Chocolate Caramel Spelt Oatmeal Cookies
I have never been a fan of your typical oatmeal cookies. It’s just not the cookie I’m ever going to reach out for cause they are usually made with raisins and I really prefer my cookies without raisins. I have always wanted to try to make my version with chocolate instead of raisins and this is how these came about. I saw a really delicious recipe from The FeedFeed and it inspired these absolutey delicious cookies - just the way I like them - crisp edges, soft centers and puddles of molten chocolate and caramel and some flaky sea salt never hurts either!!
I have used spelt flour in a few things recently and I have to say I do love the texture it adds to baked goods. It’s got a mild flavor that is nutty and slightly sweet, not to mention it is also easily digestible and gives these cookies or anything baked with it a bit of a healthier spin on them. In these cookies it adds a heartiness to the texture that I love and works really well with the oats. I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old-fashioned Rolled Oats and Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Spelt flour, but if you don’t have the spelt - Bob’s Red Mill Organic All Purpose flour will do the trick as well. Spelt flour can easily be replaced with AP flour. Bob’s Red Mill offers the largest lines of organic, whole grain foods in the country. All of their products are certified Kosher and made with ingredients grown from non-GMO including the ones I used in this recipe.
What can make a chocolate chunk spelt oatmeal cookie even better? You guessed it - puddles of caramel and some nuts as well. I chose pecans because I just love the flavour of them in baked goods and they add a bit of extra texture and crunch to these cookies. The original recipe did not call for chilling the dough beforehand and it’s fine. The cookies do spread out a bit but I didn’t mind it and they maintained their delicious chew factor. If you like a chewy thicker cookie that doesn’t spread out as much I recommend chilling the dough for 30 minutes. Whether you are the patient type or not when it comes to baking cookies, be assured that these are delicious with or without the chill time. Grab your coffee, tea or milk and enjoy one or two of these guys. You will thank me later!! I have partnered up with Bob’s Red Mill to bring you this fabulous recipe, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Olive & Mango.
Recipe
Makes 2 dozen depending on size of your scoops
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old-fashioned Rolled Oats, divided
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Spelt flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chocolate chunks
- ½ cup chopped unsalted or salted pecans
- 16 wrapped caramels, chopped into 4 or 5 pieces each
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place butter and sugars in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together until light and fluffy, 3 minutes.
- With mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Pour in 2 cups of the oats slowly along with the spelt flour, salt and baking soda, then mix at low speed until a dough forms.
- Remove bowl from mixer and add the chocolate, pecans and and caramels, then fold by hand with a spatula until everything is well incorporated.
- Place remaining 1 cup of oats into a wide bowl, and set aside. At this point you can chill the dough for 30 minutes for thicker, chewier cookies - but chilling is optional.
- Scoop out balls of dough about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, roll them in the oats to lightly coat, and arrange 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets because these will spread out. Press a piece each of caramel and chocolate onto the tops of the cookies
- Bake until golden brown and set, rotating halfway through, about 15 minutes. Once out of the oven, garnish with flaky sea salt and let cool slightly. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, then serve
Adapted from The FeedFeed and Sally’s Baking Addiction
