My chewy dried fruit cookies strike the right steadiness between healthful and scrumptious. In the event you’re like me, you’re keen on indulgent treats which can be nonetheless a bit more healthy and tremendous straightforward to make. My recipe is precisely that – with half the quantity of sugar and complete wheat flour, and that includes tart, dried cherries, and crunchy pecans. It’s excellent for anybody who loves a fruity dessert that’s supreme for the entire household and nice for the vacations too!
My cookies had been impressed by fruitcake – in a great way! They’re speckled with nuts and cherries and have a moist, decadent texture.
I promise, this isn’t your common spin on fruitcake. As an alternative of a dense, aged cake stuffed with synthetic colours, I’ve taken all the perfect elements of the basic vacation recipe and gave it a cookie makeover that’s delicate, chewy, and filled with taste.
Even for many who don’t love fruitcake, belief me they’ll love my dried fruit cookies! And for those who’re searching for extra fruit-filled cookies like this one, you should definitely try my cranberry oat cookies and for extra cookie inspiration, attempt one in every of my 40 straightforward vegan cookie recipes!
I like the moist and chewy texture of those cookies, adopted by the crunch of pecans and a pop of tart cherry. They’re so good, that I discover it arduous to cease at only one, and my youngsters simply can’t resist these chewy fruit cookies both!
Plus, my recipe is made with all-natural components, freed from synthetic colours or flavors, and is each low in sugar and fats, making these wholesome dried fruit cookies. I exploit much less butter, cut back the sugar, and go for unsweetened dried fruit as an alternative of candied fruit. Every cookie accommodates simply 6 grams of added sugar.
One other bonus is that they’re a very good supply of fiber. As an alternative of conventional white flour, I exploit complete wheat flour, giving every cookie 3 grams of dietary fiber. If I pair one with a chunk of fruit, I’ve obtained a nutritious snack. It’s a deal with I be ok with serving!
And I like how easy these cookies are to make! I exploit inexpensive primary pantry components and the recipe is sort of easy—with simply 10 minutes of prep, a fast chill, and about 10 minutes within the oven. That’s it! It’s also possible to simply customise them with mix-ins or make them vegan or gluten free – see my ideas beneath on how to do that.
However the perfect half is that I can bake these cookies all yr lengthy! They make a improbable do-it-yourself present throughout the holidays and are excellent for Christmas events, however I like them a lot that I discover myself making them in the midst of summer season too!
Newest Recipe Video!
🥘 Components
My dried fruit cookies recipe calls for easy components that you would be able to simply discover at your native grocery retailer! Each performs a key function in guaranteeing these cookies have the right texture. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card on the backside of the publish for the precise quantities and dietary data.
Butter: Added for richness and moisture, I exploit much less butter than most cookie recipes. I exploit room-temperature butter for simpler mixing.
Egg: In baking eggs assist to bind dough collectively in addition to add moisture and construction. I exploit a big egg for this recipe.
Brown Sugar: To present the cookies a deeper molasses-like taste and chewy texture, I exploit darkish brown sugar. However mild brown sugar may also work. It’s also possible to use cane sugar or coconut sugar rather than the brown sugar and even monk fruit to make the cookies even decrease in sugar.
Milk: I add a bit full-fat milk to assist in giving the cookies extra richness and moisture, however you need to use lower-fat or plant-based milk for those who desire.
Complete Wheat Flour: To make my recipe a bit more healthy and add some further fiber, I like to make use of complete wheat flour. Nevertheless, all function flour works too.
Baking Soda: This common leavening agent, provides my cookies rise and contributes to their excellent texture. In the event you don’t have baking soda, you need to use baking powder however you’ll want to make use of it in a 3:1 ratio (so this recipe requires 1 teaspoon of baking soda, so that you’ll want to make use of 3 teaspoons of baking powder as an equal).
Salt: Only a pinch of salt helps to convey out the perfect taste in all the components.
Pecans: The pecans add a nutty taste and a yummy crunch. I exploit a mixture of chopped and complete nuts for a various texture. Be happy to substitute them with any nuts you want equivalent to macadamia nuts, walnuts, or almonds.
Unsweetened Dried Cherries: I combine in some dried cherries to provide the cookies their fruitcake-like look. and so as to add some basic cherry taste. Nevertheless, be happy to make use of any kind of dried fruit you want equivalent to raisins, currants, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, and diced dried apricots. For a vacation really feel, you possibly can add some candied inexperienced cherries.
Making cookies with dried fruit and nuts actually isn’t a lot completely different from making my oat flour chocolate chip cookies! You don’t must be an skilled baker to whip up an ideal batch of those chewy treats.
Watch my video beneath to see my dry fruit cookies recipe in motion!
Cream Butter And Sugar: To start, I put the room temperature butter and brown sugar within the giant bowl of an electrical mixer with a paddle attachment. Then I beat the combination at medium pace for about 2 minutes till mild and fluffy. It’s also possible to use an electrical hand mixer or a big meals processor.
Add Moist Components: As soon as creamed, I add the egg and milk to the sugar combination and beat once more till completely mixed.
Whisk Dry Components: In a separate medium bowl, I whisk collectively the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Mix Moist And Dry Components: First, I add half of the flour combination to the butter combination and blend to mix. Then I add the remaining flour and stir once more simply till absolutely mixed. Don’t over-mix the dough.
Add Nuts and Fruit: After the cookie dough is fashioned, I stir within the pecans and dried cherries.
Portion Dough: I exploit a small cookie scoop to portion out the delicate dough onto a plate or sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Then I switch the cookie balls to the fridge to sit back for 1 hour.
Bake: When prepared, I preheat my oven to 400 levels Fahrenheit (200 levels Celcius). Subsequent, I organize the chilled cookies on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, ensuring that they’re spaced about 2 inches aside. Then I put the cookies within the preheated oven and allow them to bake for 8-10 minutes or till golden brown.
Cool: After baking, I take away the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for one minute earlier than transferring them to a cooling rack.
My #1 Secret Tip for making the right dried fruit and nut cookies is to sit back the dough for a full hour earlier than baking.
Belief me, this step makes all of the distinction! Whenever you chill the dough, it provides the fats time to solidify.
This implies your cookies will unfold much less within the oven and keep good and thick. Plus, chilling enhances the flavour, providing you with that completely chewy texture all of us crave in a very good cookie.
Different Suggestions To Preserve In Thoughts:
- Room Temperature Components: I at all times begin with room temperature butter, eggs, and milk, which helps the dough mix collectively extra easily. Chilly butter doesn’t cream as nicely with sugar, and chilly eggs could make the batter lumpy. I let my components sit out for about half-hour earlier than I start baking.
- Combine Moist and Dry Individually: This may seem to be an additional step, nevertheless it’s completely value it. It helps forestall clumps of flour and reduces the chance of over-mixing, which may make cookies powerful as an alternative of tender.
- Use A Cookie Scoop: In the event you’ve by no means used a cookie scoop earlier than, you’re going to like it. This useful instrument helps me make all my cookies the identical dimension, so that they bake evenly.
- Crispier Cookies: In the event you desire crispy cookies, simply bake them a bit longer. As an alternative of pulling them out at 8-10 minutes, depart them in for nearer to 12 minutes. Simply you should definitely control them so that they don’t overbake.
- Use Unsweetened Dried Fruit: When selecting dried fruit, I at all times keep away from these with added sugar. Dried fruit is of course candy, and the additional sugar could make the cookies overly candy – however if you would like a brilliant candy cookie then sweetened dried fruit may also work.
📖 Variations
Dried Fruit Oatmeal Cookies: Begin with an oatmeal cookie base made with old school oats or fast oats like my sugar free oatmeal cookies or vegan oatmeal cookies. Then fold within the nuts and dried fruit and also you’ll have the right oatmeal dried fruit cookies!
Blended Fruit Cookies: Flip this right into a combined dried fruit cookies recipe. I simply used dried cherries on this model, however you need to use any mixture of fruits you want. You possibly can even omit the pecans and sub with extra fruit. Suppose cranberry, raisin, dried pineapple and dried ginger, or diced dried fig and craisins.
Add Different Flavors: If you wish to add one other layer of taste attempt utilizing a 1/2 teaspoon of fragrant vanilla extract or nutty almond extract. I add it to the dough with the milk. It’s also possible to add a bit maple syrup rather than the sugar for maple taste (substitute as a lot as you need in a 1:1 substitution), or add 1/4 teaspoon of heat spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice for fall flavors!
Chocolate Chips: Including chocolate is one in every of my favourite methods to sweeten up my fruit and nut cookies recipe. You should utilize milk chocolate, darkish chocolate, semisweet, or my favourite with this recipe – white chocolate, which works nicely with the cherries.
High With Glaze: After the cookies have utterly cooled on the wire rack, drizzle them with powdered sugar icing like my chocolate donut glaze or cherry fritters glaze!
Path Combine: Strive utilizing a path combine rather than the nuts and cherries to make do-it-yourself path combine cookies.
Vegan: To make this recipe vegan, I merely use coconut oil or vegan butter as an alternative of normal butter, a flax egg (1 tablespoon of floor flaxseed combined with 2.5 tablespoons of water) rather than the egg, and any dairy-free milk as an alternative of cow’s milk.
Gluten-Free: For gluten free cookies, all you must do is use an all-purpose gluten free flour mix. I like to recommend utilizing one which accommodates xanthan gum for the perfect texture. Gluten free oat flour can also be an alternative choice.
🍽 Serving Options
You possibly can serve my wholesome fruit cookies as a candy and healthful deal with on their very own, or pair them with a scrumptious beverage or toppings for a good sweeter expertise. Listed below are a few of my favorites.
Drinks: Dried fruit biscuits are excellent with scorching drinks like my oat milk scorching chocolate, lavender latte, and oatmilk honey latte. Across the holidays, you possibly can’t go incorrect with serving them as festive Christmas cookies with some eggnog or a easy glass of normal or plant-based milk.
Ice Cream: Flip these cookies into an indulgent dessert by pairing them with my caramel good cream, chocolate banana ice cream, mango good cream, or lychee ice cream! I like both warming the cookies and topping them with ice cream or making mini ice cream sandwiches.
Different Cookies: In the event you’re having a household gathering or occasion, attempt including these cookies to a ramification with another favorites like my powdered peanut butter cookies, black sesame cookies, and no bake cookies with out peanut butter.
🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating
Room Temperature: I retailer the cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 3 days. If I nonetheless have some on day 3, I transfer them to the fridge, the place they keep contemporary for a few week.
Freezing & Reheating Baked Cookies: For longer storage, I freeze the cookies as soon as they’ve cooled utterly. I place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, and so they maintain nicely for as much as 3 months. After I’m able to take pleasure in them, I simply let the cookies thaw at room temperature for about half-hour.
Freezing The Dough: I like freezing the dough to have cookies prepared each time I would like!
- Methodology 1: I roll the dough right into a log, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and retailer it in an hermetic container or freezer bag. After I’m able to bake, I thaw the dough at room temperature, slice it into rounds, roll these into balls, refrigerate for 1 hour, after which bake as standard.
- Methodology 2: I scoop the dough into balls as directed within the recipe, freeze them on a tray till strong, then switch them to a freezer-safe bag. After I’m able to bake, I place the frozen dough balls immediately on a baking sheet and bake, including 2-3 further minutes to the baking time.
❓Recipe FAQs
I do know my cookies are completed when the sides are frivolously golden and set, whereas the facilities nonetheless look a bit delicate. The trick is to take them out earlier than they’re absolutely agency as a result of they’ll proceed to set as they cool on the baking sheet. In the event you wait till they’re agency within the oven, they’re more likely to find yourself over baked.
Onerous cookies are normally attributable to over-baking or utilizing an excessive amount of flour. To keep away from this, I take away the cookies as quickly as the sides flip golden. Moreover, if the dough feels dry earlier than baking, attempt including a bit extra milk.
Completely! You should utilize dehydrated fruit identical to common dried fruit. Merely add it to the dough as directed, no want for any further steps.
For my recipe, soaking the cherries isn’t vital. Nevertheless, in case your dried fruit feels further dry or powerful, soaking it could actually assist rehydrate and soften it a bit. Soaking is totally optionally available and doesn’t dramatically change the feel or style of those cookies.
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📋 Recipe Card
Dried Fruit Cookies (Delicate, Chewy, Simple!)
My chewy dried fruit cookies strike the right steadiness between healthful and scrumptious. In the event you’re like me, you’re keen on indulgent treats which can be nonetheless a bit more healthy and tremendous straightforward to make. My recipe is precisely that – with half the quantity of sugar and complete wheat flour, and that includes tart, dried cherries, and crunchy pecans. It is excellent for anybody who loves a fruity dessert that is supreme for the entire household and nice for the vacations too!
Servings: 16 cookies
Energy: 199kcal
Store Components on Jupiter- Combine Individually: Combine moist components and dry components in separate bowls earlier than combining.
- Be Aware Of Bowl Dimension: Slowly add the dry components to the moist components, which implies you’ll wish to put the moist components in a bigger bowl.
- Use A Cookie Scoop: This useful kitchen instrument helps you get completely uniform cookies.
- Refrigerate Cookie Balls Earlier than Baking: This course of solidifies the fats within the cookies. Which means that when the cookies are baking, it should take longer for the chilled fats to soften than room temperature fats which is able to assist maintain the Christmas fruit cookies from spreading an excessive amount of once they bake.
- For Crispier Cookies: In the event you desire crispy dried fruit Christmas cookies, bake for nearer to 10-12 minutes.
- Every cookie has 6 grams of added sugar, the remaining sugar is from the cherries.
- To make these cookies vegan, use coconut oil rather than the butter, a flax egg rather than the egg, and your selection of dairy free milk rather than the milk.
- To make these cookies gluten free, use gluten free oat flour.
Serving: 1cookie | Energy: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 12g | Saturated Fats: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 4g | Trans Fats: 0.3g | Ldl cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 277mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g
