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These Loaded Oatmeal Cookies with almonds, dried cherries, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks are delicious comfort food!

I’ve baked up these Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cherries and Almonds for friends, for funeral lunches, and for family. They’re easy, chewy, and a bit out of the ordinary. Oatmeal raisin cookies are more common, but I love using dried cherries instead!

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies on a white tray
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must These
2 Expert Tips
3 Frequently Asked Questions
4 You May Also Like:
5 Loaded Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Why You Must These

  • Unlike the rest of my family, I love cookies packed full of different textures and flavors. Adding crunchy nuts, chewy oats, dried cherries, and silky smooth chocolate makes every single bite truly swoon-worthy.
  • These are far from boring cookies! When you’re baking for a school event or fundraiser, you need something different than the typical grocery store chocolate chip or sugar cookies.
  • These yummy cookies are very adaptable. See some suggestions below.

The first time I made these, they were for a gathering of over 800 at a funeral luncheon, and it was a massive effort to coordinate a meal for those in mourning. I knew there would be tons of brownies and bakery cookies and figured these loaded oatmeal cookies would be a nice option on the dessert table.

Shallow white bowl with 4 chewy oatmeal cookies.

Expert Tips

I love making a fancy-schmancy dessert with a wow factor, but plain ol’ cookies are nearest and dearest to my heart. With semi-sweet chocolate chips and bittersweet chocolate chunks, these will appease the chocoholics, too. I like to keep a stash in my freezer and will pull out one or two to soothe my savage sweet tooth. No defrosting is necessary.

And then there’s the cookie dough! I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t help but try a sample. Real butter and terrific ingredients make for the most scrumptious dough and a good dough is a fabulous indicator that the cookies will be a hit. Important Note: Most cookie dough contains raw eggs which may harbor salmonella bacteria. Do not eat if you’re immune-compromised or offer dough to the very young or elderly as there is the potential for food poisoning.

  • This loaded oatmeal cookie recipe, like most cookie recipes, is very adaptable. Make it more of a traditional oatmeal raisin cookie by subbing raisins or craisins for the dried cherries.
  • Not a nut fan? Just omit them. Or replace them with white chocolate chips! You’ll want some “stuff” in these gems, so add your faves.
  • And stash some in the freezer—for when those cookie urges strike! I like to use a gallon, freezer Zip-loc bag and remove most of the air. They will keep up to 3 months if they’re in an airtight container.
  • Use a cookie scoop to make your cookies a consistent size.
  • Use room-temperature butter and eggs for the best ingredient incorporation.
  • PRO-Tip: Do not use a mixer unless you have a paddle attachment. A whisk will whip too much air into the batter and change the consistency. We love chewy oatmeal cookies, not cakey.
Overhead view of a white tray of easy oatmeal cookies loaded with chocolate, dried cherries and nuts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Make Oatmeal Cookies with Quick Oats or Steel Cut Oats?

You will find four main types of oats in the supermarket. The textures range from crumbly to super coarse. Each has its place in cooking but the two mid-range oats work best for cookies. I like using Old Fashioned Oats for these cookies, though Quick Oats will work and give a smoother look to your baked cookies.
Steel Cut Oats – the coarsest cut oats. Great for a hearty breakfast but not for cookies.
Rolled Oats or Regular Oats – less coarse and perfect for making oatmeal and cookies.
Quick Oats – More processed for a slightly finer texture which allows for faster-cooked oatmeal. Works well for cookies, though I prefer rolled oats.
Instant Oatmeal – Processed to be very fine, and often powdery. This type of oats does not offer enough structure to be used in cookies.

Are Oatmeal Cookies Healthy?

It’s rare that any recipe that ends with the word “cookie” is healthy. In comparison to other cookies, though, these cookies have a few ingredients that offer some health benefits. That makes them healthier than my death by chocolate cookies, for example, but not really healthy. Here are some of the cookie ingredients and their nutritional benefits.
Oatmeal –  Whole grain fiber, antioxidants, ability to stabilize blood sugar, Vitamins and Minerals like iron, zinc, folate, B1, and B5
Almonds –  Fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin E, and Magnesium, along with blood sugar control
Cherries –  Vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, may benefit heart health and assist with sleep quality, due to melatonin
Dark Chocolate – Fiber, minerals, raises HDL (good cholesterol). It “may” protect the skin from the sun, reduce heart disease, and help brain health.

You May Also Like:

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Loaded oatmeal cookies on a square white plate
The Recipe:

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Yield 3 dozen

Chewy oatmeal cookies filled with all sorts of delicious goodies including almonds, chocolate and dried tart cherries!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup dried tart cherries
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the cherries, chocolate chips, and nuts. Set aside. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Chop the bittersweet chocolate into pieces about the size of chocolate chips and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar. Mix until well combined and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat until well combined.
  5. Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing well. Add the rolled oats, followed by the chopped, chocolate. Mix well. Stir in the cherries, chocolate chips, and toasted nuts. Chill for about 15 minutes before scooping.
  6. Using a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake 12 minutes or until the cookies have set and are just starting to brown. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.

Notes

May replace almonds with an equal amount of another nut like toasted pecans or walnuts. May replace the cherries with raisins.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 171Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies