When it comes to sweet treats you often can find yourself picking at the biscuits or checking out your snack stash, but most of the time, these things are full of sugar and are often a little more unhealthy than we would like. So these healthy cherry chocolate cookies are going to be a game changer for you.

Contents

These cherry cookies are naturally sweet with that hit of chocolate flavour that many of us love. The oats are a great option to use in cookies as they can be quite filling and nutritious, so you might find that you won’t need to eat as many to satisfy that craving.

The recipe is easy to make and the ingredients are not extensive. You are going to love these healthy chocolate cherry cookies. I have not tried them in the air fryer yet but I imagine them to work as well as these air fryer cookies I will try them soon and keep you updated!

Ingredients needed to make the cherry chocolate cookies

First of all, it is a good idea to ensure that you can get all of the ingredients together. Focusing on this first means that the cooking process will be simple. You will need:

1 Cup Oats
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp almond extract
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
½ cup dried cherries
1 Tbsp Chia seeds

All the ingredients needed for cherry chocolate chip cookies in small bowls.

How to make the healthy chocolate cherry cookies

Now that you have all your ingredients to hand it is time to make the cherry chocolate cookies.

A glass bowl with dry ingredients for cherry chocolate cookies.

In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda and whisk until combined. You can then set this bowl aside until you need it.

A glass mixing bowl with whisk and a brown powder with oats in the bowl for cherry chocolate cookies.

In a separate bowl combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Make sure the butter has softened a little to make this part easier. Then add eggs one at a time and the almond extract and beat longer until everything has combined.

Then add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.

a wooden spoon mixing cookie mix in a glass bowl.

Fold in the dark chocolate chunks, dried cherries, and chia seeds until everything has combined.

Chocolate chips and dried fruit being mixed into cookie mix in a glass bowl.

Form little cookie balls and place them onto a baking sheet or baking sheets if you need more than one. Leave some space between each cookie ball so that they have space to spread.

Balls of cookie mix on a metal baking sheet with a chocolate chunk on top of each.

You can then add additional chocolate on top then slightly press the cookie down to flatten it a bit.

chocolate chunk cookies on a metal baking sheet having just come out of the oven.

Bake at 180°c for about 10-12 minutes. Until they look golden brown and delicious. Let them cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Recipe notes and tips

When it comes to any recipe, it is always a good idea to understand what notes and tips you can use to help you fully utilise the recipe and have success each and every time. If you want to make the most out of these tasty chocolate cherry cookies then here are some recipe notes and tips to help.

Leaving space between each cookie gives them a chance to spread and they won’t stick together.
Prepare your baking sheets with some parchment paper so that the cookies don’t stick and will be removed easily.

Variations to try

Like with a lot of recipes such as these double chocolate cookies, once you have tried them out a few times you can look to make some changes and vary the recipe to suit your tastes and preferences. So I wanted to share with you some of them that you might want to try. If you want to really treat yourself you could also make slow cooker hot chocolate (it doesn’t use powder!).

Try other dried berries in this cookie recipe instead. Cranberries, raspberries and strawberries that have all been dried will be super tasty in these cookies. A mixture of a few different types will also work well.
Why not add raisins to these cookies instead? You can’t go wrong with raisin and oat cookies.
You can use milk or even white chocolate if you prefer. It will make these cookies sweeter in taste.
For a gluten-free alternative, try using gluten-free flour, or maybe make these gluten-free sugar cookies.

Have you tried pumpkin cookies yet? They sound so good for autumn, this pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe is on my list of recipes to try!

cherry chocolate chip cookies on a sheet of baking paper on a wooden board with handle.

FAQs

Like with any recipe, there are often questions that need answering. I thought I would share some of the common questions here, but if you have any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

How do I store healthy chocolate cherry cookies?

These cookies are best stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature. They will last for up to five days at their best. You can store them in the refrigerator but it will change the texture and make them hard and more crumbly rather than chewy and soft.

You could freeze these cookies as well for a later date. Just let them defrost on the kitchen surface for a few hours before eating them.

Can you make them Vegan?

You could make these cookies vegan very easily. Just use your preferred dairy-free butter and vegan chocolate instead. The rest of the ingredients are vegan-friendly so these are the perfect cookies to enjoy when following a plant-based diet.

What oats should I use?

You can use any oats you like. Standard porridge oats will work well but you can also use rolled oats or quick oats if that is easier. Use what you have.