Crunchy Oreo Crumble Nutty Dry Fruit Cookies: Recipe and Tips

There are cookies you make because you have to for office parties, cookie exchanges, some neighbor you barely know, and then there are cookies you make because they feel a little chaotic in the best way. These Oreo crumble nutty dry fruit cookies are it. If your pantry needs a cleanout and you notice some dry fruits and nuts (perhaps from Diwali?) that you never got around to eating, are lounging, then we’ve got just the recipe for you. Add some dry fruit and nuts to cookie dough, and if you want the perfect blend of mayhem, be a little extra and add Oreo crumble to it! So here goes.

Oreo Crumble Nutty Dry Fruit Cookies

(Makes 3 dozen):

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 cup dates, chopped
• 1 ¼ cups walnuts, chopped
• 1 ¼ cups chopped pistachios
• 1 cup Oreo crumble (about 10-12 crushed Oreos)

Instructions:

1. Crush the Oreos after sealing them in a ziplock pouch with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbled Oreos to a bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Take a bowl and whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Either use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer to beat butter on medium speed until smooth.
5. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat again until pale and fully, for about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each. Then mix in the vanilla.
6. Bring down the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, preferably in 3 parts. Mix until just combined.
7. Add the coconut, apricots, dates, walnuts, pistachios, and the Oreo crumble, mix liberally, until evenly distributed.
8. Scoop up 2 heaping tablespoons of the cookie batter at a time, dropping them on the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart from each other. Flatten them a bit.
9. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Rotate the sheets halfway through for the cookies to turn out crisp and golden brown.
10. Once baked, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets, outside, for a few minutes, then transfer them to a parchment-lined wire rack to cool completely.

Tips and Tricks:

• Chop your dried fruits and nuts into smaller pieces. If the chunks are too big, the cookies won’t hold together as well, and they’ll bake unevenly. Aim for smaller, raisin-sized pieces.

• Use room temperature butter. If it’s too cold, the dough won’t mix smoothly. If it’s melted, the cookies will spread too much. Soft but still firm is the sweet spot.
• Mix the Oreo crumble in at the end. If you add it too early, it blends into the dough too much, and you lose the texture. You want little bits of Oreo in each bite, not gray cookie dough.
• Don’t pack the baking sheets too tightly. These cookies have a lot going on, and they spread. Leave enough space between them so they don’t bake into each other.
• Watch the edges, not the tops. The cookies are done when the edges are golden and set. The centers might still look soft, and that’s fine. They’ll firm up as they cool.
• Cool on the tray for a few minutes before moving them. They’re fragile right out of the oven and can fall apart if you rush them.
• If you’re not into dates or apricots, swap them for raisins, dried cherries, or cranberries. Just keep the total dried fruit amount about the same so the dough stays balanced.
• Want more chocolate? Stir in a handful of dark chocolate chunks or chips along with the Oreo crumble. It deepens the flavor without overwhelming the other ingredients.
• For a slightly softer, more cake-like cookie, take them out of the oven a minute earlier and skip flattening the dough before baking. They’ll puff up a bit more and stay extra chewy.
• These are best eaten within a couple of days. If you want to keep them longer, freeze them. They thaw quickly and still taste great.