Date Sweetened Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These date sweetened oatmeal raisin cookies are made with 100% whole grain and are completely sweetened with dates.
With crispy edges and a chewy center, these date sweetened cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth.
Not only are these cookies studded with plump, sweet raisins, but they are also loaded with a hearty oat flavor that can’t be matched.
I know there are a lot of oatmeal raisin cookie recipes out there, but this one in particular has a fantastic lineup of all star ingredients that you’ll feel good about serving to those you love.
So go on and give them a try. Everyone will love these date sweetened cookies!
Why you’ll love date sweetened oatmeal raisin cookies
Oatmeal raisin cookies are a classic treat. However, most recipes call for a lot of processed sugar. Here’s what you’ll love about this particular recipe:
No added processed sugar. The dough in this oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is sweetened completely with fiber-full and nutrient rich dates, making these cookies a healthier alternative to traditional oatmeal cookie recipes that usually call for copious amounts of processed sugar.
Flavor packed. With toasty oats, tangy raisins, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract, these cookies serve up a definite punch when it comes to flavor.
On-point texture. You get all the aspects of a cookie you love from this recipe: crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. It’ll be love at first bite.
No long soak time. Date sweetened recipes in general require you to soak the dates in water for an extended period of time to soften the dates. You don’t need to do that for this recipe, making the process that much easier and quicker!
Ingredients
The following ingredients are all you’ll need to make these oatmeal raisin cookies:
Whole wheat flour – You can also use all-purpose flour if you prefer.
Old fashioned oats – Also labeled as rolled oats. Avoid using quick cook or minute oats. Not only do these varieties offer less nutrients, but they also don’t provide the same chewy texture as old-fashioned rolled oats.
Dates – Packed with fiber, nutrients, and a caramel like sweetness to boot, these little fruits provide all the sweetness to the cookie dough.
Salt – An essential element in any baking recipe. It helps make the flavors pop.
Baking soda – Helps with browning and with the rise of the cookies.
Ground cinnamon – Cinnamon is a classic spice found in oatmeal cookies. It’s warmth and classic flavor profile makes these cookies comforting and familiar.
Raisins – Provide a little additional sweetness to the cookies and are a natural paring for oatmeal. I know there’s controversy over raisins. You can swap them out with something else or leave them out all together if you prefer.
Coconut oil – A good fat that lets the other flavors shine while providing moisture. You could use melted butter instead if you want more flavor.
Vanilla – Provides a warm, rich flavor to the cookies that just screams nostalgia.
Egg – The binder in this recipe. It also provides some moisture too.
How to make oatmeal raisin cookies sweetened with dates
You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how easily these cookies come together. Here’s how to whip them up:
- Blend the flour, some oats, dates, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Hydrate the raisins by covering them with water in a small bowl for five minutes.
- Whisk the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla together until emulsified.
- Mix the contents of the blender in with the wet ingredients until combined.
- Fold in the rest of the oats and the drained raisins until evenly distributed,
- Chill the dough for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into 12 golf ball sized balls. Place on a lined cookie sheet and press into 3” discs.
- Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until just set in the center and golden on the edges.
Tips for oatmeal cookie success
This date sweetened oatmeal raisin cookie recipe makes great cookies. Here are some tips to follow to make sure they come out as great as they can:
- Don’t over blend/process the dates and flour. The mixture will become clumpy if you blend the dates too much. Blend/process for 20 to 30 second bursts, stopping to mix up the ingredients and ensuring the ingredients are not clumping together. Stop when it resembles brown sugar and there are only small pieces of dates.
- Use room temperature ingredients. To quickly bring up an eggs temperature, place the egg in a bowl of room temp water for 5 minutes or so. This will raise its temp up safely so it doesn’t make the melted coconut oil solidify when they’re mixed together.
- Add additional mix-ins to customize them. If you don’t like raisins or just want to add more to these cookies, you can change up the mix-ins. Some ideas are chocolate chips, walnuts, and M&Ms. Go wild!
- Weigh each dough ball for the most uniform cookies. For perfectly uniform cookies, weigh out the dough for each one.
- Press the cookies before baking. These cookies don’t spread much if at all during baking, so pressing down the dough is necessary. Press down each ball of dough into a 3” disc. No need to space each cookie more than 1” from each other during baking.
Make ahead and storage tips
Although these cookies are best fresh from the oven, you can also store them for eating later. The dough is also freezable for easy, spur of the moment treats.
Storing leftovers:
To store leftover cookies, put them in an airtight container. The edges won’t be as crispy the next day, but they’ll still be chewy and delicious.
Freezing the dough:
To freeze the dough, make the dough balls, put them on a lined cookie sheet, then press them into 3” discs. Freeze for 30 minutes or so. Put the frozen dough discs into an airtight, freezer safe container or plastic freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Add 2 minutes to the bake time to allow for them being frozen.
Date-Sweetened Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
May 15, 2024Ingredients
- ½ cup whole wheat flour (60 g)
- ½ cup old fashioned oats (50 g)
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates ~14 dates (144 g)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins (100 g)
- ½ cup melted coconut oil (120 g)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 whole egg
- 1 ¼ cup old fashioned oats (125 g)
Instructions
- Put the flour, ½ cup oats, pitted dates, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon into a blender or food processor. Blend or process for about a minute, stopping occasionally to make sure there are no pockets of ingredients not incorporating into the mixture.½ cup whole wheat flour, ½ cup old fashioned oats, 1 cup pitted medjool dates, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Put the raisins into a small bowl. Cover the raisins with water. Let soak for about 5 minutes.1 cup raisins
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, vanilla, and egg until combined.½ cup melted coconut oil, 2 tsp vanilla, 1 whole egg
- Pour the ingredients from the blender into the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
- Add in the 1 ¼ cup of oats and mix until combined.1 ¼ cup old fashioned oats
- Drain the raisins well using a fine mesh strainer. Add the raisins in with the rest of the ingredients. Mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 350℉.
- Form dough balls that are a little bit bigger than a golf ball (about 55 – 56 grams each). Place on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet, then press each dough ball into a 3" diameter disc. The cookies do not spread while baking, so they can be close on the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, until the center is just set on each cookie.
- Let cool 5 minutes, then enjoy!
