Delightfully Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Truvia: A Guilt-Free Treat
Indulge in the comforting classic of oatmeal raisin cookies, now reimagined to be healthier without compromising on taste! Our special recipe, featuring Truvia baking blend, allows you to enjoy these chewy, spice-infused delights with significantly fewer calories and less sugar. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting, this easy-to-follow guide will help you create a batch of wholesome cookies that everyone will love, proving that healthy treats can be truly delicious.
The Quest for Healthier Indulgences: Baking with Purpose
This year, our focus has been squarely on a philosophy of “Out with the Old and In with the New,” particularly when it comes to personal well-being and mindful consumption. We’ve set ambitious goals for ourselves, prioritizing self-care and building a truly healthy lifestyle. It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind, forgetting to pause and dedicate time to ourselves. This commitment extends to every aspect of our lives, including the treats we enjoy.
You might be thinking, “Healthy lifestyle and cookies? That sounds like a contradiction!” And you’d be right to question it if we were talking about traditional, sugar-laden recipes. However, these oatmeal raisin cookies are a game-changer. By incorporating Truvia baking blend, this recipe boasts 17% fewer calories and a remarkable 60% less sugar compared to a full-sugar version. This means you can savor the warm, familiar flavors of your favorite cookies without the usual guilt, making them a perfect fit for a balanced diet. Because let’s face it, giving up cookies entirely is simply not an option for true dessert lovers!
Why Choose Truvia for Baking?
Truvia natural sweetener, derived from the stevia leaf, offers a wonderful way to reduce sugar and calories in your baked goods while maintaining a delicious sweetness. Its baking blend is specifically designed to perform like sugar in recipes, ensuring your cookies have the right texture and browning. This makes it an invaluable ingredient for anyone looking to make smarter dietary choices without sacrificing the joy of baking and indulging in homemade treats. Using Truvia allows for a balanced approach to eating, where favorite recipes can be adapted to fit a healthier lifestyle.
Elevate Your Well-being: Expert Health Tips from The Nutrition Twins
Achieving a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be daunting. Small, consistent changes can lead to significant improvements over time. We’ve gathered some invaluable advice from The Nutrition Twins, offering practical steps you can integrate into your daily routine to jump-start your health journey. These tips emphasize sustainable habits, making healthy living an enjoyable and accessible goal.
1. Embrace the Red, Green, and Orange Rule at Every Meal
This simple yet powerful rule encourages you to include at least one red, green, or orange fruit or vegetable at each meal. Instead of focusing on what you should restrict, this approach shifts your mindset to what you *should* be eating. By prioritizing colorful produce, you naturally fill your plate with nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich, and fiber-packed foods. This not only aids in weight management by promoting satiety but also ensures your body receives a wide spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals crucial for overall health and vitality. It’s an effortless way to make your diet more balanced and vibrant.
2. Prioritize Quality Carbohydrates for Sustained Energy
Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Instead of refined grains, opt for complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, various beans, and, of course, oatmeal. As highlighted in “The Nutrition Twins Veggie Cure: Expert Advice and Tantalizing Recipe for Health, Energy and Beauty,” these foods are fiber- and nutrient-packed powerhouses that provide long-lasting energy. They fuel both your brain and muscles efficiently, helping to prevent energy crashes and curb unhealthy cravings. Beyond sustained energy, many vegetables offer unique health and beauty benefits; for instance, fennel and artichokes can help reduce bloat, squash and green beans combat stress, tomatoes and cucumbers improve skin tone, and carrots and beans are known for their cancer-fighting properties. Incorporating these smart carbs is a foundational step towards better health.
3. Integrate Exercise into Your Daily Routine, No Matter How Small
Life can be hectic, and making it to the gym every day isn’t always feasible. The key is to find opportunities to move your body wherever and whenever you can. Simple actions like taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work, or pushing your children on swings for an impromptu arm workout, add up. Even a brisk 15-minute walk around your neighborhood can significantly contribute to your physical activity levels. The goal is to just get moving! Regular physical activity, even in short bursts, boosts metabolism, improves mood, and enhances cardiovascular health, making it an indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle.
4. Smart Sweetening: Utilize Zero-Calorie Sweeteners Like Truvia®
For those who enjoy a touch of sweetness, zero-calorie sweeteners such as Truvia natural sweetener can be an excellent tool for reducing your overall calorie intake. Use it in your coffee, tea, oatmeal, or yogurt to enjoy the sweetness without the added calories. These small, conscious swaps can have a profound impact over time. For example, saving just 100 calories a day can equate to a significant 10-pound weight loss over the course of a year. It’s a simple, effective strategy for managing your calorie intake while still savoring your favorite flavors, much like we do in this very cookie recipe!
5. Prioritize Rest: Disconnect from Electronics Before Bedtime
In our increasingly digital world, it’s crucial to establish healthy sleep habits. Make it a point to shut off all electronics—computers, TVs, phones, and iPads—at least 30 minutes before you plan to sleep. The blue light emitted by these devices can stimulate your mind and disrupt your natural sleep cycle. Interrupted sleep and chronic sleep deprivation negatively affect your metabolism, impair your immune system, and can impact your cognitive functions. Adequate, quality sleep is fundamental for physical recovery, mental clarity, and overall health, serving as a cornerstone of any wellness regimen.
Ultimate Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe
Learn how to make delicious and wholesome oatmeal raisin cookies from scratch, a perfect guilt-free treat.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories per Serving: 86 kcal
Author: Tammilee Tips
Ingredients You’ll Need
- ½ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Truvia® Baking Blend
- 1 Tablespoon Molasses
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ cups Rolled oats
- ¾ cups Raisins
Essential Kitchen Tools
- Hand Mixer: Essential for creaming butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- Large Mixing Bowl: We highly recommend a glass batter bowl with a handle for easy mixing and stability on the counter.
- Cookie Scoop: A cookie scoop ensures consistent sizing, leading to evenly baked and beautifully uniform cookies.
- Parchment Paper: Using parchment paper makes cleanup incredibly easy and prevents cookies from sticking to the baking sheet.
- Baking Sheet: Opt for baking sheets with sides to prevent any cookies from accidentally sliding off, especially when removing them from the oven!
Step-by-Step Baking Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter, Truvia® Baking Blend, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and light. This step is crucial for incorporating air and achieving a soft, chewy texture.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Ensure these dry ingredients are thoroughly combined to distribute leavening and flavor evenly throughout the dough.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined, being careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
- Fold in the rolled oats and raisins using a spatula or spoon until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Drop the cookie dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving enough space between each cookie for spreading. If using parchment paper, line your baking sheet first.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the centers are just set. Do not overbake, as they will continue to set as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Baking Tips for Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Achieving the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie involves a few key techniques:
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter and egg are at room temperature. This allows them to cream together more effectively, creating a smoother dough and better cookie texture.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can result in tough, dense cookies instead of soft, chewy ones.
- Chill the Dough (Optional but Recommended): If your dough feels too soft or sticky, chill it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. This helps prevent excessive spreading and creates a thicker cookie.
- Measure Accurately: Especially with flour and leavening agents, precise measurements are crucial for successful baking. Use a kitchen scale for best results, or spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off.
- Watch Your Oven: Every oven is different. Keep an eye on your cookies during the last few minutes of baking to prevent burning. The edges should be golden, and the centers should still look slightly soft.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days to maintain their freshness and chewiness.
Nutrition Facts
Calories from Fat 36
More Delicious Cookie Creations to Explore
If you’re a fan of our healthy oatmeal raisin cookies and looking for more delightful treats, be sure to check out these other easy and delicious cookie recipes:
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
- Red Velvet Cool Whip Cookies
- Lady Bug Cookies
- 2-Ingredient Coconut Macaroon Cookies
- Lemon Meringue Cookies
Don’t miss out on our full collection of easy cookie recipes!
And if you love discovering new culinary adventures, explore our categories for copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and comforting CrockPot Recipes.
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This recipe was originally shared on January 22, 2014, and updated in October 2020 to ensure its accuracy and relevance.