Healthy Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Apricots

I never thought much about oatmeal cookies until my kids started asking for the ones from the grocery store. Those were always too sweet and had weird ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. My mom’s recipe only used raisins, and while they were good, I wanted something different.

That’s when I started playing around with dried apricots in my cookies. They add just the right amount of tang and sweetness, plus they’re a nice change from the usual raisins. These cookies are exactly what you want – chewy in the middle, slightly crispy on the edges, and they make the whole house smell like warm oats and honey.

What Kind of Oats Should I Use?

Old-fashioned rolled oats are your best bet for these cookies, giving them that classic chewy texture and nutty flavor we all love. While quick oats might seem like a time-saving swap, they’ll actually make your cookies a bit too dense and can mess with the texture we’re going for. Steel-cut oats aren’t a good substitute here either – they’re too hard and won’t soften enough during baking. If you’re looking at the oats section in your grocery store, just grab the container marked “old-fashioned” or “rolled” oats – both names mean the same thing. Just make sure to measure your oats correctly by spooning them into the measuring cup rather than scooping directly from the container, which can pack in too much.

Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty adaptable – here’s what you can swap if needed:

• Rolled oats: Stick with old-fashioned rolled oats if possible – they’re key to the cookie’s texture. Quick oats will work in a pinch, but avoid instant oats as they’ll make your cookies mushy. Steel-cut oats won’t work here.
• Dried apricots: Feel free to swap these with other dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates. Just keep the amount the same. If using smaller dried fruit, no need to chop them.
• Brown sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar interchangeably. If you’re out, mix 1 1/2 cups white sugar with 2 tablespoons molasses. Plain white sugar works too, but you’ll lose some of that nice caramel flavor.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter works fine – just reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon. For dairy-free options, try coconut oil (use when solid) or a plant-based butter substitute.
• Plain flour: All-purpose or plain flour works best, but you can use whole wheat flour for up to half the amount. Just note this will make your cookies a bit denser.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when making oatmeal cookies is preventing them from becoming too hard or dry – this often happens when bakers overcream the butter and sugar, so mix them just until combined and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Another common mistake is overbaking these cookies; they should be removed from the oven when the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone, as they’ll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet. To keep your cookies perfectly chewy, avoid using instant oats instead of old-fashioned rolled oats, as the texture and moisture absorption are completely different and will affect the final result. For the best outcome, chill your dough for at least 30 minutes before baking – this allows the oats to hydrate properly and prevents the cookies from spreading too thin on the baking sheet.

What to Serve With Oatmeal Cookies?

These hearty oatmeal and apricot cookies are perfect for serving alongside a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of afternoon tea. If you’re putting together a cookie platter, they pair really nicely with other classic cookies like chocolate chip or snickerdoodles for a nice mix of flavors and textures. For a cozy dessert setup, try serving them slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side – the combination of warm cookie and cold ice cream is always a crowd-pleaser. You can also pack these cookies in lunch boxes or serve them as an after-school snack with some fresh fruit on the side.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These oatmeal apricot cookies stay wonderfully chewy when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep well for up to 5 days – just pop a piece of bread in the container to help maintain their moisture. If your kitchen runs warm, you can also keep them in the fridge.

Freeze: These cookies are perfect for freezing! You can freeze them either baked or unbaked. For baked cookies, layer them between pieces of parchment paper in a freezer container and they’ll keep for up to 3 months. For cookie dough, roll into balls, freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag – they’ll last up to 2 months.

Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be mixed up and chilled in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking. This actually helps develop a deeper flavor! When you’re ready to bake frozen cookie dough balls, just add an extra minute or two to the baking time – no need to thaw.

Preparation Time	60-120 minutes
Cooking Time	12-14 minutes
Total Time	72-134 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3200-3500
• Protein: 40-50 g
• Fat: 180-200 g
• Carbohydrates: 400-420 g

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 cups dried apricots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Once well combined, stir in the oats.

Set this mixture aside for later use.

Step 2: Cream the Wet Ingredients

In a mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until well combined, approximately 1 minute.

Then, beat in the eggs and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Step 3: Combine and Chill the Dough

Gradually stir the reserved flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture, mixing until just combined.

Fold the dried apricots into the batter.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

For future use, you can also pre-scoop and freeze the dough.

Step 4: Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Line a couple of sheet pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.

Step 5: Scoop and Bake the Cookies

Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized portions of the chilled dough onto the lined sheet pans, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until they are lightly browned around the edges.

Step 6: Cool and Enjoy

Let the cookies cool on the sheet pans for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Enjoy your delicious apricot oatmeal cookies!