These Healthy Oatmeal Cookies Are Our New Best Friend

Healthy cookies can be tricky to figure out, and this one was no exception. It went through rounds and rounds of testing. But we're proud to say that what we landed on is a really good COOKIE—not a granola bar that's just shaped like one. So what makes this one “healthy”? We decreased the usual amounts of butter and sugar with some help from applesauce, which provides sweetness and moisture to the dough without additional fat. The cookie is mostly oats, with just 1/4 cup of whole-wheat flour—there’s no ultra-refined starches here. But a cookie isn’t a cookie unless it’s a little naughty—so we added some quality dark chocolate chunks and tart dried cherries for the perfect bite. Everything in moderation!