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!













I tried these today with strawberries+almonds instead of raspberries! They turned out perfectly 🙂 (Gluten-free as well!)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies Kayla!
I had the same issue as some others, followed recipe but came out springy and like a biscuit. 🙁
I’m sorry the cookies didn’t turn out for you Shelley; that must have been disappointing. Like with the other commenters, the cookie dough probably contained too much flour or oats. Both of these will dry out the cookies and give them a cakey texture. Both ingredients should be measured with a light hand using the spoon-and-level method. I’ve found that if I directly scoop either from the container, I end up with 1.5 times as much, which would definitely cause the issues that you experienced. Overbaking the cookies will also result in a dry, cakey texture, so be sure that your oven doesn’t run hot and you remove the cookies from the oven after no more than 15 minutes. Hopefully your next batch turns out perfectly!
If you accidentally make your cookies too dry, the easiest way to fix that is to put a couple pieces of bread in the container with the cookies.. it’ll moisten them up in no time!
That’s a great tip — thanks for sharing Loren!
Hi, i’m a new baker and would love to try this recipe. I’ve read the FQ page (this helps a lot!! ) but still not sure for the oat I have the quick cooking oat but it’s an Irish type and also have a rolled fashion one. Is it ok to use the irish type.? I try to find a wayto use up this quick oats and would be in heaven if they work in this recipe !! Thanks :)))
I’m glad you found the FAQ page helpful! I haven’t had any experience with the Irish type in this recipe, but I know that the old-fashioned rolled kind will work. You’ll have to pulse them in the food processor until they’re about half of their original size, but they’ll work just fine in the recipe once you do that. I really hope you enjoy the cookies!
Thank you for this! I was looking for a recipe to take on vacation that I wouldn’t feel guilty for the kids to snack on. I added some dark chocolate chunks and almond slices, subbed in some almond flour for extra protein (1/4 cup) and used half butter /half coconut oil. Even my fiancée who hates fruit ate these!
That’s quite a compliment coming from your fiancée Rachel — thank you so much for sharing that with me! I love the sound of your modifications too. Have a wonderful vacation!
I picked up some raspberries on sale on Monday, leaving me in a desperate scramble to find some way to use them before they went bad. I didn’t have a lot, though, so a lot of the recipes out there were of no use to me. I ended up with the PERFECT amount for these cookies (a few overly-squishy ones had to be consumed, resulting in perfection) despite worrying that I wouldn’t have enough. These are the first cookies I’ve made since… I don’t even know when. Certainly since I buckled down to learn how to cook healthfully! They turned out amazing! I ended up having to put 3 of the 15 cookies on a separate sheet for fear of them all baking together (a few still touched edges, a problem easily rectified). My boyfriend can’t have dairy, and thus no normal buttery cookie, so these are just tops. 🙂 Thanks for providing the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! I’m really touched that this was the first cookie recipe you’ve tried in a long time; it means a lot to me. That’s really kind of you to share with your boyfriend and make something he can enjoy too! 🙂
He has a lot of issues when it comes to food, which leads him to eat a lot of very specific processed foods. I’m eager to find healthy stuff he’s able to eat and enjoy and that might even improve his health. I’m very thankful for the food bloggers like yourself that provide me the tools to that end! <3
That sounds really difficult for him! You’re really thoughtful to try to help find healthier options. I hope you find more recipes that the two of you enjoy!
I want to make these but have no honey. Can I substitute Karo syrup do you think?
Thank you!
I would recommend against Karo syrup, but I have a list of acceptable substitutions here! (You can also access this page by clicking the link that reads “Oatmeal Cookie FAQ + Video Page” in the Notes section beneath the recipe.) I hope you enjoy the cookies Carole!
just made these and they were sooooo delicious!! They are a bit dangerous, actually…couldn’t quit eating them 8| 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! “Dangerous” is my all-time favorite compliment! 😉
I’m vegan. Do you think Flax egg and agave would substitute well for the egg and honey?
Yes, the agave will definitely work! I don’t have very much experience with flax “eggs.” However, I do know that Ener-G works perfectly as an egg substitute in this recipe, so I think a flax “egg” should work as well. I hope you enjoy the cookies Toni!
Did it work with flax eggs?
Hi. Thank you for sharing your recipe! After having the batter chilled for 30 minutes, I noticed it turned into a greyish color. Did this come from the oxidation of the raspberries? I really appreciated your input. Thanks!
Yes, you’re correct about the color change. That shouldn’t affect the taste of the finished cookies. I hope you enjoy them Anna! 🙂