Chewy Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

OK, raise your hand if you liked oatmeal cookies when you were a kid. Anyone? No? You in the back, put your hand down, I don’t believe you. Nobody liked oatmeal cookies when they were kids. Those hard, lumpy, raisin-filled things were are always the reject cookies at kids’ birthday parties, lingering on the table long after all the chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies had disappeared. Everybody knew that oatmeal cookies were gross.

At least, that’s what I used to think. Then I accidentally bit into a soft and chewy homemade oatmeal raisin cookie one day, thinking it was chocolate chip, and realized that oatmeal cookies are actually delicious.  And, they’re good for you! Maybe. Aren’t oats full of fiber and good at lowering cholesterol or something?

These chewy chocolate cherry oatmeal cookies are just full of healthy goodness (emphasis on “goodness”). Rolled oats, dark chocolate chips, and dried cherries…that’s all the fiber, fat, and fruit you need for the day! Oh, and did I mention that there’s Nutella in there too? That stuff is just packed with calcium and iron or something. So yeah. These cookies are good for you. Definitely. But more importantly, they are amazingly delicious. They’re soft and chewy, with wonderful texture and substance from the oat. Each bite is full of rich, nutty chocolate flavor and a delightful tang from the dried cherries. These cookies will definitely change your mind about oatmeal.

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies (Adapted from Love Veggies and Yoga’s recipe)

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup butter, softened
– 1 cup brown sugar
– 1/3 cup white sugar
– 1/3 cup Nutella
– 2 eggs
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1-1/4 cups flour
– 1 cup old fashioned whole oats
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli semi-sweet)
– 2/3 cup dried cherries

Steps:
(1) Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a few baking sheets.
(2) In a large bowl, cream softened butter with sugars. Mix until smooth and well-combined.
(3) Stir in Nutella.
(4) Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
(5) Stir in oats, baking soda, and flour.
(6) Add chocolate chips and dried cherries, and stir until they’re incorporated more or less uniformly throughout the cookie batter.
(7) Scoop golf ball sized balls onto a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
** These cookies will spread, but not a lot.
(8) Bake for 10-12 minutes.
(9) Remove from heat and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving cookies to cooling racks.
** Right out of the oven, these cookies will be puffy and soft. Allowing them to rest will give the cookies a chance to firm up. They will also fall a little bit, and end up flatter and more textured-looking than they did when you pulled them out of the oven.
(10) Enjoy warm, with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.

For other great dessert ideas, click here.