Traditional, butter-drenched chocolate chip cookies get a super-healthy makeover with these Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. They’re made with dried tart cherries, oats, pecans, and other good-for-you ingredients and they pair up perfectly with a glass of low-fat milk!
I recently returned from Traverse City, MI for the tart cherry harvest. I was invited by the Cherry Marketing Institute to join them for the Cherry Harvest in Northern Michigan. They paid for my travel, but all opinions on this blog are solely my own. Everyone in the group was sent home with a bunch of goodies including dried Montmorency cherries. So I decided to use them in this new better-for-you cookie.
Nearly 100% of the tart cherries grown in Michigan are pitted and then frozen or turned into dried cherries or juice. Dried cherries can be eaten out of hand as a snack, added to trail mix, used in cookies and other baked goods, sprinkled over salads, used in salsas, and lots more …
A half cup of dried tart cherries has 200 calories, 2 grams of fiber, and an impressive 45% vitamin A.
- Serves: 24
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 170
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Trans fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- ¾ cup pecans, finely or roughly chopped
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup wheat germ
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup expeller pressed canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup dried tart cherries
- ⅓ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil and then lightly oil or coat with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Whisk together the oats, pecans, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir until just moistened. Mix in the cherries and the chocolate chips.
- Working in batches, scoop the batter by rounded tablespoon and place on the prepared baking sheets. Wash your hands (it will be easier to work with the batter), and then flatten slightly with the heel of your hand, forming 2¼ to 2½-inch cookies. Leave about 1 inch between each cookie.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
Indulging on cherry pie with my friend and fellow dietitian, Janet Helm at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, MI.
I’m not much of a pie maker; cookies are definitely more my culinary speed 🙂
Read about my trip to the tart cherry harvest.
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