Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
The secret to a good oatmeal cookie is the texture of the oats. Using a mix of rolled oats provides the necessary bite, while the raisins need a quick soak if you want them to stay plump rather than turning into dry nuggets in the oven.
Temperature is your only hurdle
Ensure your butter is at room temperature but still cool to the touch. If it is too soft or oily, the cookies will spread into flat puddles before they set.
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- two rimmed baking sheets
- parchment paper
- wire cooling rack
- large mixing bowl
What goes in.
- 1 cupunsalted butter, softened
- 1 cupdark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
- 2large eggs
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 tspbaking soda
- 1 tspground cinnamon
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 3 cupsold-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cupsraisins
Plumping the fruit
Place your raisins in a small bowl of hot water for ten minutes, then pat them completely dry. This ensures they don't draw moisture out of the dough while baking.
The method.
Prepare the oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the base
Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for three minutes until the mixture looks pale and aerated.
Add liquids
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then stir in the vanilla extract.
Incorporate dry
Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to the butter mixture on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain.
Fold in bulk
Stir in the oats and the prepared raisins by hand using a sturdy spatula.
Bake
Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the prepared sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly soft.
Cool
Let the cookies sit on the hot pan for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Other turns to take.
Walnut Crunch
Add 1 cup of chopped, toasted walnuts to the dough for an earthy contrast to the sweetness.
Salted Dark
Finish the warm cookies with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt immediately after pulling them from the oven.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Do not use quick oats; they turn into a mushy powder under the heat and ruin the chew.
If the dough feels too sticky to scoop, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before baking.
Always pull the cookies while the centers look underdone; they continue to set as they sit on the pan.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cookies spread too thin?
The butter was likely too warm. The creaming step creates structure, but if the fat is already melted before hitting the oven, the structure collapses.
Can I use light brown sugar instead?
Yes, but the cookies will be paler and have less of that deep, molasses-like depth that dark brown sugar provides.