Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Who says there aren't healthier cookies out there that taste good?  Try this one! Very tasty and the worst thing in it is the chocolate chips.  And really - who doesn't like a little chocolate each day? :)  One of my sisters has some dietary restrictions, so I found this cookie over a year ago in Martha Stewart's  Cookies Cookbook and tweaked it until perfect.  Easy to make and you wouldn't even know that it's healthy. 

I have switched things around to substitute for Splenda in the baking - and you can use whatever type of butter you want in this (believe it or not, diet butter - I Can't Believe It's Not Butter...types like that - are great for baking).  You can make it the normal way as well, and it's just as delicious. 



The batter is super simple, and believe it or not, it's mostly oats.  Once it's all mixed together, I add the most unhealthy part - the chocolate chips :)



look at all that dough



I do suggest not to snack on this raw dough.  The oats aren't cooked yet, so its really not a tasty dough to eat.  I scoop out each cookie with my trusty cookie scoop.....



they look small, but

bake up nicely





....and bake away.  These bake really quick and cool really quick as well.  Perfect ones to make if you have a short amount of time.



why hello





 Now, cookies don't really last long in my house.  My family usually picks cookies off the cooling rack as I'm making more.  Especially once my dad finds out there are cookies in the house.  :) 

Here's the recipe for the healthy version  :)

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

makes about 6 dozen

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup pack brown sugar Splenda mix
1 cup Splenda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter - I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Country Crock, or whatever non-butter version you use
1/2 cup natural peanut butter

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Put sugars, butter, and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low.  Add oat mixture, and mix until just combined.  Mix in peanuts and chocolate chips.
4. Using a 1 1/2" cookie scoop, drop balls of dough 2" apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 13-15 minutes.  (If you are making the healthy version - try baking 10-13 minutes, they do bake up faster).  Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.  Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 days.