Let me start by saying I love to bake, and usually I do not make baked goods light or healthy often. Baked goods are treats and meant to be made with all the good stuff like real butter. This recipe, however, is a somewhat healthier cookie.

I came up with this recipe after a couple failed attempts at making energy bars. So this is a cookie with some aspects of an energy bar, but it is still a cookie. It has extra protein from the hazelnuts and protein powder and whole grains from the white whole wheat flour, wheat germ and oats. And of course the white chocolate chips and cranberries are just yummy!

So while this is a cookie, at least you can feel a little less guilty about eating it. I always like to know what my kids are eating and this is something we both love. I have also made them with macadamia nuts which is great and oat bran instead of the wheat germ.

Today I had the luxury of baking with only Sean as my “helper”. Much better than all three boys being around, let alone my husband eating the cookie dough too! Sean kept eating the hazelnuts and cranberries. He did at least help squeeze the mini ice cream scoop full of dough onto the cookie sheet. Hope you enjoy these as much as he did!

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. protein powder
1/4 c. wheat germ
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 c. oats
1 1/2 c. chopped hazelnuts
1 1/2 c. dried cranberries
2 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix white whole wheat flour, flour, baking soda, salt, protein powder, wheat germ and cinnamon. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars together. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour mixture. Mix in the oats. Add nuts, cranberries and white chocolate chips. Mix well.

Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes.
Yields 5 1/2 dozen