Freshly baked cookies are a staple at snack time and the perfect sweet finale to a meal. Often high in fat and sugar and low in fiber, they’re also one of the first things to be given up when people resolve to follow a healthy diet.
Well, we have some good news – with a few simple substitutions and the addition of heart-healthy rolled oats, you can have your cookie and eat it, too. Oats provide dietary fiber, minerals and complex carbohydrates, and add a wonderful texture and flavor to your cookies.
A favorite across North American and European cultures, the classic oatmeal cookie has stood the test of time. With roots in Scotland, the first recorded recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies dates back to 1896. By the early 1900s, recipes were popping up all over Europe and North America, and today, they are one of the most popular cookies with all age groups.
Of course, there will always be raisin-haters in the crowd. For those people, or whenever you’re looking for a change from the ordinary, try other dried fruits such as cranberries, blueberries, cherries or even goji berries in your oatmeal cookies. With so many options, you can make a different cookie every time.
For an oatmeal cookie packed with healthy ingredients, try these farmland flax cookies. A perfect complement to oats, flax has numerous benefits including omega-3s, dietary fiber and phytonutrients, which may help prevent certain kinds of cancers. These cookies are sweet, satisfying and may quickly become a new family favorite.
Cookies that don’t normally contain oats can often be given a nutritional make-over, without sacrificing flavor. Start with one of your favorite drop cookie recipes and try substituting regular or quick oats for up to one-third of the flour. To reduce fat, replace up to half of the butter called for with unsweetened applesauce or prune puree. You may also find that this also allows you to cut back on some of the refined sugar in the recipe.
Keep experimenting with oats – small changes can make a big difference.
Farmland Flax Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups butter (325 mL)
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar lightly packed (375 mL)
- 1 1/4 cups sugar granulated (300 mL)
- 2 1/3 cups flaxseeds whole (575 mL)
- 3 eggs large
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (7 mL)
- 3 1/2 cups flour (825mL)
- 1 Tbsp baking soda (15mL)
- 3 cups rolled oats (750mL)
Instructions
- In a bowl, cream butter and sugars, add flaxseed.
- In another bowl, beat eggs and vanilla together. Combine with flax mixture.
- Sift together flour and baking soda. Mix in rolled oats and combine with other ingredients.
- Form dough into 4 cm (1 ½ inch) round log. Place in freezer and chill.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Slice log into 1/4 inch (6 mm) medallions.
- Place on baking sheet leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) between cookies.
- Bake 13 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from sheet and cool on a rack.