Introduction
Do you seek a snack which is both healthy and guilty of delicious? No wonder it is healthy oatmeal cookies! These cookies contain a lot of oats, nuts, and natural sweeteners to ensure that your sweet tooth is taken care of and that you have gotten some healthiness out of them too. But what is it about oatmeal cookies that makes them so healthy you wonder? So hop into it!
What Makes Oatmeal Cookies Healthy?
The trick with oatmeal cookies is in its ingredients. Unlike regular cookies that can be filled with sugar, butter and white flour, oatmeal cookies on the healthy side rely on soaked grains like oats, natural sugars and healthy fats. By their changing a few simple suggestions, you create baseball bat cookie which support your health instead of making you lead off of nutrition set your destinations.
Benefits of Oatmeal in Cookies
Why Oats Are Good for You
The oats are awesome in making oatmeal cookies since they are very rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are also high in beta-glucan which is a form of soluble fiber that may help reduce cholesterol and also the blood sugar levels. And also, the oats have the power to make you feel the fullness longer, which is ideal to get rid of the snack desires in the middle of the afternoon!
Nutritional Value of Oats
Oats contain major nutrients such as iron products, magnesium, and B vitamins. The antioxidants also form part of them and this aids in preserving oxidative stress in your body. Thus, when you eat your cookies with oats, you do not only gain a delicious snack but a reputable benefit to your health.
The Key Ingredients for Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
What You Need to Make Them
The ingredients required to make rich oatmeal cookies are very few. Naturally, the brightest spot in the program is the oats. However, you should also add unrefined fats such as coconut oil or nut butters, natural sugars, and a couple of supplements, such as nuts, seeds, or dried fruits.
Oats: The Heart of the Recipe
Your oatmeal cookies should be based on oats. They contain fiber, nutrients in addition to adding texture. Old fashioned rolled oats are ideal in making these cookies because they tend to keep their shape when added to these cookies and this will make your cookies chewier.
Natural Sweeteners
Bid good by-bye to polished carbohydrates! Instead, use natural sugars like honey, or maple syrup, or dates. These sweeteners are rich and more mineral-laden that immediately give sweetness. They also facilitate the fact that you have low glycemic index cookies.
Why Choose Natural Sweeteners?
Natural sweeteners come with the benefit of being less processed and they contain extra vitamins and minerals. Grain flavors like honey is rich with vitamins and minerals and Maple syrup gives it a manganese load. These benefits do not only make your cookies taste sweeter but more healthy too.
Healthy Fats
This may surprise you but, cooking cookies with healthy fat will make them healthier. Nuts, seeds, even avocado can be used as ingredients that give the body with important fatty acids that are beneficial to the heart. These fats will also assist you to make your cookies have an appealing texture.
Nut Choices for Oatmeal Cookies
All oatmeal cookies match with almonds, walnuts or even cashews. Not only do they provide a texture but also a taste, and are good sources of healthy fats, and protein. And they are also very good sources of magnesium that helps in muscle health and energy production.
Gluten-Free Options
Not to worry, though, if you are gluten-sensitive. It is simple to make gluten-free oatmeal cookies. Just replace regular flour with all the almond flour, coconut flour and oats flour. The alternative provides your cookies with a special taste, and they will be gluten-free to the people who are allergic to it.
Flour Alternatives
You can use almond flour, coconut flour or even oats turned into flour instead of normal flour. These substitutes are naturally gluten-free and also adds more nutrients such as protein and fiber in your cookies.
How to Make Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
A Step-by-Step Guide
Making healthy oatmeal cookie is quite easy, and requires only a couple of steps. Let’s get it simple:
- Warm up Your Oven: First, warm up your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). This guarantees the evenness in baking your cookies.
- Combining dry ingredients: (Make sure you do this one mixture at a time). In a bowl, mix together your oats, flour alternative, baking soda, and any spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, combine your natural sweetener, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla extract until it is well blended.
- Mix: Pour the wet ingredients slowly to the dry ingredients and stir until they are well combined. Avoid overmixing, it is even good your dough is a little bit crumbly.
- Add-Ins: Add in your nuts, seeds or dried fruits by folding it in. This is optional though will give an additional flavor and texture.
- Form and Bake: Use a tablespoon of the dough and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten a bit. Bake at 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden.
- Cool: cool your cookies on a rack and then enjoy.
Mixing Dry and Wet Ingredients
In case of putting together your dry and wet ingredients, avoid over mixing. An overmix causes cookies that are dense. You prefer it to fold the dough in a very soft manner to retain the light and airy texture.
Baking Tips
In order to get really good cookies all the time, keep your baking sheet a bit de-cluttered. Separate the cookies such that each cookie has adequate space to expand a little. And, by the way, don’t forget to check them one or two minutes before the suggested baking time; not all ovens are the same and you cannot afford to overbake them.
Flavor Variations
Add-ins to Customize Your Cookies
Among the most wonderful things about oatmeal cookies is the fact that they are very easy to customize. You might just like to sprinkle a few chocolate chips or a combination of dried fruit but there are so many options.
Chocolate Chips
For chocolate lovers, a few square of dark chocolate can elevate your healthy oatmeal cookies to a little more rich without over doing it. Dark chocolate, as well contains antioxidants, so is healthier comparing to milk chocolate.
Dried Fruit
You can add a texture of chewiness needs with dried cranberries, raisins, or apricots. They contain antioxidants and fibers, which makes it an excellent ingredient to add in your cookies.
Storing and Serving Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
How to Keep Them Fresh and Delicious
Good healthy oatmeal cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the kitchen for up to a week. Want to store them for a longer time, freeze them for up to 3 months. To freeze, lay your cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet; freeze until firm and then store in a freezer bag. In this way you can eat a freshly baked cookie whenever you feel the need for one.
Conclusion
Oatmeal cookies are healthy and the best combination of tasty and healthy. In a good combination, you are able to crave and even get a cookie that will not only please your tongue but also nourish your body. These cookies are an excellent option to enjoy without spending time on worrying about the way they will affect your health. Maybe you will save these cookies as a snack or a dessert, anyway, these cookies are something worth trying. Thus, pick up your ingredients and bake, you will never regret doing it!
FAQs
1. Can I make healthy oatmeal cookies without flour?
Yes! You can substitute it for regular flour using almond flour, oat flour or even the same ground oats.
2. How can I make my healthy oatmeal cookies sweeter without sugar?
Refined sugar is strongly discouraged resulting in the substitution of honey, maple syrup, or dates as natural alternatives.
3. Can I add protein powder to my healthy oatmeal cookies?
Absolutely! To increase the protein of your cookies, you can also add a scoop of your beloved protein powder.
2 Comments
[…] breakfast is very low calorie, very high in fiber and very light on the stomach- healthy breakfast in India cannot get any better than […]
Yes