I’ve been on a bit of a dessert kick lately. It seems I just can’t get enough sweet treats, and I’ve been whipping up goodies to curb my cravings like mad over the past few weeks. However, I don’t like anything overly sweet. Instead, desserts with a balance of sweet and salty or a bit of spice make me absolutely weak in the knees….
…Which is precisely why I can’t get enough of these cookies. I first whipped up these Oatmeal Raisin Cookies right before Mother’s Day as a treat for my amazing mom. Like me, my mom has an overwhelming sweet tooth–I think it’s safe to say that I inherited it from her. But, my mom has also been trying to eat healthier lately, so I figured I might help her out by making a yummy dessert that she can enjoy guilt-free. Little did I know how much I would fall in love with them!
The first time I made these cookies, my stepson came running into the kitchen yelling, “You’re making cinnamon rolls!” I had been drooling so heavily over them–just hovering over the oven and waiting for them to finish baking–that I hadn’t made the connection: that’s exactly what they smelled like! (Apparently I’m also on a bit of a cinnamon roll kick lately, too). Although they smelled like cinnamon rolls, they didn’t quite taste like cinnamon rolls– instead, they tasted similar to the cinnamon graham crackers I obsessed over as a kid and still dream about to this day. If I could, I would easily eat an entire package of those cinnamon graham crackers in one sitting. These cookies, though, are even better. And when I finished half a batch of cookies on my own, licking up all of the crumbs I could find when I was done, I didn’t feel the least bit guilty 
- 1½ cups rolled oats, ground into flour using your food processor or blender (gluten-free, if needed)
- 1 Tbs. ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (add up to 2 Tbs. more if you prefer sweeter cookies)
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 2 Tbs. melted coconut oil
- 2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup rolled oats (whole, not ground)
- ⅓ cup raisins
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line one large or two smaller cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, flaxseed, coconut sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the almond milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until thoroughly combined. Gently stir the remaining rolled oats and raisins into the batter and let sit for a few minutes to allow the batter to thicken a bit.
- Spoon the batter onto the cookie sheet, leaving an inch or two between each cookie. *The batter won’t spread much as it cooks, so you may want to spread it out using the back of the spoon if you prefer thinner cookies, or leave them rounded if you prefer fuller cookies.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges have turned golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
