There’s just something magical about how perfectly Tajín (a delicious Mexican seasoning blend with chili and lime) pairs with mango. It’s like a match made in heaven soft oatmeal cookies. Throw in some white chocolate chunks, and suddenly you have a cookie you might not be able to stop snacking on!
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Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Cookies
- Perfectly-balanced sweet & spicy flavours with a slight kick from some Tajín Clásico, dried mango, and white chocolate chunks.
- Deliciously soft & chewy with golden, crisp edges
- An easy recipe that looks bakery-worthy!
- No chill time
What is Tajín?
Tajín is a beloved Mexican seasoning made with mild chili peppers, dehydrated lime, and salt. It was invented in 1985 in Jalisco, Mexico, by Horacio Fernández, who was inspired by his abuelita’s chile-lime sauce. I love that! There’s something so sweet and wholesome about a family recipe inspiring something that’s now so iconic. And really, what could be more fitting than using a seasoning born from a grandmother’s recipe in a classic, nostalgic treat like oatmeal cookies?
Using a chili seasoning in an oatmeal cookie with dried mango isn’t as unusual as it might sound. Tajín has a delicious citrusy flavour with just a slight kick, and is traditionally sprinkled on fresh fruits like mango, pineapple, or watermelon, to coat lollipops, or in paletas de mango con chile (mango popsicles with chili). Sweet and spicy is a seriously delicious flavour combo which I love exploring in my recipes: check out my Strawberry Mango Tajin Macarons, my Sourdough Gochujang Caramel Cookies, and my Gochujang Cheddar Mini Babkas.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour provides structure to the cookies.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats give the cookies that nostalgic oatmeal cookie texture and chew. Avoid using instant or quick oats which could just disappear into the dough.
- Baking soda and baking powder work together to make the cookies puff up and spread out.
- Salt rounds out and enhances the other flavours. I like using fine sea salt, but fine kosher salt would work well too.
- Tajín adds a delicious tang and a chili kick to the cookies. Look for Tajín Clásico (which is what I used for this recipe) if you want cookies that are mildly spicy, or use Tajín Habanero for a stronger kick.
- Cinnamon adds a subtle cozy warmth. Use regular store-bought ground cinnamon, or try making your own smoked cinnamon if you’re up for a project!
- Lime zest amps up the lime flavour from the Tajín and adds a nice light citrus note that pairs perfectly with the white chocolate.
- Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps the cookies brown and get slightly crispy on the edges.
- Brown sugar adds sweetness along with caramel and molasses notes. It is also slightly acidic, reacting with the baking soda to help the cookies rise and spread. Finally, brown sugar provides the cookies with some moisture and chew. You can use either dark or light brown sugar depending on how strong you want the flavour to be.
- Unsalted butter binds the cookies together and adds softness and richness. Make sure it’s at room temperature before creaming with the sugars. You can use salted butter, but reduce or omit the salt called for in the recipe to compensate.
- An egg also helps bind the dough together and provides some lift. Use a large egg.
- Vanilla adds delicious complex warm base notes to the flavour. Use real vanilla extract if you can.
- Dried mango adds a delicious fruit flavour and chew. You can sub this out with another dried fruit if you prefer. Strawberry or pineapple would also be delicious!
- White chocolate chips or chunks add a creamy sweetness to balance out all the tang and spice.
How to Get the Perfect Chewy Oatmeal Cookies Every Time
- Use room temperature butter to cream with the sugars. If you forgot to take your butter out early enough, boil some water in a kettle and pour it in a medium heatproof bowl and leave it there for 30–60 seconds. Meanwhile, cut your butter into pats and spread it out on a plate. You don’t want a large chunk or pile of butter, you want lots of surface area. Carefully pour the hot water out of the bowl, dry it, and invert it over the butter. Leave it for 5–10 minutes to gently warm through.
- Thoroughly cream the butter and sugars until it’s light and fluffy. This takes about 3 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, but might take longer with a hand mixer. Creaming traps air in the dough which helps keep the cookies light and chewy, so don’t rush this step!
- You can slightly underbake the cookies if you want them extra soft and chewy. Pull them from the oven when they’re no longer shiny and are just barely turning golden around the edges, around 10–12 minutes. Leave them to cool completely on the baking sheet—they’ll continue cooking to some degree and firming up for several minutes after coming out of the oven.
Storing & Making Ahead
My favourite way to make drop cookies like these ahead is to scoop the dough out on a lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, you can transfer the dough to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. When a cookie craving hits just take as many pieces out as you want, pop them on a lined baking sheet, and bake straight from the freezer adding 2–3 minutes to the bake time.
Did you Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out! And consider rating this recipe too, it helps other bakers find it!
Mango Tajín Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Line 2–3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Add 185 g all-purpose flour, 135 g old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons Tajín Clásico seasoning, and ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add 50 g granulated sugar and zest of 1 lime to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Work the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until very fragrant and the sugar is slightly damp from the lime oil.
- Add 150 g brown sugar and 170 g unsalted butter to the mixing bowl. Cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Add 75 g dried mango and 50 g white chocolate chips and mix on low just until distributed evenly.
- Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet in about 2–3 tablespoon portions. Leave at least 2–3" (5–7.5 cm) of space between each cookie. To decorate, press a few pieces of dried mango and white chocolate chips or chunks on top of each cookie, and sprinkle on some Tajín.
- Bake until spread and starting to turn golden around the edges, about 12–14 minutes. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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