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"Wow, what are these"? Everyone asks when they take the first bite of these delicious Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies. Then they beg for the recipe!
They look like pretty regular cookies, right? I mean, they're not ugly ducklings or anything, actually decently good-looking chocolate chip cookies; it just seems that no one is prepared for that first bite. These Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies are crisp, buttery, light (not in calories, sorry!) and just plain old crazy delicious.
I've been making these cookies for as long as I can remember, and I thought I had shared the basic recipe a long time ago on the blog. When I went to search The Café archives, I couldn't find a trace of them. Holy schmoly, I've been holding back one of my best cookie recipes of all time!
Two sisters
The first time I ever tasted them was at the hospital I worked at for many years. I was an RN and took care of lots of wonderful people during my career, but there are a few that stand out in my memory. One of them was a sweet elderly woman. Well at least, at the time, she seemed elderly - I was in my late 20's and anyone over 50 was "elderly" in my opinion.
Sheesh, now that I think about it, she was probably younger than I am right now! Oops. Anyway, I took care of her for several days, and each day her sister, also quite elderly (to me) came to visit. The sister always brought a treat for the nurses. One (happy) day, she stopped at the nurse's station and handed us a platter of amazing cookies.
Well, I didn't know they were amazing yet. Actually, they didn't look like anything special, but I took one (to be polite) and had a little nibble (to be polite). I know my eyes got very wide. Like gigantically wide! "What are these?", I asked.
"Cereal Cookies", she replied, in her "elderly" voice. Now that was a very boring name for a very extraordinary cookie. Nevertheless, I begged her for the recipe. The very next day when she arrived for her visit, she handed me a little white notecard with the recipe for "Cereal Cookies" scribbled on it. I still have that little notecard, and though it's quite yellow now and the recipe's been in my computer for years, I've never been able to part with it.
I added toffee bits (one of my weaknesses) to the original recipe almost right away and decided the name had to be "Sister's Cookies". That's what we've called them ever since. I've made them a zillion times over the years, and have done tons of variations of these cookies; this time with dried cherries and chocolate chips, hence the name, Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies. They never fail to get rave reviews and always that same question, "What are these?" and/or "What is in these cookies?"
The recipe is a bit unusual. It calls for butter and oil (definitely not a dieter's delight). There's also rice cereal (Rice Krispies), oatmeal, dried cherries, chocolate chips and toffee bits along with the usual flour, sugar, etc. It makes a seriously HUGE batch - over 4 dozen large cookies. The good thing is; the baked cookies freeze beautifully and you can also freeze the dough in scoops and bake up fresh cookies in minutes whenever urge for deliciousness overtakes you! By the way, if you like these, you're gonna love our Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Bars! So delicious!
You'll have to mix up a batch of these Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies to understand what I'm talking about.
If you're planning to give any away, go ahead and print up a couple copies of the recipe. I promise, you'll need them. Oh, and just watch when someone takes the first bite (it's fun!). You'll be sure to get the questions,"What are these?" and/or "What is in these cookies?"
Oh yeah, and if they ask where you got the recipe for these Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies, you can say, "Well, there's this elderly woman who has a blog..."
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Chocolate Chip Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup vegetable oil, I use sunflower oil but any mild flavored oil will work fine.
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 ÂĽ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup rice cereal*, Rice Krispies or the generic brand works fine too
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 8 ounces toffee bits, 1 8-ounce bag
- 1 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
- 3 cups chocolate chips, I like Ghiradelli
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ËšF. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Place cherries on a cutting board, and roughly chop with a sharp knife (just keep chopping until there aren't any more whole cherries). Set aside.
- Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the oil and beat until oil is incorporated. Add egg and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula and then beat well.
- With mixer on lowest speed, add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix until flour is completely incorporated. Add rice cereal (Rice Krispies or generic brand), oatmeal, toffee bits, cherries and chocolate chips. Mix again till everything is blended in.
- Scoop ÂĽ cup scoops onto prepared sheet pans**. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. The cookies are soft when they first come out of the oven so let them sit on the sheet pan for 3-5 minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
* We don't eat rice cereal for breakfast but I alway keep a box in the freezer for this particular recipe. They stay fresh in the freezer for months on end and that way, I always have them available.
**These cookies are fantastic just scooped onto the pan and baked BUT, if you want them to look really pretty (like if you have a food blog or something like that :)), randomly poke 4-5 chocolate chips around the tops and sides of the scoops of batter. When they're baked they will have some pretty chocolate chips poking out of the surface.
Nutrition
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Hi Chris. I’m lazy and don’t want to run to the store. Can these be made without the rice cereal? Maybe more oatmeal or coconut? Thanks.
Hi Dlevy, honestly, the rice cereal is the secret ingredient in these cookies. You'd be better off going with another recipe and waiting till you get the Rice Krispies. They make the cookies super light and crisp.
Hi Chris, wondering if I could use whole wheat flour for this reciepe? With the isolation restrictions, it has been challenging to purchase all purpose flour, some ingredients are in high demand.
Thank you
Hi Diane, I haven't tried these with WW flour so I don't want to say for sure. I think they will be good but maybe a little heavier. Definitely healthier, so that's good! If you try it, please report back as it will be helpful to others.
Hi Chris
Can the Kirkland Tart Montmorency Cherries be used in this recipe? Is that what you use?
Hi J, yes the Kirkland cherries are the ones I usually use!
Thanks so much, Chris, for the wonderful cookie recipe, though I did have to make a few substitutions. I didn't have any toffee bits, so subbed about a cup of coconut for that. Instead of vegetable oil, I used coconut oil which went so well with the coconut in the cookies. I wasn't sure if you used salted or unsalted butter so I used a cube of each. I brought half of the batch to the nurses at work who devoured them in probably about 15 minutes, though, were a bit disappointed that I didn't bring them the whole batch! No doubt I'll be making these with the toffee in the near future for them... Thanks, Annie
Hi Chris,
This recipe looks great. Could I use butter instead of vegetable oil? I'm not a huge fan of oil in baking.
Anytime I've made chocolate chip cookies, I have found them too sweet, but when I cut down on the sugar, the cookies don't spread out and remain in a lump. Is there anything you can suggest to cut down on the sweetness?
Thanks
I just posted how much I LOVE these cookies on your face book page. I think they are the best cookies I have made in quite some time. I am adding them to the 30+ varieties I make each Christmas. The texture of the cookies is wonderful and so is the flavor. Thanks for another great recipe.
I'm a zealous cook and baker and I baked a double batch of these cookies (with one change: I used dried cranberries because I have a lot of them). They were a big hit with my family and friends. Thank you for a perfect recipe! I appreciate your recipes because they are carefully written and I can follow them with confidence.
Thank you for the sweet comment Denise! We do a lot of testing before they are "blog-worthy". I'm so happy the cookies turned out well for you!
Four dozen crazy delicious cookies - perfect for the kids at The Gant. Just printed out the recipe. They thank you in advance.
Made these for my aerobics ladies and they loved them. Interesting combination of flavors. Next time I will cut down on the chocolate chips. It was very easy to half the recipe and make smaller cookies..
Thanks Susan!
Hi Chris, you make the most amazing cookies, salads and avocado dishes, I love these!!!!
Thanks so much for your sweet, sweet comment Cheri!
Toffee bits would do it for me. Love your elderly story. 🙂 I think the trick to healthy is not to eat all of them. Take some to a nurse. 🙂
Madonna, you crack me up! Portion control, right? 🙂
It's fun when people squeal over the first bite, isn't it? And these sure look praise-worthy! Terrific cookie -- thanks so much.
Thanks John! I think I hear Scott squealing right now, I better check on him!
2c SUGAR AND 3 C FAT! ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING? I WOULD NOT MAKE THESE CAUSE MY LIFE DEPENDS ON ME NOT MAKING THEM!
TRY ALTERING THE FAT AND SUGAR CONTENT!
Hi Gigi! Indeed, these are not on my list of healthy recipes but I would never want to alter this recipe, some things are better left on their own and to me, it's one of life's pleasures to splurge every now and then. We do have lots of great super healthy recipes and there are tons of sites out there that are solely healthy recipes. You can find lots of great cookie recipes on those. Also, like I said, this makes a HUGE batch of cookies, probably most cookie recipes would make half as many as these do. Thanks for your input.
These are superb !!! Thanks for posting the lovely story and delicious recipe.
To those upset about sugar and fats , no one is forcing you to make OR eat these cookies.
It's very unfair to rate a recipe with one star because , you personally, can't or don't eat fats or sugars.
Thanks for your comment Julie. I think it's all about balance. Also, the quantity of cookies this recipe makes is huge. Way more than a traditional cookie recipe.
Well said!:-)
There is nothing like a flavor-packed, fully loaded cookie! I always have a bag of dried cherries in the house because I love them so much. Pinning these to try soon!
Truer words were never spoken Susan!
There is a similar basic recipe my mother used to make called "Delicious Cookies." She never added any chocolate or toffee or fruit. Can't wait to try it with the chocolate chips and cherries
The combination works so well Deb; I think you'll really enjoy them!
They look wonderful as always, Chris, I wish I could make such fotos as you two. And I loved the story, funny and sad at the same time. I used to think 40 was ancient, but now that I am approaching that number myself rather too quickly, things suddenly look differently.
Time is such a funny thing, isn't it Adina? It seems to accelerate as we age. It's been less than two years since Scott and I retired from our first careers, and yet, the time has just flown by!
Hi Chris..
I'm planning to bake these.at the weekend. I bet they're delicious. When you say oatmeal, are you referring to large rolled oats, or the quick oats. I'm never quite sure when it comes to oatmeal.
Thanks for the request to clarify Helen, and I'm changing it in my recipe. It's the old-fashioned oats, not quick oats.
Are you SURE we're not related??? Even just our taste buds??? All your favorite cookies are my favorites. I'm so glad you added toffee. I'm certain I will bake up a batch of these winners very soon.
Thanks Liz! We need to attend a blog conference together again soon! It's so fun!
From one elderly lady to another, I can already tell these are going to be a big hit!
Ha Ha Sandra! Old is only in the mind, right?
These cookies look wonderful I am looking forward to making them after celebration of my son's wedding this weekend. I love to make your cookie recipes as they always turn out great. I am sure this will be no exception. I think these will also make it to my Christmas cookie list this year. A wonderful combination of flavors.
Thank you Karen! And congratulations on your son's wedding - I'm sure that will be a joyful time for everyone! Since the recipe is so large, you can store them away in the freezer for later and still give some to friends and neighbors.
Chirs, this recipe sounds yummy. I make a similar cookie with dark chocolate bits and sprinkle the tops with salt so it is kind of a salty caramel flavor. I' look forward to trying your recipe with the rice cereal and see if it will work with gluten free flour, too.
Hi Paula, I love that idea! They sound absolutely delicious! I'm not sure, since I'm not an expert with gluten free flour. If you try it, let me know if it works out!
These "Sister Cookies" are not just " good-looking chocolate chip cookies" - they are GREAT-looking chocolate chip cookies! So thick and fluffy looking - and made even better by the story behind them. So love that you held onto that recipe over the years, Chris!
Thanks Shashi! They are funny too, because you need to use what Scott calls, "His vacuum mouth" when he eats them, in order to prevent crumbs from going everywhere. It's a small price to pay for such amazing taste!
I love when there's a story to along with a recipe... it makes it so special! And I'm thinking I"d love the cereal in these cookies. Why have I never thought of that? This is the 2nd recipe today with dried cherries, and I"m thrilled. My local farmers market has a vendor with a fresh batch of dried organic cherries. They'll be in my basket this weekend!
It sounds like you will be busy this weekend Kim!
I love your cookies because they ALWAYS turn out great! Always a good flavor and texture. These look wonderful too. I appreciate the story that goes with them. My son is getting married this weekend, but after all the ceremony and celebration, I will make these. My household will get back to pretty much normal. I can give my new daughter-in-law some and the recipe. Thanks.
Thanks Karen, that's so sweet!
I've been craving a cookie all afternoon and this is exactly the one I want. I have to try these!
Make sure you find 4 or 5 friends to share them with Laura - it's a huge batch!
I love the story and I would LOVE one of these. Thank you so much for the recipe, Chris.
The hard part Debra is trying to stop eating them. They're so addictive!
I love your cookies, and the chunkier the better! Cherries and chocolate has always been one of my favorite combos!
I't's hard to beat, isn't it Sue!
I've been thinking about a cherry chocolate chip cookie for a long time - now I have a recipe! Thanks so much Chris - these are lovely. The texture looks perfect. Sharing!
Thanks for the sweet comment about the sweet cookies! Yeah, it seems like a perfect combination; and it is!
Buttery, crisp and loaded with chocolate chips...these cookies sound and look perfect. I love your beautiful cookie stand too, Chris.
Thanks Angie! Scott found that for me at one of his favorite places, Home Goods! He gets lost in there for hours sometimes!
Cookies with back stories are the VERY best. Thank you for sharing your cookie story, Chris. This old lady can't wait to try these cookies! I have made cookies with secretly hidden rice krispies before and the light, airy crunch is great. I want craisins in mine and I will make a fruitless version for my chocolate-toffee loving son.
Thanks Wendy! You and your son will love them; they are a huge hit in the Scheuer extended clan!