Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Cookies

Although I love oatmeal I'm not always a fan of oatmeal raisin cookies; sometimes I find them a little dry. But I've found the solution; substituting agave nectar for the sugar. What a difference. They're soft, moist and chewy on the inside and still have a crunch along the edges.

I found the recipe on Simply Recipes and left out the spices but added some chopped dark chocolate from a candy bar just to make these even more of a treat. I also increased the flour to account for the liquid sweetener. Below is the recipe halved since I was afraid of eating too many, they were so delicious!

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Cookies
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 cup flour (all purpose)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (rolled oats or quick. Do NOT use instant.)
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate from candy bar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two large cookie sheets or line with parchment paper or waxed paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and agave until creamy about 3 minutes. Beat in egg. In separate bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda, and then stir dry ingredients into butter-agave mixture. Stir in raisins, nuts and chocolate if using. Stir in oats. Spoon out dough by large tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Then carefully remove them, using a metal spatula, to a wire rack. Cool completely. They will be quite soft until completely cooled. Store tightly covered. Makes about 1 dozen cookies.

Hugs!