I love cookies! 🙂

And these are my favorite cookies! I love oatmeal, oatmeal cookies and raisins. I am actually the only one in this house who really likes raisins and all other dried fruit, so these are basically my own cookies, just for me. I made the recipe to suit my taste and loaded them with raisins since no one else is really going to eat them and I love dried fruit. I find it such a way to satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthy way. When I make them, I usually double the recipe and freeze them so that I have them on hand when I am in need of a sweet treat that is still healthy. These cookies are meant to be large, monster cookies, but you can make them a regular cookie size if you wish.

Here is the recipe. You could also of course add some nuts in the recipe in place of some of the raisins, or use cranberries or whatever else you love. Cinnamon or walnuts would be great! The oatmeal cookie recipe is also great on its own. 🙂

Ultimate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Makes 10 large cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 flax egg (2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons warm water)*
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

* Note: toasted ground flax seed is amazing in this recipe. It adds a really nice flavor.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Whisk together the ground flax seed and warm water in a small dish and set aside to thicken.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda and sea salt. Add the raisins.
4. Add the maple syrup, oil, vanilla and flax egg and stir to combine.
5. Form the dough into large balls with your hands and press down slightly onto the baking sheet. Repeat to make 10 large cookies. (You may need more than one baking sheet for the recipe).
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until very lightly golden. Allow to cool before removing from the pan.

Enjoy!