This past weekend, my family and I invited some of our close friends over to our house to celebrate the publication of my new cookbook, Healthier Chocolate Treats. (It should be available to purchase on Amazon really soon, and I’ll let you know the exact date the moment that I find out!)
I planned to serve a selection of some of my favorite treats from the cookbook, including…
♥ Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies (page 84)
♥ Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 81)
♥ Dark Chocolate Cupcakes (page 114)
♥ Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Muddy Buddies (page 60)
♥ Dark Chocolate Drizzled Coffee Bundt Cake (page 120)
♥ Chocolate Elvis Sandwiches (page 67)
Yes, I know that’s a lot of “favorite” recipes… I’m a huge chocoholic and a really indecisive person!
A few days before, I began baking those cookbook recipes. If you’re following me on Snapchat (I’m @AmyBakesHealthy), you saw a sneak peek of the cupcakes, cookies, and muddy buddies! Over the following days, I finished making the desserts, preparing the savory snacks, and decorating the house. And a huge thank you to my amazing family for cleaning, decorating, and pitching in to help!
On Sunday afternoon, I was blown away by how many people stopped by to say hi, buy a cookbook, and taste the treats. Friends from high school I hadn’t seen in three or four years, some old band friends’ parents, my “second” mother, my old baby-sitter from when I was a toddler, my mom’s incredibly sweet coworker, my best friend (and official cookbook taste tester!) who lives 2 hours away, and my blog friends Jane and Ashley.
Wow. ♥
As the hours flew by, the serving platters slowly emptied as people went back for seconds and thirds of the chocolate treats, and we insisted that everyone packed a plate to take home, too. I baked enough desserts to feed a small army!
After chatting, signing cookbooks, and laughing all afternoon, I started to clean up the party remnants after dinner that evening. While putting away the leftover treats, I noticed that the cookies had been one of the most popular platters, so…
I created this holiday-themed version to share with you so you wouldn’t miss out on the “Healthier Chocolate Treats” fun! These Dark Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are incredibly soft and chewy, and they’re full of fresh fruit and melty chocolate chunks. Between my family and me, they disappeared even faster than the cookies from the party!
This recipe is the next installment in my clean eating oatmeal cookies series. Have you tried any of them yet? They’re some of the most popular recipes on my blog because they’re soft, chewy, and made with NO butter, refined flour or sugar! I highly recommend trying the carrot cake, apple pie, and almond joy versions—after you bake these, of course!
Just like the other recipes, this one begins with whole wheat flour and instant oats. Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “minute” oats, but they are NOT the same thing as those little brown packets of flavored oatmeal! Look for large canisters of them right next to the old-fashioned oats on the cereal aisle of the grocery store.
It is very important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using either the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either ingredient, especially the oats (they act like little sponges!), will dry out your cookies and make them cakey instead of chewy. I highly recommend a kitchen scale for measuring! This is the inexpensive one that I own, and I use it to make every single recipe that I publish on this blog. A kitchen scale ensures that your baked goods turn out with the perfect taste and texture every time!
Tip: To make your own instant oats, measure the same amount of old-fashioned oats, and pulse them in a food processor until they’re half of their original size.
Instead of refined sugar, these cookies are sweetened with pure maple syrup. Yes, it’s not just for pancakes or waffles! Be sure to buy the good stuff, not the faux pancake syrup or sugar-free syrup, both of which contain corn syrup and artificial ingredients. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it’s generally sold in a glass bottle.
Now for the best part… The mix-ins! You’ll use fresh cranberries for these cookies, although frozen and slightly thawed will also work. They have a slightly tarter flavor than dried cranberries, which pairs perfectly with the maple syrup and dark chocolate. Plus I love their bright pop of color after baking!
For the dark chocolate chunks, you’ll chop up a bar of regular ol’ dark chocolate. Most people enjoy somewhere between 70% to 72% dark chocolate, although I’ve been gravitating towards 85% lately. Just pick whatever your taste buds prefer! Chopped dark chocolate bars melt better while baking compared to chocolate chips, which contain preservatives that prevent them from completely melting and losing their shape, but you’re welcome to substitute chocolate chips if you’re running short on time.
These cookies do not spread while baking, so you must flatten the cookie dough to your desired thickness and width before popping the tray in the oven. For a pretty presentation and finishing touch, press a few chocolate chunks into the tops right before baking too!
Then set the timer, pour a glass of milk while you wait, and…
Does life get any better than this??
| Dark Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured correctly)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (55g) fresh cranberries, chopped
- 3 tbsp (42g) chopped dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)
- Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the cranberries and 2 ½ tablespoons of the chopped dark chocolate. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to the desired thickness and width using a spatula. Gently press the remaining chopped dark chocolate into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 9-12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal. To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until they're half of their original size.
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and the following gluten-free flour blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum.
Frozen and slightly thawed cranberries may be substituted for the fresh. In a pinch, dried cranberries that have been hydrated will work. To do so, add ¼ cup of dried cranberries to a microwave-safe bowl, and cover them with water. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap, and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the cranberries sit for at least 20 minutes before discarding the remaining liquid and adding them to the cookie dough.
Dark chocolate chips or miniature chocolate chips may be substituted for the chopped dark chocolate.
For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookies FAQ page.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
These look delicious! I’m going to make them tomorrow! Do you have any tips for baking these at high altitude? (9000 feet).
Thank you!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Kelsey! I’m at sea level, but other readers at high altitude haven’t needed to adjust my recipes and said their treats turned out just fine when they followed the recipe as written. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these cookies!
They turned out amazing! So very good. I love that they’re so tasty with whole wheat and no granular sugar! Thank you for posting the recipe!
It’s my pleasure Kelsey! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Can I add jaggery powder instead of honey or maple syrup
I’m honored that you’d like to try making my recipe, Sonal! I don’t have any experience with jaggery, so I’m not 100% sure and don’t want to lead you astray. Have you been able to use jaggery powder as a 1-for-1 substitute for something like brown sugar or coconut sugar in other cookie recipes before?
Ys I tried with jaggery powder.. it came out ok.. if I make it with sugar or jaggery it’s not as soft as with honey..I bake for 10 min in otg.. should I reduce the time
Thanks for sharing! I’ve actually covered what to do if you’d like to substitute brown sugar in place of the maple syrup on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page (there’s a link to that FAQ Page in the Notes section of the recipe, located directly underneath the Instructions!). I recommend following that same exact brown sugar substitution on my FAQ Page, except using your jaggery powder instead of brown sugar. If you follow that substitution, your cookies will turn out much softer and chewier! 🙂
can i use almond flour instead?
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe, Rylee! I’ve actually covered the answer to this exact question on my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ Page, and there’s a link to that FAQ Page in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
hey! i can’t wait to make these cookies. i am a big dark chocolate lover along with oatmeal and craberry. my question is can i use the dry cranberry version instead of the fresh or frozen. i tend to like the dry better. will it change flavor in a big way or some. thank you for sharing your recipe
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Jacqueline! I’ve actually answered this exact question in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
Hi, I’m thinking of making this recipe for a food tech assignment, but we aren’t able to use chocolate. Are there any other substitutes you would suggest? Would dried fruit work (like pineapple, apple or mango?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Hayley! Yes, you could substituted dried fruit in place of the chocolate. I’ve shared how to use dried fruit in this recipe in the Notes section (located directly underneath the Instructions!), so I recommend checking that out if you decide to use dried fruit.
Also, if it helps, I’ve actually shared 60+ different oatmeal cookie flavors on my blog. You can find all of them here, and at least ¾ of them don’t call for chocolate. Browsing through those other oatmeal cookie recipes might also be easier! 😉
I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
Regarding your Dark Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal cookies, when hydrating dried cranberries, the recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but your hydrating says 1/4 cup. Thank you , love your website!
Can the cookies be made ahead and frozen?
Yes! The fully baked cookies freeze and thaw really well. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of them if you try making this recipe, Lou!