Can you get someone fired by giving them cookies?
I’m not sure I want to know the answer to that… Because I certainly thought I did last fall!
In October, after perfecting the recipe for my toffee coffee cookies, I packed up a few in a little bag to hand to the hilarious college-age cashier with dreadlocks at Trader Joe’s. When I failed to see him on every one of my bi-weekly shopping trips after that day, I basically blamed myself for him losing his job.
A few months later, on a rainy Saturday morning in February, I sprinted through the downpour and into the store; picked up my usual bananas, spinach, and eggs; and hopped into the shortest line. As I waited for the girl to finish packing up the previous patron’s bags, I glanced towards the employee station — and there he was! Smiles, positivity, dreadlocks, and all.
Whew — he had just changed his shift!
Fast forward to a random Wednesday in July, and I happened to pick his line again. As I handed over my eight bananas (I eat one every morning with breakfast, so they disappear faster than my dark chocolate stash!), he asked if I planned on baking banana bread.
“I’m not sure yet,” I replied. “But I’m baking cookies this afternoon!”
“Will you bring me some?”
“I already did!”
“I remember — and they were the BEST cookies ever!” He turned to the shopper ahead of me and explained, “She’s the nicest person ever! I just asked if she’d bring me cookies one time, and she showed up, like, 40 minutes later with the best cookies!”
He continued, looking back at me, “I get off work at 6, so… If I gave you my address, would you mind dropping them off? I live just around the corner!”
Laughing, I agreed. But… I kind of forgot to mention that I needed to photograph them first. Sometimes people don’t quite understand the whole “food blog” thing.
“Wait, so you bake… And take pictures… Of everything? As your job?” is the typical response I get.
Sometimes it’s just easier to say that I bake for a living!
But anyway, back to the story… These healthy raspberry oatmeal cookies were the ones that I baked and shared! Incredibly soft and chewy, with just a subtle hint of spice, these treats taste like the epitome of summer from their sweet dough and fresh juicy berries. They’re also easy to make using common ingredients. You probably have everything you need in your kitchen already!
So… Are you ready to bake (and eat!) some cookies??
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY RASPBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make these healthy raspberry oatmeal cookies! While developing this recipe, I started with the most popular recipe on my blog: my ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies. Hundreds of readers have baked them, and they commented that those were the softest and chewiest cookies they’ve ever made… And that their families and friends couldn’t tell they were healthy. That’s basically the biggest compliment a healthy baking blogger could ever ask for!
I tweaked a few things from my original recipe to let the raspberries shine, but I kept many of the others the same. Here’s a rundown of the key ingredients that you’ll use!
Oats. Other than the fruit, the oats are the most important ingredient! You’ll use instant oats to make these cookies, which are also called “quick cooking” and “one-minute” oats. They’re not the ones that come in those individual packets with flavors like apple cinnamon and maple brown sugar! Just like old-fashioned rolled oats, instant oats only contain one ingredient… Oats! However, they’re smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats, which means they soften faster. That gives your oatmeal cookies the best moist and chewy texture!
Tip: To make these healthy raspberry oatmeal cookies gluten-free, then use certified gluten-free instant oats. They work perfectly!
Flour. To make these raspberry oatmeal cookies healthier, I opted for whole wheat flour. It has more fiber and micronutrients compared to all-purpose flour! My taste testers couldn’t tell… With how sweet and irresistible these cookies turned out, they assumed I used regular all-purpose flour!
Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy raspberry oatmeal cookies gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included my top recommendations there!
Cinnamon. I love the combination of oats and cinnamon! To ensure the raspberries’ bright fruit flavor shone through, I reduced the amount of cinnamon compared to my ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. That smaller amount provides the perfect cozy background warmth. Yum!
Unsalted butter or coconut oil. Just a bit! Unlike traditional recipes that call for ¼ to ½ cup (or more!), you only need 2 tablespoons. That helps keep your raspberry oatmeal cookies low calorie and low fat! Both produce the same soft and chewy texture, so use whichever one you prefer or have on hand. No need for a special trip to the store!
Tip: If you use coconut oil, then your healthy raspberry oatmeal cookies will be dairy-free!
Sweetener. Instead of refined granulated sugar, I turned to honey to sweeten these oatmeal cookies (and make them clean eating friendly!). Because of its liquid state, it helps them spread while baking, and it yields a really soft and chewy texture too!
Tip: If you’re not a fan of honey, then check the Notes section of the recipes, as well as my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page. I’ve provided alternatives there!
Raspberries. They’re the most important part! I prefer fresh raspberries, and I dice them into bits approximately the same size as chocolate chips. This ensures they’re evenly distributed and every bite contains a burst of sweet fruity flavor!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY RASPBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES
Let’s cover how to make these raspberry oatmeal cookies! This recipe is easy and straightforward, but I still have some tips to ensure you bake the best possible cookies.
Measure correctly. To make sure your raspberry oatmeal cookies turn out extremely soft and chewy, make sure you measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. Do NOT stick the measuring cup into the container and scoop them out! You’ll end up with 1 ½ times as much of both ingredients, which will dry out your cookies and turn them cakey or crumbly. But if you measure the flour and oats properly, you’ll end up with the softest and chewiest oatmeal cookies imaginable!
Chill. Initially, the dough will be very sticky, almost like thick muffin batter, so chilling is mandatory! Chilling allows the oats to absorb some of the liquids and stiffens the dough. If you forget to chill, you’ll end up with one big cookie blob… So learn from my mistake and pop your bowl in the fridge!
Drop + shape. When dividing up the cookie dough to place on the baking sheet, try to drop them into rounded scoops, about as tall as they are wide. The raspberries contain a fair amount of water, which they release while baking, so the cookies spread a lot. Shaping the dough into taller mounds helps minimize the spread (so they don’t form that dreaded cookie blob!).
Bake. Because you’re using honey, which caramelizes at a lower temperature than granulated or brown sugar, you’ll bake these cookies lower and slower than many typical recipes, at 325°F. Do not over-bake them!
When you remove the cookies from the oven, they should still look and feel underdone — and that’s a good thing! You’ll let them cool for at least 15 minutes on the warm baking sheet, which allows the centers to finishing cooking through without the outsides turning crisp and crunchy. They’ll stay soft for an entire week, if they last that long!
(And yes, I did double check. It was pure torture leaving the container on the counter for a full seven days!)
Bright and fruity, these healthy raspberry oatmeal cookies may require some serious willpower to avoid polishing off the entire batch… Those cute pink freckles, with the oaty flecks peeking through, are just too tempting — and their extra soft, chewy texture makes them even more addictive! 😉
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy raspberry oatmeal cookies!
Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) honey
- 6 tbsp (53g) fresh whole raspberries, diced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the honey until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the raspberries. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. (If chilling longer, cover with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the entire surface of the cookie dough.)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops on the baking sheet. (If chilled longer than 1 hour, flatten slightly.) Bake at 325°F for 13-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Peach Pie Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Pineapple Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Apricot Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Banana Oatmeal Cookies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cookie recipes!
So I have made these twice. The first time was tastes but they weren’t right. This second time they are also tastes and I measured ingredients in grams and they are still semi dry. The don’t seem to have the same chewey texture that your photos have. They are a lot closer than before but seem to still be dry. What could I be doing? Thanks!!
Oh no! Let’s work together to figure out what happened Samantha so you get chewy cookies next time! 🙂 Did you make any substitutions to the recipe? And did you read my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page and watch the videos there too? (It’s also linked to in the Notes section under the Instructions!) Those videos, especially the last three, show the texture of the cookie dough at each stage of the recipe, which should really help!
Can I freeze the cookies if I make extra? Thanks
Yes, definitely!! These freeze really well. I actually have some in my freezer right now! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies Clara!
I made those cookies for some friends today and everybody loved them, thanks for the great recipe? This is the fourth variation of the cookie recipe, I have tried the apple pie one, the carrot cake and the raisin one, I loved all of those?
Katja x
I’m truly touched that you’ve made four of my oatmeal cookie recipes, and that also means a lot to me that everyone enjoyed them Katja! Thank you for sharing that with me! 🙂
Made these this afternoon. My dad has a huge sweet tooth but is diabetic, and our whole family is trying low fat/ low calorie in support. These are a hit! I replaced the butter/oil with unsweetened applesauce to cut down the fat, and diced apples instead of raspberries. Perfect for the season! Will definitely make again!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the cookies Mary! That means a lot to me that you’d make them again! 🙂
How much applesauce did you use? Thank you!
This may be a dumb question, but how do you measure 6T of raspberries before dicing? I can maybe awkwardly fit 2raspberries in a tablespoon cavity at most, and that just st doesn’t seem right at all.
That’s not a dumb question at all Ulysses! I use a kitchen scale to measure the raspberries, so no awkward squishing. 🙂 You can also use a ¼ cup measuring cup and add enough raspberries until they’ve made a small mound over the top (aka a “generous” ¼ cup). That should be about the same as 6 tablespoons. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies!
Hey 🙂
Do you think I can substitue the raspberries with some frozen blueberries? 🙂
Frozen and completely thawed blueberries would work Alisa! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cookies!
These cookies are so creative! I would love to try these out! I prefer a slighty crunchy cookie that can be broken apart. Do you know how could I get that texture with these cookie?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Kaitlyn! This recipe was specifically designed for soft and chewy cookies. If you flatten the cookie dough with a spatula and bake them longer, you may be able to get them to be firmer, but I can’t guarantee that they’ll have an overly crunchy texture since I haven’t tried it myself. I’d love to hear what you think of them if you try them!
Hi Amy,
I want to try these for my son’s preschool Valentine party. I want to get them to be in a heart shape. Given how they spread and are soft do you suggest I cut out the hearts after they are done? Thank you!
Yes! Cutting them after baking is best. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them Aaryn!
So, I just wanted to start off saying that I don’t actually like oatmeal raisin cookies. Maybe I ate too many of them as a kid, who knows, but usually they’re on the last of my cookie list.
However, I’ve been trying to find more sweet recipes that I can eat while staying low calorie, because sweet things seem to be the one thing I can’t give up. And then I figured, hey, maybe it’ll be different with raspberries instead of raisins. I already have a friend who eats all of my baked goods, and he volunteered to be my taste test.
Holy shit. These cookies are so good, I had to keep myself from eating all of them so that my friend could try them too. They are definitely going into my recipe book, and I’ve already shared it with all my dieting friends.
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I’m truly honored that you’d give my oatmeal cookie recipe a try, especially since you aren’t usually a fan of oatmeal cookies, and that means SO much to me that you loved these! Thank you so much for your kind words about these cookies — and for sharing my recipe with your dieting friends too!! 🙂 If you’re interested, I have quite a few more oatmeal cookie recipes very similar to these here, if you’re up for trying new flavors (that don’t involve raisins)!
Hi Amy, I am looking to make these cookies for a friend and only have frozen raspberries. Will this affect the recipe?
P.S The biscuits look great.
Thanks Taylor! If you thaw your raspberries and pat them dry to remove excess moisture, that will be fine. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you and your friend think of these cookies!
Thanks Amy, my friend loved them. Will be making them again. Yum!!
That means a lot to me Taylor — thank you!! 🙂