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Oatmeal Raisin Goji Berry Cookie + Healthier Version!


Oatmeal cookies with a twist! Instead of adding all raisins like in traditional oatmeal raisin cookies, I replaced half with goji berries.


Goji berries have many health benefits. Some even call it a superfood. They are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, iron, zinc, and antioxidants. They can boost your immune system, protect you from the flu, help you lose weight, maintain blood sugar, and protect your eyes and skin. Compared to raisins, goji berries have less calories and lower sugar content (1/4 cup raisins has 120 calories, while 1/4 cup goji berries has 90 calories). If you want to read more about the health benefits of goji berries, I recommend this website.

But, enough about goji berries. These cookies taste just like a regular oatmeal raisin cookie. The goji berries have a subtle sweet taste the pair nicely with the cookie. It's chewy, soft perfection.

Oatmeal Raisin Goji Berry Cookie

This recipe makes 12-18 medium-sized cookies and takes about 30-40 minutes.

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup goji berries
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 3/4 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 large egg (or 1 small egg)
  • 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 6 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • a pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats


 Procedure:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Add raisins, goji berries, and hot water into a bowl. Let sit for 10 min (or until you are ready to add the raisins and berries to the batter).
  3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together room temperature butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer (you could also do it by hand or a stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment) until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat to combine. If you're using a large egg, you can whisk the egg in a separate bowl and pour half of it into the batter.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then, stir in the oats.
  6. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in thirds, beating after each addition.
  7. Drain the raisins and goji berries, squeezing out as much of the water as possible without squishing the raisins/berries to a pulp.
  8. Use a spatula to incorporate the drained raisins/berries into the batter.
  9. Drop a tablespoon of batter onto the cookie sheet (I used a small tablespoon cookie scoop)
  10. Use your fingers to flatten the cookies to 1/2-inch thick before baking them for 10-15 minutes.
  11. Remove from the oven and enjoy hot or cool. If you want to cool them, I suggest transferring them to a cooling rack so that they don't over-bake. Personally, I like cookies hot from the oven because they're softer than when they cool, but make sure you don't burn yourself!



Healthier Version


I tried making this recipe a bit healthier by substituting 3/4 stick of butter for 6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce.


Some observations I made:
  • The cookies don't spread as much while baking.
  • The cookies are a lot denser and chewier, not as soft.
  • There is a slight applesauce taste that reminds me of Trader Joe's dried apple rings, but the flavor in the cookies is not as strong.
If you don't mind a small apple taste in the cookies, I'd say this is a great healthier alternative to satisfy your oatmeal cookie crave.



Credits: recipe adapted from Inspired Taste.

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