Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies are the perfect cookie to satisfy your sweet tooth and still get in your daily fiber and fruit requirements...well, sort of. LOL
*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2015. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.
Yippee! It's finally the weekend, so it's time to take a break from all that healthy eating and be a little decadent, don't you think?
Well, maybe don't go totally crazy because you'd hate to undo all your past week's healthy choices (and good on you if you've been making them). But just enough to take a break and indulge a little in something sweet and chocolaty.
That's where these Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies make their entrance.
They're sweet and chocolaty and yet they have heart-healthy oatmeal baked in, along with chopped dried cherries so you can be mindful of your daily fruit intake. Yep, that's a stretch in the "healthy department", but like I said it's the weekend...lets PARTY!
A few days after I'd made my cookies I saw that King Arthur Flour had named their recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies the best recipe of 2015.
While I certainly agree that theirs is a wonderful cookie, I'm pretty sure that these cookies can (and will) gently nudge their plain chocolate chip oatmeal cookie into second place.
If you're a regular reader here then you know that I bring food to my ailing father-in-law on a pretty regular basis.
He's now 94 years old and always has (since I've known him) had a huge sweet tooth. Not that long ago one of his nurses had told us that as we age, our taste buds change and our desire for sweet foods intensifies. This is why you'll notice elderly people in the grocery store, more times than not, will have their carts filled with sweets.
I find this information fascinating, and very true since I now find myself paying attention to what the senior citizens in front of me at the grocery store place on the conveyor belt. Now that you know that, I dare you not to take notice too. LOL
The reason I tell you this is to let you know that when we brought these cookies over to my father-in-law's house, I hear that almost all of the 4 dozen we brought to him were gone in a matter of 2 days flat. Guess I need to get busy baking more, huh?
CHOCOLATE CHERRY OATMEAL COOKIES {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Yield: 5 dozen cookies Prep Time: 10 minutes Bake Time: 15-17 minutes
1 cup butter, softened (I use salted butter)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped dried cherries
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3 cups quick-cooking oats
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together thoroughly.
-Blend in the eggs and vanilla.
-In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda.
-Add the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture in thirds, beating between each flour addition.
-Stir in the dried cherries, chocolate chips, and oatmeal until completely combined.
-Drop the dough by tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheets (12-15 per sheet).
-Bake in a preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, making sure to rotate the cookie sheets halfway through the baking.
-Remove and cool completely.
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Amanda @ The Kitcheneer says
These look incredible! I'm thinks a great Valentine's Day gift for someone special coming up!
Paula says
Yes please! Love the look of these cookies. They sound delicious.
Anita says
Oatmeal cookies - best tasting way to sneak some healthy in! Love the chocolate and cherry combo!
Nutmeg Nanny says
Loving the addition of cherry in these cookies. So delicious!
Kellie Hemmerly says
Love this combination! I'm a sucker for chocolate and cherry anything.
Elizabeth says
delicious- i love any kind of cookie!
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez says
You had me at chocolate and cherries! These do sound delicious...and like I could eat them for breakfast.
german in pdx says
These sure look delicious. Love it!
Paula-bell'alimento says
Chocolate and cherries are perfection together!
Back for Seconds says
What a cute mug! The cookies look super tasty!
Martha @ A Family Feast says
We bring our blog leftovers to my in-laws too - helps keep the waistline in check! These cookies sound delicious!
The Food Hunter says
I love this combo!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
I would eat the entire plate of cookies!
Ginny McMeans says
These look and sound so good. I am glad your father-in-law can still enjoy cookies like he does!
Brenda@SugarFreeMom says
Cookies are always in season!
Cookin' Canuck says
These look as though they have the perfect combination of crispy edges and chewy insides. Now craving these.
Katerina @ Diethood says
Completely perfect cookies!! Can I have 'em all!? 😉
Angie says
Chocolate and Cherry is the perfect combination, especially in a cookie!
Aida@TheCraftingFoodie says
Renee, these cookies look delicious! Chocolate and cherry are my husbands favorite combo (he loves Cherry Garcia ice cream). And I love that mug! I just visited your shop, and you are one talented lady!
Mary Kirkland says
These look so good. I don't think I would have put together those ingredients before seeing this post.
Michelle Hawkins says
Thank you for the recommendations, Renee! I love cherries, so I may have to split the batch and try it two ways!
Michelle Hawkins says
Renee, they look so good! I would love to try these. My daughters are both allergic to cherries (craziness!) so we will have to substitute that, but will definitely try these. Thank you!
Renee Goerger says
Michelle, I'll bet these would be good with dried cranberries, or maybe even blueberries too. Let me know what you choose to do. I'd love to hear your spin.
Kristen Chidsey says
I love the addition of dried cherries to these classic cookies. YUM!