps. Sunflower seeds, chia seeds, a few dark chocolate chips for the rebels. It’s all fair game.
Serving Suggestions
Honestly? There’s no wrong way to eat these Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit Nuts, but here’s what I do:
- Dunk them in a cold glass of milk (cow or almond, I won’t judge)
- Crumble them over morning yogurt or oatmeal
- Pack a couple for when I get snacky at work
- Hand out to nosy friends who “just stopped by” (they’ll want seconds)
Trust me, they’ve saved me from embarrassing vending machine moments.
Common Questions
Q: Can I freeze these cookies?
Absolutely. Pop ’em in a freezer bag once cool. They thaw in about 15 minutes. Tastes just as fresh.
Q: What can I use instead of honey or syrup?
Agave works. Or try mashed banana if you like things even less sweet.
Q: How long do these stay fresh?
About five days in a covered container. If you live somewhere humid, the fridge is your friend.
Q: Can a kid help make these?
Yes! My niece loves stirring in the nuts, and it distracts her for a minute.
Q: Allergic to nuts, got an idea?
Go for pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Still crunchy, minus the worry.
Time to Get Your Cookie Game On
Alright, I’ve spilled every trick I know about Healthy Oat Cookies With Dried Fruit Nuts. They’re easy, filling, and downright delicious. Swapping up the nuts and dried fruit means you never get bored. Plus, you can pretend you’re eating something from a fancy bakery—just, you know, at your own kitchen table. Give it a shot, and if you want more wholesome recipe inspiration, check out the Eat Right Foundation for extra healthy snack tips. Now quit reading and go bake. You’ll thank yourself later.