oatmeal Archives - Wood & Spoon

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Leave a Comment / Cookies, Cookies and Bars

Children of the 90’s, this one is for you. If the words “oatmeal cream pies” don’t stop you right in your tracks, you didn’t get enough processed food as a kid. For me, treats like these sandwich cookies take me back to the lunchbox days– back to the time when square pizza and mini cartons of chocolate milk reigned supreme. You know- those few minutes of school when you’d do anything to trade your boring PB&J for a Lunchable. If you’re salivating just thinking about it, keep reading. Today, we’re going back in time with these oatmeal sandwich cookies!

Disclaimer: not one part of me actually wants to go back to middle school. I wish I had a photo (Thank God that I don’t) so you could see me in all my prepubescent glory; maybe then you’d know why me and middle school didn’t get along. I was all limbs, braces, and eyebrows, and every inch of me, from my sun-bleached frizz to my neon green toenails, smelling like an explosion of Bath & Bodyworks products. To say it wasn’t pretty is putting it mild. Things were rough.

Although my children are young, I’ve reached the age where a few of my friends have kids who are entering this phase of life. Some of them, probably the ones who rule their classes with their athleticism and good skin, make it look easy. Others remind me of younger me: insecure, uncoordinated, and in desperate need of some dry shampoo. I don’t envy any of them for a second, but every once in a while, I’m reminded of the good things those middle school days included. And no, I’m not talking about a killer metabolism or free time out the ring yang- I’m talking oatmeal cream pies.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Surely you remember these. Soft, chewy cookies? A sweet and slightly fluffy marshmallow filling? The sticky, comforting combination of the two, every bite better than the last? Oatmeal cream pies have long been one of my favorite processed snacks (and trust me, that’s a lengthy and detailed list), but I have never ever made them on my own. You might remember that a while back we made oatmeal cream pie ice cream sandwiches (seriously, so good), but this recipe is as new to me as it is to you. You’re welcome.

To make these oatmeal cream pies, we start with the cookies. Oats, butter, brown sugar, and molasses come together with eggs, vanilla, and the dry ingredients. These cookies spread a bit in the oven, so we opt for smaller rounds of dough. After a quick bake, we can start on the filling. Butter, sugar, and good, old fashioned marshmallow fluff round out the ingredients for the filling which gets piped or spread in between two cookies. I like to let them set for just a bit to soften the cookies, as the filling seeps in a barely softens each bite. Double you’re welcome.

Give these oatmeal cream pies a try and let me know what you think. While we can’t (and probably shouldn’t?) eat all the same things we did when we were kids, there’s not a thing wrong with a little kitchen reminiscing. This round of memory lane is one me. Happy Friday and Happy Baking, y’all!

If you like these oatmeal cream pies you should try:

Oatmeal Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Maple Oatmeal Biscuits
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream
Oatmeal Cookies
Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Print Recipe

These oatmeal cream pies are sandwich cookies featuring soft and chewy oatmeal cookies and a simple marshmallow fluff filling!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 18 Cookies
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon molasses (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking oats

For the filling:

½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
7 ounces marshmallow fluff

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Instructions

To prepare the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth and combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and stir to combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir on low just until well-combined.
Use a small cookie scoop to spoon 2 teaspoon sized rounds of dough 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake one at a time in the preheated for about 9 minutes or until the edges are set and turning golden. The center of the cookie may still look wet. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. If you notice your cookies look wonky upon removal from the oven, use the rim of a large glass or jar to nudge them into a rounder, perfected shape. Be sure to do this carefully while they are still fresh from the oven. Continue baking the remaining cookies and allow to cool completely.

To prepare the filling:

Cream the butter and powdered sugar together on medium speed in a large bowl using a hand mixer. Add the marshmallow fluff and stir until well combined. If needed, you can thin the frosting out slightly with a teaspoon or two of water- be careful not to add to much though as this makes for a messy cookie. Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip and sandwich the cream in between two cookies of the same size. Alternatively, you can just spread large dollops on with a knife. Enjoy!

Monster Cookie Bars

5 Comments / Cookies

Full disclosure: I’m not into monsters, scary stuff, or anything that sounds even remotely spooky, but I am 110% into these monster cookie bars: a soft and chewy peanut butter oatmeal bar studded with chocolate chips and candy-coated morsels. If you’ve been looking for a simple and satisfying treat to make as a hump day treat, look no further than today’s recipe!

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.

With the kids back in school, we’re attempting to settle into our new normal: wake up, breakfast, school, homework, dinner, baths, repeat. Weekends, at least so far, have offered a reprieve from the scheduled nature of Monday-Friday, but I’m still always looking for ways to make the mundane feel special. As a result, treats like these monster cookie bars have stolen my heart. With simple ingredients, quick prep, and super yummy results, these cookies-turned-bars are a great go-to for grown-ups and kids alike.

To make these monster cookie bars, we start with a bowl-full of butter and peanut butter. We cream the two together on medium speed until smooth and then add in the sugars. Next come the eggs and vanilla extract followed by the dry ingredients: flour, oats, and loads of chocolate. I chose to use semi-sweet chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolates, but you could certainly opt for other mix-ins; peanut butter chips, nuts, toffee, or even crushed chocolate sandwich cookies would certainly be at home here.

If you’re looking for ways to make these back-to-school days a little more special, look no further than these monster cookie bars. Happy Wednesday to you all and Happy Baking!

If you like these monster cookie bars you should check out:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Brookies (Brownie Cookie Bars)
Crispy Millionaire Bars
Brownie Shortbread Bars

Monster Cookie Bars

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 2 reviews

These monster cookie bars are soft and chewy, loaded with chocolate chips, candy morsels, and peanut butter flavor!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 16
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (140 gm) creamy peanut butter (not natural)
½ cup (100 gm) light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup (50 gm) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (140 gm) all-purpose flour
1 cup (90 gm) rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup M&Ms or candy-coated chocolates

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8” pan with aluminum foil, allowing the ends to extend beyond the sides of the pan. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until combined. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla extracts, stirring until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and add in the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Stir on low until barely combined. Add in the chocolate chips and chocolate candies and stir until combined. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the edges and center of your bars are golden and no longer jiggly. Allow to cool completely prior to removing from pan and cutting. Enjoy!

Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 Comment / Cookies and Bars

What’s the song about it being sunny and 75? Well, it might as well be an anthem to my world right now, because we are experiencing some incredible weather in central Alabama and I AM HERE FOR IT. In a few months, I’m sure I’ll be begging for some cloud coverage, absolutely dying for any bit of reprieve from the heat of the sun, but for now, I’m just grateful. It’s affording me time to be outside and to thaw from the winter.

The other day, I was pushing Charlie through the backyard in his little toy car. To be honest, it was one of those afternoons where I just wanted to sit, relax, and be left alone, but he tugged on my pants leg until I got up to play, so here we were- scooting through the grass in his plastic car. Our days are made up of a hundred moments just like this- nothing out of the ordinary, nothing wildly fun or special- just casual, mundane, normal stuff, and to be honest, its the kind of stuff I often grow tired of, particularly on weeks where I’m craving the quiet space to be alone.

“Even when the days feel draining and tiresome, deep down, I know they’re quietly feeding my soul. “

As we moved through the yard, me walking and him riding, the thought occurred to me that this was the kind of moment I would one day look back and miss. Years down the road, when kids were older, more independent, more wanting to be with friends or absolutely anywhere I wasn’t, I’d look back on afternoons spent in the yard as the good ones; I’d remember those hours of being needed and wanted as caregiver and playmate as the ones that tended to my heart in significant ways. Even when the days feel draining and tiresome, deep down, I know they’re quietly feeding my soul.

“What if we’re living the good years right now?“

The point is this: what if we’re living the good years right now? What if, while we’re longing for more independent children, for freedom to travel and go and do, for an existence that is different from whatever it is we’re living, there are beautiful, life-giving joys right under our noses that are waiting to be discovered and fully appreciated? In a year that has been loaded with setbacks and pain and disappointment, I truly do believe there is goodness to be found. My walk in the yard with Charlie was a silly reminder of that, but I’m hoping I don’t forget it for a while. I’ m hoping it stays at the front of my brain until it truly sinks in.

Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These vegan peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies are nothing fancy either. They’re the kind of everyday sweet that just about anyone can make, but you know what? That’s why I love them. Now, more than ever, I’m leaning into the comforting, feel-good flavors that feel like home. If that’s you too, you’re gonna love these.

To make vegan peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies, we start with a base of coconut oil, peanut butter, and sugar. A flax seed egg combines with some vanilla, and then we add the dry ingredients: flour, leavening, and the mix-ins. I chose to use rolled oats and chunks of vegan chocolate; you can make these your own in a variety of ways. Maybe sub in half of the oats for chopped peanuts. Maybe you use chocolate chips or chunks of white chocolate instead. The dough is pretty adaptable, and you can use the base ingredients to change it to your preferences.

Be sure to read the notes on these cookies as different modifications may yield cookies that are slightly different. After a few years of making vegan cookies, I’m finding that different brands or products yield different results. Truly, every batch is different. Either way, I think you’re really going to love these. If you’re in the mood for yummy, everyday vegan cookies, give these a try! Thanks for following along today and have a terrific week!

If you like these vegan peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies you should try:

Vegan Fluffernutter Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Print Recipe

★

1 from 1 reviews

These cookies are ooey gooey chocolate cookies that firm up with crisp edges and soft chocolate and peanut butter insides!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 16
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
¼ cup water
1/3 cup firm coconut oil
¼ cup creamy vegan peanut butter
¾ cup organic brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1–1/4 cups (160 gm) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup rolled oats
6 ounces coarsely chopped (1/4” pieces) semisweet or bittersweet vegan baking chocolate

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, stir to combine the flaxseed meal and water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the coconut oil, peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined, about 30 seconds. Add in the flaxseed mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir on low to combine. Add in the oats and chocolate and stir just until combined. Use a large cookie scoop or spoon to measure out 3 tablespoon-sized rounds of dough. Roll the dough balls and place them 3” apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the pans one at a time for about 12-13 minutes or until turning golden around the edges. Allow to cool before removing from the pan.

Notes

If you don’t have a problem with using regular granulated or brown sugar, you can substitute that here, however, most standard sugars are not truly vegan. I used Wholesome Cane and Brown Sugar for these cookies.
Be sure that your coconut oil is not liquidy or melted. This recipe was tested using solid coconut oil, although there were some small differences between brands.
If you choose to use chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips instead of large chopped chocolate, the shape of your cookie will differ. I prefer to pat my dough balls down a bit when using chocolate chips as they will not spread quite as much as with the large chunks.
You can substitute GF flour here, although the cookies may spread slightly differently. Test the baking out on one or two to verify that they will bake as you’d like. If they spread too much, refrigerate the dough, and if they stay more puffed than you’d like, slightly press down on the dough balls.
I use Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Baking bar which is accidentally vegan. If you don’t have a variety you love, standard chocolate can be used. Please read my tips above regarding chocolate chips vs. baking bars.

Oatmeal Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches

2 Comments / Cookies and Bars, Frozen Desserts

There are a few treats that feel synonymous with my childhood. Fruit by the foot, Pop-Tarts, and Swiss cake rolls were basically the reigning queens of every 8-year-old’s diet, am I right? My husband grew up eating those Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies, so in another effort to win wife of the year, I made those treats into a gussied up frozen dessert: oatmeal cream pie ice cream sandwiches. They are delightful, and I can’t wait to tell you all about them!

I’ve been talking about snack foods as if they were a thing of the past, but I gotta be honest- there’s a serious candy situation in our house. We have tons of family and friends that understand the way to any self-respecting toddler’s heart is candy. As a result, my children are regularly gifted skittles, gummy worms, tic tacs, and basically anything else bright, colorful, and terrible for your teeth. I don’t blame them- I’m not above bribing children for their affection either. When I found George sneaking Sour Patch Kids at 7 am, I knew it was time to make the basket disappear. So, for now, the basket it on the top shelf of my pantry, and although I think my kids would be willing to Indiana Jones their little fannies up the pantry shelves for a handful of chocolate coins, I seriously doubt it will happen.

Oatmeal Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches

You know who doesn’t need a break from the junk? Me. I owe my quarantine sanity to my 5:00 pm glass of wine and 8:00 pm dessert. Without it, there’s no telling where I’d be. These little oatmeal cream pie ice cream sandwiches have been living in our freezer for the past couple of weeks; a half of one each night is just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. It feels like a reward for making it through the day, and I’m not above giving myself gold stars, okay? So if you, like me, need a little evening pick-me-up to enjoy on these summer evenings, I really think you should consider these treats. Let me tell you how to make them.

We start with the ice cream. No-churn ice cream is always the best (and easiest!). Here, a little bit of marshmallow fluff transforms heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk into a seriously delightful frozen treat. I like to freeze the mixture in a small rimmed sheet pan and use a round cookie cutter to trim out pieces of ice cream to sandwich in the middle of cookies. If you’d rather keep it simple and scoop ice cream straight from a pan, that works too! Once the ice cream is frozen, you can whip up your oatmeal cookies. This particular recipe is wonderful, because the cookies stay soft and chewy, even once frozen. Once the cookies and ice cream are both prepared, just smoosh them all together into these happy little sandwiches.

These oatmeal cream pie ice cream sandwiches are a yummy nod to the processed treats you may have enjoyed as a child. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Happy Tuesday and enjoy the baking!

If you like these oatmeal cream pie ice cream sandwiches you should try:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Peanut Butter Honey Graham Ice Cream Cake
Homemade Ice Cream Drumsticks

Oatmeal Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Print Recipe

These oatmeal cream pie ice cream sandwiches have a no-churn marshmallow fluff ice cream and chewy spiced cookies!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 360
Yield: 10 Sandwiches
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the ice cream:

7 ounces marshmallow fluff
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

For the cookies:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon molasses (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking oats

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Instructions

To prepare the ice cream:

Line a 9×13” or jelly roll pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil. Be sure the foil extends just beyond the sides of the pan for easy removal. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the fluff and condensed milk. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream on medium speed until it thickens to fluffy, stiff peaks. Fold in the fluff mixture, being careful to not overwork, and spread it into the prepared pan. Freeze until solid, at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.

To prepare the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth and combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and stir to combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir on low just until well-combined.
Use a medium cookie scoop to spoon 1-1/2 tablespoon sized rounds of dough 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake one at a time in the preheated for about 10 minutes or until the edges are set and almost turning golden. The center of the cookie will still look wet. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. For easy assembly of the sandwiches, I like to freeze the cookies, but this is totally optional.

To assemble the sandwiches:

Use a large round cookie cutter or the lip of a wide-mouth mason jar to cut out rounds of ice cream. Place in between two cookies and refreeze the sandwiches quickly. You can save the leftover edges of the ice cream in a sealable container or freezer-safe bowl. Keep the sandwiches covered while in the freezer to protect their taste.

Notes

The molasses increases the rich warm flavor in these cookies, but it does result in a thinner, chewier cookie. If you want something more substantial, you can skip the molasses.
I tried these with whole rolled oats, and while the cookies turn out well I find I prefer the softer frozen cookies made with quick oats. This is your choce.
If you don’t have a cookie cutter or large jar for cutting out rounds of ice cream you can also just scoop ice cream with an ice cream scoop and smoosh the balls of ice cream in between the cookies.

Lactation Cookies (aka Healthyish Chocolate Chip Cookies)

20 Comments / Cookies and Bars, Uncategorized

Lactation Cookies by Wood and Spoon blog. These are healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that help stimulate milk production in nursing moms. Cookieshave flaxseed, chia seeds, oatmeal, and brewer's yeast that helps to increase milk supply. Read about the recipe and learn how to make these delicious cookies that don't taste weird on thewoodandspoon.com

There’s a lot they don’t tell you when you get pregnant. We hear a lot about the lack of sleep, the stretch marks, and the infinite loss of personal space. We’re prepared for birthing classes and diaper changing, we hear whispers of the terrible twos, and some of us can even sing “Rockabye Baby” in three-part harmonies by the time the kid arrives. But there’s other things, things people don’t tell you about, and that’s the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night.

People don’t mention legs cramps and night sweats and that weird upper lip discoloration that looks like a mustache. They don’t tell you that everything, even your little pinkies and nose, will swell, or that postpartum hair loss might leave you looking a little like Danny DeVito. There is a very real dying to self in motherhood, and there’s very little that can prepare you for the inner draining and temporary identity confusion that can ensue post-baby. Some of the most terrifying unmentionables are the ones surrounding nursing. Just brace yourself for the mystery there.

Moms Need Cookies?

If you’ve ever nursed a child, you’ve heard of lactation cookies. There’s something about subjecting yourself to be a human chew toy that will send you deep into a black hole of the internet to read anything that will make that process easier. For some, milk production is an easy feat that flows in abundance, but for others it’s a daily struggle that can be incredibly stressful (as if we needed more of that, right?) I made these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (aka, lactation cookies that don’t suck) for the baby mamas who need their sweets to be dual-purpose: delicious and healthyish.

These lactation cookies are loaded with the stuff that encourages milk production in nursing Mamas but has enough of the goodness (read: butter, sugar, and chocolate chips) to make them not taste like garbage. If you’ve ever made lactation cookies before, forget that recipe and keep this one forever. These lactation cookies are the actual bomb.com and will be the only one you’ll want for yourself and your gal pals with kiddos.

What’s a Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie, Anyways?

So what’s so healthyish about these cookies? The star ingredients here are chia seeds, flaxseed meal, brewer’s yeast, and oats. All of these have milk producing properties that will help spur on that Vitamin D. More good news: MEN CAN EAT THESE TOO. Would you believe these are actually some of Brett’s *Favorite* cookies? No, your guy won’t start leaking if he eats these, but you have my full support in telling him that they will. After all, the nursing mom shouldn’t have to share these with anyone. (Sidebar: I know most of the guys have already stopped reading by now. I’m sorry that you’ve somehow made it this far, but to be fair there’s only, like, 2 of you anyways.)

Now I know someone is going to write me and tell me these aren’t healthy because of the processed sugar or all-purpose flour or yada yada yada. I hear you, but that is not how we’re rolling, okay? I tested a million versions of this cookie, and this is the one my heart desires. Feel free to bypass this for some other cookie that may or may not (read: will not) taste as good.

Next week we will get back to posting everyday recipes that won’t feel totally weird for everyone. Just be glad I didn’t get into any uncomfortable boob talk, okay? Make these lactation cookies for yourself or any of your nursing friends and let me know what you think! Happy baking and happy lactating!

If you like these lactation cookies you should try:

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Almost-Paleo Coconut Almond Chocolate Cookies
Flaxseed Bread
Morning Glory Muffins
Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Lactation Cookies

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 4 reviews

These lactation cookies are healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies containing ingredients that help stimulate milk production!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 48
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brewer’s yeast
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the flour, yeast, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, baking soda, and salt, stirring on low just until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and add the oats and chocolate chips. Scoop 1-1/2 tablespoon sized balls of dough (I use a medium cookie scoop) onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 11 minutes or until the edges of the cookie are golden and the centers are set. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes and then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

If you prefer an even healthier cookie, these can be prepared with 1/2 cup LESS granulated sugar and 1/2 cup LESS chocolate chips. The Brewer’s yeast has a strong flavor, so I prefer to cover it up a bit. 🙂

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

23 Comments / Cookies and Bars

I can tell it’s a Monday by how entirely full I am. Do you ever do that? Do you ever try your hardest to eat well, exercise, and make generally healthy choices all week long only to crash and burn in a sugar and butter-induced dumpster fire of weekend disgustingness? Welcome to my world. I ate my way through the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and now Monday is kicking my tail.

We went to the beach with friends this weekend, and it was terrific. I can officially promise you that the only thing better than owning a beach house of your own is having best friends with a beach house. We trucked the kids to south Alabama’s Orange Beach and spent 72 hours power eating, sun soaking, and wrangling tiny humans. Now I know Alabama does not have a reputation for seriously delicious dining, but there are some really good meals to be had on the Gulf. Our schedule was basically built around the restaurants we planned to eat at and the rest of our tine was spent munching on snacks ever half hour. No crab claw, french fry, or margarita was left unscathed this weekend, because went in HARD.

Which brings me to this case of the Mondays. 3 days of over-indulging has left this pregnant lady’s stomach even more stretched out than ever. I wake up hungry and go to sleep hungry, and that sad-looking sandwich I’m destined to eat for lunch would sound much better if it was deep-fried and covered with tartar sauce and tator tots. The beach restaurant weekend life spoiled me to pieces, and I’m totally dragging my feet on this road back to normalcy.

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

The perfect remedy for the transition from vacation and work week eating is healthy-ish treats like these vegan oatmeal cookies. Instead of butter, we’ve got coconut oil, and in lieu of chocolate and caramel we have dried fruit and nuts. These vegan oatmeal cookies pack a few extra health benefits without sacrificing any bit of flavor, taste, and texture. These are the type of treats you can enjoy without feeling entirely guilty (if you’re the type of person who feels guilt via baked goods).

This recipe for vegan oatmeal cookies was adapted from my favorite original vegan chocolate chip cookie. I depended on Diamond of California Fruit and Nut Blend to make the prep that much more simple. I use Diamond Nuts for pretty much any and every nut-filled dish I create, but when I was thinking for some creative uses for their fruit and nut blends (I mean, besides just eating straight out of the bag) I immediately thought of cookies. The fun variety of fruits and nuts included in their three different blends adds a little something special to an otherwise ordinary batch of oatmeal cookies. I was delighted by how at home they were in these chewy little bites of cinnamon-spiced deliciousness.

Making the Cookies

To make vegan oatmeal cookies, we start by creaming the fat and sugar. Blend coconut oil with organic brown, cane sugar, and a little vanilla extract. Next, add a flaxseed egg to hold the cookie together. Toss in the dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, salt and a smidge of cinnamon. The oats, Marcona almonds, dried blueberries, and cranberries, are last and the cookies bake up into fragrant and flavorful chews. I love how simply the dough comes together and how they keep well for days at room temperature.

If this Monday has got you wishing for a little Friday/Saturday/Sunday special, no worries! Bake up some vegan oatmeal cookies to soften the blow of yet another weeklong grind. I just know you’re going to love them! Many thanks to my BFFs at Diamond of California for being terrific partners and for sponsoring this post. These vegan oatmeal cookies would be the perfect home for any of their fruit and nut blends, so give them a try and let me know what you think! I hope this week treats you right and that you get some time to love yourself in the kitchen. Happy Monday and Happy Baking!

If you like these vegan oatmeal cookies you should try:

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan Fluffernutter Cookies

Almond Coconut Chocolate Cookies

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.2 from 6 reviews

These vegan oatmeal cookies are a coconut oil based dough with oats, dried fruit and almonds! Simple one bowl recipe!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 24
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
3 tablespoons water
½ cup (120 gm) coconut oil
¾ cup (150 gm) organic brown sugar
¼ cup (50 gm) organic cane sugar
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (240 gm) all-purpose flour
1–1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups (200 gm) old fashioned oats
1 cup of Diamond Marcona Fruit and Nut Blend OR ½ cup chopped almonds, ¼ cup dried blueberries and ¼ cup dried cranberries

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal and water and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the coconut oil, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add in the flaxseed mixtures and stir to combined. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, stirring on low to combine. Add the oat and fruit and nut mixture and stir just until combined. The dough is very dry, but if you find that it is so crumbly that it won’t pack together, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you can pack it slightly.
Spoon 1-1/2 tablespoon sized rounds of dough 2 inches apart on a sheet pan prepared with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 11-12 minutes or until the edges have turned golden and set. Remove from oven and allow to cool prior to enjoying.

Notes

If you don’t have a problem with using regular granulated or brown sugar, you can substitute that here, however, most standard sugars are not truly vegan. I used Wholesome Cane and Brown Sugar for these cookies.
Be sure that your coconut oil is not liquidy or melted. This recipe was tested using solid coconut oil, although there were some small differences between brands.
You can substitute GF flour here, although the cookies may spread slightly differently. Test the baking out on one or two to verify that they will bake as you’d like. If they spread too much, refrigerate the dough, and if they stay more puffed than you’d like, slightly press down on the dough balls.

Maple Oatmeal Biscuits

70 Comments / Breakfast

Our weekends deserve new life, don’t you think? I say we find a reason to get excited about the mornings again- something to pair with that strong cup of coffee and cream. These maple oatmeal biscuits are weekend warriors, making a delicious statement every time they emerge from the oven. If you’re as into making weekends great again as I am, let’s just agree to start here.

I can remember the days when weekends were saving grace. Monday and Tuesday would thunder into Friday with an onslaught of assignments and tests and premature gray hairs. Grades and deadlines loomed around every corner, so the primary sanctuary from the stress of school were those bookend days of the week. There’s not a teenager alive who doesn’t wait for the weekends with the same anticipation as they do the recess bell. It’s just science.

Adulting

But in adulthood, Saturday and Sunday don’t care. It doesn’t matter that you worked hard all week or that you’re desperate for a break. The weekend isn’t impressed by what you accomplished Monday through Friday because there are groceries to buy, lawns to mow, and cars to clean. Adulthood takes hostage those few hours of weekend solace and ransoms them for nine bags of raked leaves, an unloaded dishwasher, and few hours worth of ironing. It’s savage.

You notice I haven’t even mentioned children yet. In the BC years (that’s the “before children” years), weekends might have at least included thirty extra minutes for a second cup of coffee. There would be time for blown-dry hair and a pre-dinner cocktail, maybe even an hour for catching up on your DVR. Let’s pour one out in remembrance, shall we?

Weekends with Kids

Weekends with kids are a different animal. There are bottles to warm and sippy cups to refill. Kids are not concerned about you reading the paper because kids want their Cheerios. They want to go to the park. Kids want to remove all of the plastic cups from the cupboard, litter them throughout the house, and then poop their pants while you’re in the middle of cleaning it all up.

My kids like to spend the weekends begging for junk food and television. Saturday is their favorite day to to skip naps and pee in their shoes. On the weekends, you’ll find my kids stealing car keys, hiding them in places Dad is sure to never find them. (Read: the toilet; see also: the trash can.)

I have this dream where I wake up on a Saturday after seven o’clock. Alas, my family is all awake, and they have been patiently waiting for me to wake up. They teeter into my room with a warm coffee and breakfast tray in tow, complete with warm maple oatmeal biscuits and extra butter to boot. (Remember, I said this was a dream.)

Maple Oatmeal Biscuits

These maple oatmeal biscuits might save your weekend. They won’t change a fifteenth diaper or freshen up a gone-cold mug of coffee. They will, however, add some luster to the weekend. A one-bowl dish that freezes like magic and reheats like a dream, these maple oatmeal biscuits are the rising star of the weekend, and you need them in your life.

Making the Biscuits

We start by tossing together a few dry ingredients- flour, sugar, the usual suspects. Oats are next, which account for the extra fluffy, slightly nutty flavor that we wind up with once the maple oatmeal biscuits have baked. Ice cold butter is incorporated throughout before the dairy and a heavy-handed pour of maple syrup brings the dough together.

For the best success with these maple oatmeal biscuits, work quickly to ensure that they enter the oven with chunks of chilled butter throughout. Handle the dough as little as possible so that they stay airy and fluffy, and use a floured cutter to trim out rounds, pressing straight down without any twist. I like to brush my biscuit tops with a little extra cream or butter for browning, but I think a simple painting of maple syrup would be perfectly sufficient here as well. You decide.

I think we should bake back the wonder into our weekends. Make these maple oatmeal biscuits as a means of celebrating the good Saturday and Sunday have to offer, and I promise you that things will start looking up. Happy week to you all!

If you like these maple oatmeal biscuits, you should check out:

Buttermilk Biscuits

Honey Nut Biscuits

Chocolate Coffee Almond Scones

Funfetti Scones

Peach Crumb Muffins

Maple Oatmeal Biscuits

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

These maple oatmeal biscuits are soft, layered, Southern-style biscuits sweetened with maple syrup. Perfect for breakfast and brunch!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

3 cups (390 gm) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 gm) brown sugar, packed
2–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1–1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup (90 gm) old fashioned oats
11 tablespoons (155 gm) butter, cold and diced into tablespoon-sized chunks
1 cup (240 mL) milk (whole or 2%)
1/3 cup (80 mL) maple syrup

For topping:

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoon maple syrup

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the oats. Use a pastry cutter or the back of a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it is reduced to pea-sized clumps.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk and maple syrup. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and butter and fold just until combined.
Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface. Gently pat together, but be careful not to overwork. Pat out to 1” thickness and then fold in thirds like a letter. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and then repeat this patting and folding process. Repeat once more for a total of 3 sets of folds. Pat the dough out to 1” thickness and use a floured biscuit cutter to cut out rounds of dough. Gently pat together the remnants and cut out more biscuits.
Combine the melted butter and remaining maple syrup together and brush over the tops of the biscuits. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Notes

Be sure to use very cold butter and milk. Butter and milk that is not cold enough can prevent your biscuits from rising well.
Do not overwork your dough at any phase of the preparation.
The folding of the dough helps to create flaky layers within the biscuit, but is not necessary if you don’t care about this.
For flakiest layers, use a sharp biscuit cutters and push straight down into the dough. Refrain from twisting the cutter as you insert it into the dough as this can cause the edges to seal off and keep from rising well.
To reheat biscuits, toast in a toaster oven until fragrant.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust & Butterscotch

33 Comments / Cakes

I guess I’m supposed to tell you all about my trip to Charleston for the SAVEUR blog awards, right? You probably want to hear all about the other finalists, the food and wine, or what it was like to meet Deb in real life. Maybe you’re curious if Wood and Spoon blog brought home a win in the “Best Baking and Sweets” category (hint: we did!), or if I ever figured out how to pronounce the word “Saveur.” Though I should probably be carving out space to share about this past week and the wonderful new friends that were made, to be honest, I haven’t yet figured out how to sum it all up. So for now, let me dive into the beauty that is this brown sugar cheesecake and we can hash out the other details later.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake

Before we begin, let me make one thing clear: I have dreams about this brown sugar cheesecake. A perfect combination of sweet and salty, this cake is a dessert that fulfills every taste and texture desire of my heart. For starters, I think about the tangy filling, folding over itself in silky clouds inside the bowl of my mixer. The scent of the oatmeal cookie crust, rich with butter, molasses, and cinnamon, wafts to the scene, momentarily stealing my every affection. But it’s the butterscotch sauce, thick and drippy, with caramel flavors and a not-so-subtle hint of salt, that oozes in and completes the most perfect bite. Each element of this cake enhances the flavors of its counterparts and it so tantalizes my tastebuds that I could almost break out into song. Without question, this brown sugar cheesecake is the one you won’t get over.

Making the Cheesecake

Like the other cheesecakes on this site, we start by preparing the crust. Brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt are brought together with the addition of melted butter. Stir it all together and pat out the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan. While it bakes in the oven, we can prepare the filling for the cake. Cream cheese is beat on medium speed just until all of the clumps have been smoothed out. Brown sugar is added next, followed by eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla. The goal here is to incorporate each element evenly without overbeating the mixture as this can cause air bubbles and cracks in the cake once baked. Just beat in each addition until well combined, and be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl regularly.

A Few Cheesecake Tips

Now everyone has their own special way to make a cheesecake, but there’s a few things that are almost universal to the process. First, you don’t want the cake to undergo drastic temperature changes during the baking process. To address this need, I prefer to put my cake pan in a waterbath, a pan full of boiling water that reaches about halfway up the sides of the cake. I also try to cool the cake down slowly so as not to cause cracks or shrinkage along the edges of the pan.

Second, it’s important to not over-bake your cheesecake. To test your cake for doneness, look for edges that appear to be slightly set and a center that is wiggly under the surface of the cake. I turn the oven off once the inner half of the cake is only slightly jiggly upon shaking the pan. Unlike flour cakes, cheesecakes don’t adhere to the toothpick test, so don’t bother sticking your hand in there, okay?

Third, we want a crust that is baked, not soggy. If you opt to use the waterbath, be sure to wrap the outside of your pan in aluminum foil to ensure that no water seeps in to muck up your crust. I go a bit overboard and wrap my pan with three large layers of heavy duty foil, but I swear to you that extra effort is worth it.

The Heavenly Sauce

The butterscotch is a can’t miss addition to this cake. Sure, the cheesecake is delicious on its own. But why pass up the opportunity to douse anything with a rich, decadent sauce like butterscotch? You could opt for store-bought, but let me encourage you, from the bottom of my heart, to consider making my favorite butterscotch sauce. Deb (yes, the one I met this past week) has the easiest, 5-ingredient sauce that you cannot screw up. I promise. If you prefer, Bobby Flay’s caramel sauce would do the trick here as well.

I’ve got a lot of joy and fun memories from this past week that I’m dying to share with you. For now, I hope you’ll accept this brown sugar cheesecake. It’s sweet, salty, and entirely delicious- a dessert worth sharing with the best blog readers the world has. Thank you for continuing to support the Wood and Spoon blog. You guys rock.

If you like this brown sugar cheesecake, you should check out:

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts

S’Mores Cheesecake

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Blueberries and Brown Butter Crumble

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies

Brown Sugar Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 5 reviews

The brown sugar cheesecake boasts a sweet and salty oatmeal crust and a gooey butterscotch sauce.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 45
Cook Time: 60
Total Time: 240

Ingredients

For the crust:

1–1/3 cup (110 gm) quick cooking oats
½ cup (100 gm) packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (45 gm) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
7 tablespoons (100 gm) unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

1–1/2 pounds/ 3 blocks (680 gm) of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150 gm) brown sugar
3 large eggs (170 gm), room temperature
6 tablespoons (90 ml) heavy cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

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Instructions

To prepare the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 9″ springform pan by wrapping it in sheets of aluminum foil. I use 3 layers of extra wide, heavy duty foil wrapped to the top lip of the pan. Spray the inside walls and bottom of the pan with cooking spray.
Stir together the dry ingredients until combined. Add the melted butter and stir just until combined. Gently pat out your mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

To prepare the cheesecake:

Begin boiling some water in a kettle or saucepan for your water bath.
Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed (I use 4 on my Kitchen Aid Mixer) for 2 minutes to remove all clumps. Do not overbeat, but scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. If many clumps remain, ensure that your cream cheese has softened to room temp.
Add the sugar and beat on medium for an additional 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine an additional 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add the heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat to combine.
Strain the cheesecake batter through a mesh strainer (if desired) into a reserved bowl. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Gently rap the pan on the counter to help any air bubbles escape.
Place your springform pan into a slightly larger baking dish/pan and fill the larger pan with the boiling water you prepared for the water bath until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
Carefully place both pans in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. After an hour of baking, the edges and top of the cheesecake should be set but still slightly jiggle in the center. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to bake for an additional 30 minutes in the oven. Prop the door of the oven open slightly with a wooden spoon and continue to cool the cheesecake for another 30 minutes in the cooling oven.
Discard the water bath, remove the foil and then place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for several hours or overnight. The cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for several days. Serve with butterscotch sauce (see notes) or homemade caramel.

Notes

I wrap my springform pan with three layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. This is to protect your crust from any water leakage of your springform pan. Many pans will claim to be waterproof but your crust will get soggy and inedible if water leakage happens. Don’t take any chances!
I use a 11″ round cake pan for my water bath but you can use any oven-safe dish that you have. Once of my readers used a roasting pan and that works just fine!
The cooling process seems lengthy and unnecessary, but it helps to prevent drastic temperature changes that can cause structural issues with your cake.
I love the butterscotch sauce from Smitten Kitchen and Bobby Flay’s salted caramel sauce. See the post above for the link to these recipes.

Cheesecake adapted from Miette

Trail Mix Cookies

18 Comments / Cookies and Bars

There’s a few things I need to get off my chest today. So if you were in need of another inappropriate post about my breasts- here it is. (!!!)

Let me start with a shout out to all the baby mamas out there that manage to nurse their children for extended periods of time. Ladies, how do you do it? Is there some sort of magic cream or ancient metal nipple shields that I need to know about? When the kid starts teething, do you play through the pain? Because over here, it is just NOT HAPPENING.

Nursing

George is 8 months old today (Why?! How?! When?! Didn’t this just happen yesterday?), and although he is still nursing, I can promise you that his days of voyaging on the Maidens of the Milk (my boobs, obviously) are numbered. Teeth, dwindling supply, and a vivacious 2 year old sister that is highly distracting every time George saddles up to the bar (again, my boobs) has got me counting down the days till we’re done.

I know that a lot of moms really love nursing, and I know that it’s a special bonding experience for mama and her baby. Yes, breast milk has all of the vitamins, and it’s so much less expensive, and the convenience of having a vending machine strapped inside your bra is just a ridiculous benefit to pass up. But George and I have bonded. He’s growing and healthy, I’ve got some milk stored in the freezer, and to be honest, I’d probably empty out all of the money in my purse right now if it meant never having to hear the mechanical “whee-woo, whee-woo, whee-woo” of my Medela breast pump ever again. There’s so many wonderful benefits to breastfeeding, but what I’m trying to say is, I think we’re almost done.

Trail Mix Cookies

The most selfish gain I’ve had from getting to nurse my babies is the snacks- those extra calories I get to indulge in each day. At our house, there’s never any shortage of snacks, and recently, we added trail mix cookies to the list of favorites. These trail mix cookies are pretty much always my next snack waiting to happen. Peanuts, chocolate candies, raisins, and oats, all stuffed into a delicious cookie dough that bakes up golden and delicious. A combination of my loaded oatmeal cookie dough and candied walnut chocolate chip cookies, these trail mix cookies are packed with all the trail mix fixin’s and are adaptable to include any other toppings you may have a hankering for. Cashews? Yup. Toffee? Sure. Reese’s Pieces? Do ya thang.

Making the Cookies

We tried some trail mix cookies while visiting Blackberry Farm a few weeks ago, and I spent my first few days home making test batches of the cookies to get them just right. The dough starts by creaming butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. After adding eggs, vanilla, and a sprinkling of dry ingredients, you dump in all the trail mix goodies you can find. Give the dough a quick chill (or a long one, if you want puffier, chewy cookies), and just try not to eat it all straight from the bowl. It’s that good. These trail mix cookies have crisp edges and chewy centers. If you’re anything like me, you may opt to bake them until they’re golden brown, with little crunchy bits throughout.

Unless you’re an 8 month old on an all-milk diet, you need trail mix cookies in your repertoire. Sweet, salty, or whatever your craving is, these trail mix cookies will satisfy the urge to snack. Give them a try and let me know what you think! There’s loads of other cookie recipes on the cookie recipe page of my site, so give that a check too. Oh, and enjoy this happy little video that I made for you all! Happy Wednesday and cheers to you!

Trail Mix Cookies

Print Recipe

With chopped peanuts, raisins, chocolate candy, and oats, these trail mix cookies are sweet, salty, and simple cookies that are sure to please a crowd.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 30

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2–1/4 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon corn starch
1 cup candy coated chocolate (like M&Ms)
3/4 cups unsalted peanuts, chopped
3/4 cups raisins

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Start on low until incorporated and then increase to medium, beating until smooth, creamy, and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and corn starch. Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low just until the mixture is combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed and add the chocolate, peanuts, and raisins, stirring on low just until combined.
Scoop 3 tablespoon sized balls of dough (I use a large cookie scoop) about 3 inches apart on to a cookie sheet prepared with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper. These cookies are large and in charge and they need room on the baking sheet. If the dough is not cool to the touch and slightly firm, place the baking sheet with dough balls in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes to allow the dough to set up- this keeps the cookies from spreading too much. Once ready, place the pan in the oven and bake until the edges and top of the cookie are beginning to turn golden and have set up, about 9 minutes. The centers will still appear underdone. Cool on a cooling rack, or just dive right in and enjoy.

Notes

For crunchy, textured cookies, refrigerate for less time and bake a minute or two longer, or until the cookies is golden all over the top. For a chewy, softer cookie, refrigerate the dough for an hour and then bake for recommended length of time.

Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream

6 Comments / Frozen Desserts

Just so we’re clear, small talk is not my forte. I did not go through the effort of starting this blog so we could chat about the Yankees, the news, or the weather. But on days like today, it bears mentioning that it is hot. It is too. darn. hot.

A Brief Lament Regarding the Heat

If you happen to be reading this blog from some idyllic land where the temp is currently a comfortably breezy 75 degrees and sunny, please, don’t tell me. Over here, in what is quite possibly America’s armpit, I have pools of sweat collecting behind my knees, in between my boobs, and in just about every other undesirably hot place on my body. Ignorance is bliss and I would rather pretend everyone resides in a town that scorches similar to the surface of the sun, ok?

This should be an example of my dedication to baking: even on Africa-hot days like today, my oven and stovetop still get a workout. Today, I’m testing out a bread pudding recipe, which, to be honest, sounds about as yummy as a bowl of ghost pepper chilies, or, I don’t know, a serving of liquid hot magma.

Ice Cream: The Cure for Summer

What I really want on days like today (besides a margarita and a one way ticket to Antarctica) is ice cream. All the ice cream.

I think having to choose a favorite ice cream would be similar to having to pick a favorite child. There’s just so much to love in every flavor. Except for rum raisin. WHO ORDERS THAT?

One flavor that has always comes close to the top of my favorites list is Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk. Do you guys remember that flavor? According to my research, it was a limited batch ice cream that B&J are no longer offering. It was creamy, sweet, and deliciously reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie (sans the raisins.)

Let’s have a moment of silence in remembrance.

Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream

The good news? Today’s recipe is a show off. This oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream is really, really close to my memory of the original. Which means it’s really, really spectacular.

Yes, it’s stuffed to the brim with oatmeal cookie pieces, and of course there’s a little cinnamon sugar swirled in there too, but what really makes this ice cream special is that the milk and cream are steeped in oatmeal. So even the ice cream base tastes like a cookie. WHAT?!?! Mind blown.

How to Make Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream

We start with a perfect ice cream base recipe, which, for me, is Jeni Britton Bauer’s recipe. (Sidenote: If you don’t have her book yet, just quit stalking it on Amazon and buy it already. The recipes work, are delicious, and are worth every second of stovetop time in this summer heat.) To Jeni’s vanilla ice cream base, we add in some oatmeal because we want every bite of this oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream to be reminiscent of those flavors we all know and love. From there, we fold in some chewy oatmeal cookie chunks and a few drizzles of cinnamon sugar goodness. That’s all there is to it!

The only thing that would make this oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream experience more enjoyable on a day like today is if I could just go to the store and buy it from Mr. Ben and Mr. Jerry. I really don’t want to crank up my stovetop any more on a steamy afternoon like today, but I will since the forefathers of oatmeal ice cream decided to call it quits on us. Is there a petition we can sign to bring it back??!!

I hope you’re somewhere on a beach with a cold drink in your hand, but if you’re like me, stuck at home with a bad case of boob sweat– make this oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream. You deserve it.

(PS– Mom, I’m sorry for mentioning my boobs on the internet . Don’t be mad.)

Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream

Print Recipe

This oatmeal cookie chunk ice cream is an oatmeal flavored ice cream base filled with chunks of chewy oatmeal cookie and cinnamon sugar swirls.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 45
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the oatmeal cookie pieces

1–1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups of quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter
1–1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

For the cinnamon swirl filling

1/3 cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar

For the ice cream

3/4 cup old fashioned oats
2–2/3 cups whole milk
5 teaspoons cornstarch
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1–1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup

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Instructions

To prepare the oatmeal cookie pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until combined in a medium sized bowl.In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating well to combine thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients slowly and mix just until combined.
Pat out the dough into the bottom of an 8″x8″ baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the dough at the center of the pan looks nearly done. Allow to cool at room temperature or in a fridge. Dice 1/2 of the pan into 1/2″ squares just before using. The remaining pieces can be stored at room temperature for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare the cinnamon swirl filling

Combine the corn syrup, cinnamon, and sugar by stirring. Set aside until ready to use.

To prepare the ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats out on a small sheet pan and toast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. The oats should become fragrant but not burned.
Meanwhile, mix two tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt together until smooth.
In a 4 quart saucepan, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, and oats. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 4 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the oats from the milk mixture and discard. Pour the milk mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat. Gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Mixture will thicken slightly and should coat the back of a spoon after about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Whisk the milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and without clumps. Pour the mixture into a gallon sized plastic bag and place it, sealed, in to the ice bath. Allow to chill until cold, adding ice as needed.
Once cold, pour the mixture into a prepared ice cream maker canister and prepare ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Once ice cream is finished, smooth, and creamy, layer large spoonfuls into a dish (I use a loaf pan), drizzling with the cinnamon swirl filling and topping with cookie pieces as you layer in the ice cream. Once all of the ice cream has been layered in the dish with the cookies and swirl filling, drag a knife through the ice cream 5-6 times to swirl the components together. Cover and allow to freeze in the freezer for at least 6 hours prior to eating.

Recipes Adapted From: Jeni Britton Bauer