The Silly Nutrition Undergrad

The perfect healthy snack cookie! Eat a cookie or two during the afternoon to satisfy your sweet tooth and keep your hunger at bay.

Photo by Stephanie Chung

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After reading about the post on Apricots-Maple-Oatmeal Cookies by AsiaJo at Frock and Fork, I knew I had to make these cookies this weekend!

Despite not having apricots or cane sugar around the house, I did not push this recipe aside. Instead, I substituted in dried cranberries and brown sugar.

The end result was fabulous. It was chewy and dense – just the way I love my oatmeal cookies! I absolutely adore how much oats and dried fruits this recipe has. Not only do they enhance the flavour of the cookies, but they also transform these cookies into a healthy snack option! The oats makes the cookies chewy and they add a great deal of soluble fiber.  The dried fruits add in sweetness and they also provide a little more than 2.5 servings of fruits and vegetables (1 serving = 1/4 cup dried fruits).

So, now when I indulge in 1 or 2 cookies during my afternoon snack, I’m not only satisfying my sweet tooth, but I’m also making a smart healthy investment by boosting both my fiber and fruits intake. How awesome is that!

Chewy Maple-Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (I actually forgot to add this in…)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cup regular oats
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped soaked in hot water for 10 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract until well combined. Add in lightly beaten egg. Stir well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg). Slowly add into the butter mixture. Stir well.
4. Add in rolled oats and cranberries (make sure to drain well before adding in). If batter seems too dry, add in a small amount of milk until the cookie dough is just moist.
5. Using an ice-cream scoop or two teaspoons (or your clean hands!), shape dough into small balls and place onto parchment paper. Slightly flatten.
6. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes (the longer you bake it, the crispier the cookies get). Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove and place onto wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies are truly the perfect healthy snack. Have a cookie or two during the afternoon to curb your hunger and keep your energy up until dinner time!

Seriously, you’ve got to try these for yourself to know how gooey and delicious they are!