These 2-Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies Couldn't Be Easier To Make

Cookies are one of those foods that walk the line between dessert and snack, with some varieties being crunchy and portable enough to tote in your purse or backpack and others being such a perfect mix of complex and indulgent as to win out over things like cake and ice cream. Surprisingly, both types also describe the flavor and convenience of a growing collection of nutrient-dense cookie recipes that combine the goodness of whole ingredients with unexpectedly tempting levels of deliciousness.

Things like two-ingredient peanut butter cookies make clever use of binders and natural sources of sweetness — like honey and maple syrup — to create cookies that are not only kid-approved in terms of flavor but would also make a healthy addition to breakfast alongside a creamy oat or almond milk latte. If you're nut-free or looking to add a little more fiber to your diet, you can use this same idea to blend together ordinary rolled oats and your favorite flavor of applesauce to make some of the easiest — and possibly tastiest — oatmeal cookies you've ever had.

In this particular recipe, applesauce acts as a binder for the oats, providing lots of moisture for the oats to soak in and become a little bit gummy. When baked, that gummy texture toasts into a cookie that's crisp outside and tender inside. It's nutty from the oats, lightly sweet from the applesauce, and absolutely delicious with a dab of mixed berry jam or a thin slice of aged white cheddar cheese.

Simple recipes like this are great to have in your back pocket because they're easy to whip together and fun to experiment with, flavor-wise. For instance, in this case you can easily switch out the applesauce for an equal amount of mashed bananas, as they have similar binding properties (which is why you can use bananas as an egg substitute in cakes). Just combine one part mashed banana with two parts rolled oats to create a simple treat you'll feel good about eating.

It's also fun to create custom versions based on your favorite flavors. A drop or two of almond or vanilla extract is an obvious choice, as is a tiny pinch of salt to enhance the cookies' overall flavor. Spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg would also be delicious, as they're commonly used in both apple and banana desserts already. A few tablespoons of finely crushed nuts could add texture and a touch more flavor, especially if you lean into classic combos like banana walnut or apple pecan.

If you're a rare oatmeal raisin cookie lover, try adding a few spoonfuls of dark or golden raisins to either style of cookie for more sweetness and vitamins — though we won't blame you if you choose dark chocolate chips instead. Flaked coconut, peanut butter chips, and other dried fruits are also options — just be sure not to add too much, as overdoing it on extra ingredients could cause your cookies to fall apart.