Dark Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
Yields: 15 cookies
 
These chewy oatmeal cookies always remind me of chocolate-covered strawberries! They’ll keep for at least 4 days if stored in an airtight container on the counter or at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. (And I highly recommend warming up leftover individual cookies in the microwave to make the chocolate turn melty!)
  • 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
  • ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
  • 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 (80g) finely diced fresh strawberries
  • 2 tbsp (28g) finely chopped 72% dark chocolate, divided
  1. 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 strawberries and 1 ½ tablespoons of the chopped dark chocolate. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  3. Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten slightly using a spatula. Gently press the remaining chopped dark chocolate into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 11-14 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour correctly using a light hand with the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either will dry out the cookies and leave them crumbly instead of chewy.

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.

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.

It’s important to finely dice both the strawberries and dark chocolate. Both should be no larger than the size of miniature chocolate chips (about half the size of your pinky’s fingernail) to ensure the cookies bake evenly.

Frozen and thawed strawberries may be substituted for the fresh.

Any percentage of dark chocolate may be substituted in place of the 72% dark chocolate. Miniature chocolate chips may also be substituted for the chopped dark chocolate.

For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Oatmeal Cookie FAQ page.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/06/19/dark-chocolate-strawberry-oatmeal-cookies/