Honey Bear Cookies

Honey bear cookies are an oatmeal cookie that leans on honey for sweetness and flavor where most recipes pile on butter and white sugar. The honey deepens the flavor and keeps the cookies chewy for days, while a splash of vegetable oil along with the small amount of butter cuts the fat without sacrificing tenderness.

The optional add-ins are where these become whatever cookie you want. A handful of chocolate chips makes them dessert. Chopped fresh apple makes them lunchbox-friendly. Raisins take them straight into Grandma territory. Pick one or mix all three.

Drop the dough in heaping teaspoons, not big mounds. The thin small cookies bake up crisp around the edges with a chewy center, where giant ones turn cakey and soft all the way through.

Kitchen Tips

• Use rolled oats, not quick oats, for proper chew
• Don’t overbake. Pull at 12 minutes when edges just start to brown.
• Cool on the cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to a rack so they hold together
• Weighing honey is easier than measuring. A half cup is about 6 ounces.
• Dough freezes well in scooped balls for fresh cookies anytime

Variations

• Add ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg or allspice for warmer spice notes
• Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch alongside the chocolate chips
• Swap maple syrup for the honey for a maple oatmeal cookie