Tag Archives: Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Cookies, Dessert and tagged with , , ,

Hello friends, hope you are having a lovely June. If you’re in one of the places having massive heatwaves, I hope you’re staying cool with smoothies and ice cream and other frozen treats. Shameless self-promotion aside, we’ve had the usual gauntlet of rain and hail and sunshine here that typically befalls June. On Saturday I ran my 10th half marathon in West Yellowstone, which also happened to be my first trail race, and it was as warm as it was beautiful.

2015 Yellowstone Half Marathon

You might think the lack of baked goods the last several posts is due to the weather, but it’s actually because my oven is broken. It’s not holding temperature correctly which doesn’t work well for delicate items like cookies and quickbreads. Due to this, M has been making no-bake cookies, which is one of his standbys for when I don’t get around to baking. (The other is brownies, but that also requires an oven, obviously.) Since they’ll probably be a staple until the oven situation is resolved, I thought I’d share them here.

No-Bake Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

These cookies are quite rich but they have a great peanut butter chocolate flavor, and are super quick to put together. They stay soft and delicious for about a week and are extra yummy with a tall glass of milk. I’ll admit they are really sweet (2 cups of sugar will do that) but they’re an excellent go-to treat when you need something fast to satiate that chocolate craving.

Whip up a batch for the week (or the day) and give your oven a break.

No-Bake Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Borrowed from M
Makes 4+ dozen one-tablespoon cookies

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
3.5 – 4 cups Quick Oats (I always use Quaker)1

Directions

  1. Spread wax paper or aluminum foil on the counter (or a cookie sheet if you want to be able to move them).
  2. Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan and heat over medium until melted.
  3. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; continue boiling for about 90 seconds.
  4. Stir in remaining ingredients until completely combined.
  5. Using a cookie scoop (or two spoons), scoop cookies onto prepared surface. I usually make them bite-sized (about 1 tablespoon) whereas M prefers a more hefty size (about 3 tablespoons), so feel free to do whatever size you like best.2 
  6. Allow cookies to cool completely, then store in an airtight container on the counter.

Notes

1 The fewer oats you use the more gooey the cookies will be. The pictures are using the full amount but we typically use about 3.75 cups.

2 Makes just under 5 dozen if you do my size, or about 2 dozen if you do his size.

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Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Cookies and tagged with ,

Hello! I have returned from a delightful trip home to Alaska, so it’s back to normal life for me. Well, technically I’m still on the way back to Montana, but close enough. With my second half marathon now behind me, next on the agenda is to find a third. I have three penciled in for fall, but that leaves the sixth up for grabs. Looking at one around here on July 26, but I haven’t signed up yet.

In any case, today I bring you another classic: oatmeal raisin cookies. I love this recipe because it always turns out soft and chewy, which is how I think cookies should be. (Shortbread, Thin Mints and Oreos are notable exceptions.) It is your standard cinnamon and raisin flavor with the chewy oatmeal base. I sometimes add a cup of chocolate chips, but this time I left them out.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

This particular recipe is the one off the lid of the Quaker Oats container, with some minor modifications. My own oatmeal lid is altered with a Sharpie so I can remember the things I do differently. (We buy oatmeal at Costco so we just refill the same smaller cylinder for kitchen use.)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

Considering it’s such a classic flavor, I don’t think these cookies need much talking up. They are soft with just the right hint of cinnamon and a smattering of raisins throughout. Be careful not to over-bake them, as they get crunchy very quickly. Unless you’re in to that sort of thing, in which case you’re just confusing me.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Adapted from Quaker Oats
Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup raisins
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together first group of dry ingredients.
  4. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  5. Add in flour mixture, beating until well combined.
  6. Stir in oats and raisins (and chocolate chips) until completely combined.
  7. Roll 2 Tbsp of dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until cookies are matte on top (they will look under-done).
  8. Cool for a few minutes on the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Store in an air-tight container on the counter for up to a week.

Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Cookies, Dessert and tagged with , ,

Welcome, friends, I hope you’ve had a lovely April. Montana is still struggling to fully commit to spring but right now it’s delightfully sunny and almost 60, which makes for a smiley Lindsey instead of the frowny Lindsey of last weekend’s flurries.

Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

This weekend I decided to cover one of our household cookie staples. These are personally one of my favorites, although M is a bit more indifferent towards them. Regardless, if you like Craisins and white chocolate, you’ll likely enjoy today’s recipe. A bit less sweet than your average cookie, these are a light and summery cookie great for lunches and snacks (or dinner, I don’t judge). They freeze exceptionally well in case you want to make a double batch and store the extras. (As if you can have extra cookies, ha!)

Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

I love these cookies for their light texture and cranberry white chocolate combo, but also because they feel just a bit healthier than the usual peanut butter and chocolate combos you find ’round these parts. Obviously they’re still cookies, but I feel slightly less guilty having a few of these. (Psyche! I never feel guilty eating cookies.) And cranberries are fruit, and fruit is healthy, so basically these are healthy, right?

My favorite part about these cookies is that even though they taste summery to me, they have no seasonal ingredients, which means you can make them all year round. Especially in late January after the Christmas fun has worn off and spring isn’t quite on the horizon. They are also super easy and take minimal measuring cups, which are always extra points in my book.

Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

For this recipe I like to use my small 1 Tbsp cookie scoop that results in bite-sized delights. If you prefer a large cookie, you’ll need to bake them an extra minute or two, so bake a test cookie to figure out the timing.

Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Ocean Spray
Makes ~4 dozen small cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups oats (not quick oats)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup Craisins dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with silicon mats.
  2. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
  3. Thoroughly beat in eggs.
  4. Whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
  5. Beat in flour mixture in three or four additions, mixing well between each addition.
  6. Gently stir in Craisins and white chocolate chips until well distributed.
  7. Using a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop, drop onto cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, (I usually do 9) or until lightly browned.
  8. Let cool on cookie sheet for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Store in an airtight container on the counter for several days, or in the freezer for several weeks.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Cookies, Dessert and tagged with ,

I was originally planning to share a lemon bundt cake with you guys today, but the recipe was almost a total flop. Still edible, but not a recipe I’d ever use again, and definitely not pretty enough to entice anyone into making it anyway. Instead, please enjoy this cookie recipe, and hopefully in a week or two there actually will be a lemon bundt cake featured here.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

Four years ago my mom emailed me a recipe entitled “Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies”. I labeled it under “recipes” in my Gmail account, and then promptly forgot about it.

Until now.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

When M is in town, I try to bake cookies every week so he can have them in his lunches. I do occasionally miss a week (at which time he makes his own, because it usually means I made a pie instead), but most of the time Sunday is cookie day. Peanut butter chocolate chip are a household staple, as well as oatmeal raisin chocolate chip, or oatmeal Craisin white chocolate chip. (One of these days each of these recipes will make an appearance on here.) One week however, I wasn’t feeling like the regulars and when I asked M for suggestions all he came back with was “something with chocolate chips.”

So helpful.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

I perused my recipes folder and rediscovered the email with this one. Since I had everything on hand, I decided to give it a shot. This was a wise decision as it is easily the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made, and probably one of the best cookie recipes, period. Unlike your average oatmeal cookie, this one calls for the oatmeal to be finely ground in a blender before adding it to the dough, resulting in the wholesome flavor of oatmeal without the usual telltale texture. Super soft even a week later (in case you, too, forget one in your backpack) and a bit less sweet than most chocolate chip cookies, this recipe has definitely become a new staple at our house. I even made it two weeks in a row, which is a pretty rare event around here.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

Using both white and brown sugar gives the soft texture and very slight caramel flavor generally found in peanut butter cookies, while the oatmeal lends a wholesome flavor that almost makes you feel like you’re eating something healthy. (Pro tip: you aren’t.) The original recipe calls for chocolate chips and a chopped up chocolate bar, but I decided to use the bag of Nestle chocolate chunks I had in the cupboard. (I have a slight addiction to buying random bags of baking chips. Shh.) Due to their size, I opted to forgo my usual one tablespoon cookie scoop in favor of the three tablespoon size I generally reserve for cupcakes. This was my second wise decision of the day, as we ended up with three dozen bakery-sized cookies perfectly saturated with chocolate chunks.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies {{Baking Bytes}}

Pour a glass of milk and have a couple. You can thank me later.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Makes 3 dozen large cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (310 g) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup (200g) white sugar
1 cup (150g) brown sugar, lightly packed

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups (250g) oatmeal, finely ground

~12 oz (360g) package chocolate chunks

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  3. Cream butter and both sugars until fluffy.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined.
  5. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
  6. Push dough to the bottom of the bowl, add ground oatmeal, and stir until just combined.1
  7. Push dough from the beaters, add the chocolate chunks, and stir until chocolate is well distributed.2
  8. Use a 3 Tbsp cookie scoop and place dough balls at least 2″ apart on a cookie sheet.3
  9. Bake for 12-14 minutes, let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Store in an airtight container; cookies stay soft for at least a week (at which point ours were all eaten.)

Notes

1 If you don’t push the dough off the paddle, it likely won’t mix properly.
2 It may be necessary to mix the last bit of oatmeal into the dough by hand.
3 I couldn’t fit more than 9 cookies on a sheet at one time.