Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies | Healthy Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How healthy are oatmeal cookies? ›

Both whole grain oats and raisins are a good source of fiber. The presence of whole grain oats will also help you stay fuller longer. That said, oatmeal raisin cookies are still cookies with higher butter and sugar content than other snacks, so they should only be considered a healthy snack in moderation.

Here are a few heart-healthy benefits of these cookies:

As a type of whole grain, the oats in this recipe provide fiber, which supports healthy cholesterol levels. Plus, their antioxidants can help reduce inflammation.

Overbaking is the most common cause of hard oatmeal cookies. Cookies continue to cook on the baking sheet even after they're removed from the oven, so try taking them out when they're just lightly golden and still a bit soft in the middle. They'll firm up as they cool, resulting in a chewier texture.

In short, it wouldn't really be an oatmeal cookie without a little bit of cinnamon. BAKING SODA: When baking soda is combined with an acid, like the cocoa powder, baking powder, and brown sugar in this recipe, it produces carbon dioxide, which helps the cookie dough rise and eventually spread.

Simple Mills. While not entirely organic, Simple Mills makes some of the healthiest cookies we found. The ingredients here are very clean, in addition to being grain-free. The flour is a blend of nuts, the fat is coconut oil, and the sweetener is coconut sugar.

Consume With Caution

Even with healthy additions, an oatmeal cookie is still a cookie. Enjoying one occasionally is OK. They may contain more nutrients than other cookies, but they still contain large amounts of fat and sugar, which aren't so healthy and may be detrimental to your waistline.

According to the FDA, three grams of beta-glucan daily can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels and the associated cardiovascular disease risk. [11] To get that quantity of beta-glucan, you would need to eat 1.5 servings of oatmeal (¾ cup or 60 grams of dry oats) daily.

Start Eating Steel-Cut Oatmeal

"I have been very successful in lowering cholesterol in many of my clients. Many of them have been able to go off of their medications—or never had to start them. I have them eat ½ cup of steel-cut oats five days a week for six weeks. That's all it takes!"

If you enjoy your cookies soft and chewy, chances are likely the recipe contains a common ingredient that serves a very specific purpose. No, it's not granulated sugar, nor the butter. It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch.

What kind of oatmeal is best for baking cookies? ›

Go for old-fashioned oats or rolled oats (they're the same thing, but sometimes go by one name or the other). They result in the perfect chewy cookie.

As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes).

If you don't have baking soda, you can use baking powder, at three times what the recipe calls for. So if a recipe calls for one teaspoon of baking soda, you can use three teaspoons of baking powder. Baking powder also contains a little bit of salt, so it's also a good idea to halve the salt the recipe calls for.

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

Nutrition Facts

A commercially prepared oatmeal cookie has approximately 105 calories, 1.3 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbs, 0.7 grams of fiber and 10 grams of sugar.

“These cookies are one of my favorite simple and digestion-friendly snacks because they only require mashed ripe bananas and rolled oats. Both are both gentle on the digestive system and provide a good amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals,” Dr. Robbins says.

Oatmeal cookies, homemade (2 each - approx 2 5/8" diameter) contains 20.9g total carbs, 20.1g net carbs, 4.7g fat, 1.8g protein, and 131 calories.

Plus, because these cookies are made with whole wheat flour and whole grains (oats), they've got lots of fiber. Fiber-rich whole foods are known to lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. Fiber is also essential for healthy digestion and strong gut health.