Few desserts are more appealing than warm cookies straight from the oven. Instead of depriving ourselves of this treat, we sought to create a “better for you” cookie that emphasized whole grains. As we love the soft chew and heartiness of the oatmeal-raisin variety, we used that as our starting point. A hefty 3 cups of fiber-rich rolled oats would ensure plenty of whole-grain benefits. We initially tried to solely use oat flour, but this resulted in a crumbly, difficult-to-work-with dough, so we ultimately stuck with all-purpose flour to provide the necessary structure.
We wanted to increase the nutritious mix-ins as much as possible, so for an antioxidant boost, we stirred chopped dark chocolate and a full cup of chewy, sweet-tart goji berries into the dough. Heart-healthy canola oil kept the cookies dense and chewy. A bit of salt complemented the oats and brought out their sweet-nuttiness, and a tablespoon of water helped the cookies spread to the perfect size. Do not use quick, instant, or thick-cut oats in this recipe. If you can’t find goji berries, you can substitute dried unsweetened tart cherries or dried cranberries. We prefer the flavor of 70 percent dark chocolate in this recipe, though higher cacao percentages will also work (click here for more information).
Ingredients
- 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup packed (7 ounces) dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup expeller-pressed canola oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large organic egg plus 1 large yolk
- 3 cups (9 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup goji berries
- 3½ ounces 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda together in bowl; set aside.
- Whisk sugar, oil, water, and vanilla together in large bowl until well combined. Add egg and yolk and whisk until smooth. Using rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until fully combined. Add oats, goji berries, and chocolate and stir until evenly distributed (mixture will be stiff).
- Divide dough into 24 portions, each about heaping 2 tablespoons. Using damp hands, tightly roll into balls and space 2 inches apart on prepared sheets, 12 balls per sheet. Press balls to ¾-inch thickness.
- Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are set and centers are soft but not wet, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before serving.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 160 kcal Calories from Fat: 54 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 6 g 17% |
Saturated Fat 1.5 g 8% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
Cholesterol 15 mg 5% |
Sodium 115 mg 2% |
carbohydrates 24 g 18% |
Dietary Fiber 2 g 5% |
Sugars 8 g 9% |
Protein 3 g 6% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |
