A Sneaky Triumph: Yummy Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Hey, these cookies turned out great! My husband has even been "mmmm"ing about, gobbling happily, not even suspecting he is eating something good for him.That's always a positive sign! 

I'm really happy with the texture of these--crispy outside, lovely and chewy to bite into. My tinkering reduced the sugar, added lots of extra nutrients and fiber, and yet these are very moist and sweet.

So before I can forget exactly what I did, I'm going to record the recipe and share it with you. Don't worry--I'm including a link to the original recipe, too, in case your motto is "Give me tradition--not blasted nutrition!"

Yummy Healthy Oatmeal Cookies - Great for Breakfast!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
   1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups quick oats
   1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup NuNaturals MoreFiber Stevia Baking Blend
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
   1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tbsps. molasses (I used blackstrap but any type will do.)
2 tsps. vanilla
half a jar (about 1/4 cup) jar of baby food strained prunes (optional)
2 eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup raisins or dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare your cookie sheets with parchment paper, or lightly grease them.

Blend the dry ingredients (the first section of the ingredient list) in a medium-sized bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the moist ingredients (the second part of the ingredient list) until smooth. Gradually add the blended dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Then add the nuts and dried fruit, and stir until mixed well. (Feel free to toss in chocolate chips, too, if desired!) 

Using a standard cookie scoop, drop batter onto prepared pans. (If you have no cookie scoop, you can use spoons. Make the balls of dough about the size of a large walnut.) Bake for about 14-15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through so that the cookies bake evenly. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly on the pans, and then transfer them to racks. 

Oven temperatures vary, as do individual tastes, so keep an eye on the first sheet or so to alter baking time for optimum results if necessary .

Makes about 4 1/2 - 5 dozen cookies.

Now for the link to the original (unaltered) recipe:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chewy-oatmeal-cookies 

If you're not familiar with NuNatural More Fiber Stevia Baking Blend, you can learn more about it and order it here:
https://nunaturals.com/product/94

No, I don't have stock in the company (I wish I did!) but I do use this product a lot and recommend it to anyone trying to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet. 

Happy munchies, everyone!