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!
Can I use frozen raspberries?
I haven’t tried it, but I think that would work! If your frozen raspberries are really icy and covered in lots of crystals, I’d recommend thawing them first. Too much extra liquid in the dough will make them spread like crazy in the oven! 😉 I hope you enjoy the cookies Nicole!
Can I use strawberry’s instead of raspberries?
Made these with Strawberry’s and my grandma and I pretty much ate the whole batch in one sitting!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the cookies Rachel! You’re so sweet to share them with your grandma, and your strawberry version sounds fabulous. I definitely need to try that next! 🙂
I do not have whole wheat flour right now, but I really want to bake these. Would regular flour work as a substitute?
Yes, it should! 🙂 I’m excited to hear what you think of the cookies Amber!
These sound delicious! Is there anything you can use instead of coconut oil? Thanks
Thanks Cat! In the Notes section beneath the recipe, I included that both melted unsalted butter or melted margarine may be substituted in place of the coconut oil. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the cookies if you try them!
How silly of me! I was too distracted by the delicious looking photos to read the full recipe! I will definitely be trying these. Thanks
No worries Cat! I always forget to look through the Notes section beneath other recipes too. I get so excited by the ingredients and instructions that I forget they’re there! 😉 I really hope you enjoy the cookies!
Wow, these look fantastic! Can’t wait to bake these! One potential problem, though: I live in Luxembourg, and they haven’t discovered the wonders of vanilla extract here, yet. How crucial is this to the recipe? Can I do without the extract, or is there a delicious substitute you could suggest? Merci! xx
No vanilla extract Karrie? That’s so strange! I think the cookies will still taste fine without it, but if you had other extracts in the area (like almond, perhaps), you could try substituting those instead. Somehow I doubt that Luxembourg has those too. 😉 Do they sell vanilla paste, by chance? Or any other vanilla-like products?
Thanks for the quick response! I’m afraid they’ve only got “vanilla sugar”…orange blossom water and rose water are everywhere, interestingly enough!
You’re welcome Karrie! That’s so funny about the orange blossom and rose water. I think you should be fine without the vanilla. I’ve heard it’s really easy to make your own though! Averie from “Averie Cooks” has an awesome tutorial on her blog; it’s here if you want to check it out!
You can make your own vanilla extract with some vodka and a split vanilla bean. Let it sit for a few weeks and it smells divine and tastes amazing in baking!
Thanks for sharing your tips Lori!
Hey!
Great recipe – will be trying it out soon!
Have to ask though, would I need to melt the honey first before mixing it in?
Thanks Ashley! 🙂 Generally, honey comes as a fairly thick liquid, so no need to melt it; it’ll still mix into the batter just fine like that. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Hi Amy,
We don’t get fresh or frozen raspberries here. However, we do get dried ones. Will that work? Should I add something to the recipe to get the same texture?
Is there any alternative fruit? All dried berries – raspberry, blueberry are really expensive. Can these be made without the fruit?
You can use whatever you’d like Avantika! Chocolate chips, raisins, any other dried fruit, fresh fruit… I’ve used dried blueberries, dried apricots, dried pineapple and coconut, and dried cherries before. It’s a really adaptable recipe, so feel free to pick your favorite mix-in! 🙂 I hope you enjoy them!