I cannot believe I haven’t shared the recipe for these cookies yet. This was one of the first recipes I “developed.” I use that term lightly, as basically this recipe casually evolved to what it is over the course of many, many batches of cookies I made during law school years ago. My quest to make the perfect healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie was a welcome diversion from tort law and other law-school-y things.
Have I mentioned before that I went to law school and became a lawyer? Guilty as charged (ugh I don’t blame you if you stop reading after that lame lawyer joke…or just skip to the recipe). It already seems like a lifetime ago, but really it was less than a year ago that I left my corporate law firm job to focus on my daughter Rose and start pursuing my passions. It was a terrifying step, veering off the well-beaten path towards “success.” Or at least the conventional idea of success, to which I had ascribed before the birth of Rose. For so long, I marched along on this path, suppressing my creative impulses and my desire to create something of my own. Ignoring where my passions lay, because they did not fit the conventional mold of success, i.e. “prestigious” job with a big paycheck.
Rose prompted me to wake up. Life was slipping through my fingers like grains of sand, and I was never fully in the moment. I was plagued by stress and unhappiness in my career choice. Success began to take on a new definition. I began to think of success as achieving some semblance of balance among the major categories in life – work, family and self – and achieving relative happiness in each of those categories. I also saw that ideally these categories are not mutually exclusive, that time spent on one does not have to detract from the others. That the categories can exist in a sort of harmonious Venn diagram. Within this framework, I saw the importance of finding an outlet for your passions, if not in the “work” category, then in the “self” category. I previously made the mistake of thinking success was a function of career, when it should be the whole picture – achieving happiness in work, family and self.
Privilege check! Like, hello, most of us can’t leave our jobs!? I was reluctant to even write about all this, because I know I am in the fortunate position of being able to leave a steady paycheck to spend time with my daughter and pursue my passions (which hopefully will lead to a regular paycheck…eeeek). This is an unbelievable luxury that the majority of people do not have. By the way, it was by no means easy for us – we certainly had to cut back a lot and I still second-guess it sometimes. But the universal lesson is to carve out any time you have to listen to the little voice inside your head, telling you what your passion is, and acknowledge its importance and give it a little time in your life, whether on the weekends, on your commute or after you put your kids to bed. During law school, dreaming up recipes like these cookies was that small outlet for me.
So back to the cookies. This cookie is one of my favorite treats, not only because of the flavor and texture (both are on point!), but also because this cookie is readily adaptable to the ingredients you have on hand. One might call this a “kitchen sink” type of cookie.
Let’s break this cookie down. It is made with a base of digestion-friendly spelt flour (I use sprouted spelt flour from Thrive Market) and gluten-free oats. In terms of the flour, really any whole wheat or whole grain flour should work nicely here. I’ve also used almond flour for a gluten-free option, which was delicious. Equal parts almond butter and coconut oil provide nourishing good fats and give this cookie a soft, chewy texture. Any nut butter will do. The cookie is sweetened with coconut sugar, so is refined-sugar-free (although there may be a small amount in your chocolate, depending on the type you use). Now come the goods – I pack this cookie full of chia seeds, shredded coconut, unsweetened dried fruit and chocolate chips. This is where you can get creative. Feel free to omit the fruit and up the chocolate. Or make an oatmeal raisin cookie by leaving out the chocolate, using raisins, and increasing the cinnamon. In this version, I use dried unsweetened cherries, which pair nicely with the cinnamon and cardamon. Go crazy and make it your own!
I hope you enjoy these cookies and, more importantly, find even just a few minutes today to do something you are passionate about and makes you happy. Even if today your passion is Netflix. Or making these cookies. You deserve it.
xo Maggie
I can totally relate! I left a corporate job in architecture around the time my daughter was born too. I’m so lucky to spend time with my daughter and that my field allows for a bit of work-at-home freelance work, but it’s not the same as being in a corporate full-time job. Wonder if it would be even harder to leave a high paying job as a lawyer. Arch jobs pay meh~lol, I also feel reluctant to even talk about this as it may sound like a privileged whining. (ps. Kudos for eating healthy while you were in law school. I was living on ramen and coffee in grad school )
It’s such a hard decision, and it’s nice to hear when other moms can relate. Good for you for being able to do work-at-home freelance AND spend time with your daughter! She is a lucky girl 🙂 And YES, I never want it to seem like I am whining, so I rarely talk about it. Thank you for making me feel less anxious about posting this, haha!
So I made these last night, for the second time in one week. They came out even better than the first. While still super yummy, I think I may have left them in a little too long last time and they were a tad dry. Pulled them out at 10 mins and they are perfection! I sent a batch up with my boyfriend to bring to his parents house today and he just sent me a message saying he needed to hide them from his Dad because he is eating all of them. Quickly becoming a favorite for us. Looking to try your oatmeal and raisin cookies next.
Yay! I am so happy you and your family are enjoying these. They are a staple in our house — they are nourishing and indulgent all at once! The recipe is definitely adaptable to whatever nut butters/ dried fruit/ flours you have on hand. Have a wonderful day! xo
I am making these for my fiancé’s birthday!
I have the dough chilling in the fridge right now and will bake them soon. Maybe I missed it, but I can’t seem to find the baking temperature. Is it 350 F? Also, do you think it’s better to use convection bake or regular setting?
Hi Rebekah! Yes, 350° and I like to use convection, just note that your cooking time will probably be on the shorter end of the 9-12 minute range, depending on your oven. I hope you enjoy (these are some of my favorite cookies!), and happy birthday to your fiancé!
Great, thank you for your reply, Maggie! My parents tend to also adjust the temperature (reducing it by 25°) when they use convection bake. Not sure if it will be necessary in this case, but I will certainly watch them closely since you say cooking time will be shortened.
Excited to try them soon!
Hi Maggie, these cookies look so yummy and packed full of goodness…but I don’t see the recipe! I am the one who couldn’t find your apple crisp recipe haha Hoping to make these with my little munchkins, they love baking!
Thanks so much! xoxo
I am so sorry for the delay, Jana! We moved a few weeks ago (with two kids…gah!!) and am only just getting around to messages. I just updated the recipe, so you should be able to see it now. So sorry again! I hope you enjoy! xo