I realized recently that I’ve been woefully neglect of including oatmeal cookies in the DisplacedHousewife family. Chocolate? Yep, plenty of that. But oatmeal? No love. The loss was weighing heavily on our hearts. An emptiness that just couldn’t be filled. We had to rectify the situation.
I set out on a journey to make us PERFECT oatmeal raisin cookies. It was a journey I didn’t take lightly and I had a very specific oatmeal cookie in mind. While I love girth in my cookies it just didn’t seem right here. Nope. I wanted her to be thinner than most of my cookies, but not too thin, lacy or crispy. None of that is welcome. I futzed with flours and futzed with sugars and futzed with eggs…no cinnamon and too much cinnamon. Meanwhile, this was going on whilst I was trying to perfect the pumpkin muffin (translation: eat Libby’s entire current stock of canned pumpkin). Suffice it to say getting dressed for dinner the other night had its challenges.
BUT, it was all totally worth it. Here she is…after weeks of testing. She’s not too bulky, not too cakey, perfectly chewy, with the correct raisins to oats to cookie dough ratio. Plus, she’s easy as hell to throw together. Yep, she’s a keeper. You guys, it’s almost fall!!!
Before We Get Started:
- Butter. You can melt the butter or you can brown the butter…I’m going to leave that up to you. Both options are marvvy. Really depends on the amount of time you have to invest in getting said cookies mixed + baked.
- Usually, after you melt your butter, I make you wait until it cools down a beat. Not this time. Just dump yo sugar in there and make it happen.
- You HAVE TO refrigerate this dough, prior to separating it into dough balls…for at least 30 minutes. You’ll thank me. The dough is quite sticky and the fridge time will make it easier to shape. Take a bath or a quick cat nap while it chills. You deserve it. Or, not nearly as sexy, clean the kitchen so you can just climb in bed with your oatmeal raisin cookies when they’re done. You eat cookies in bed, right?
- Flour… So I have you use 1/2 bread flour and 1/2 all-purpose flour. I tested them with all bread flour and they turned out fine…you’ll just have a cake-ier cookie. I also tested them with all-purpose flour…they turned out, but there was lots of spread…if you do opt to use 100% all-purpose flour I highly recommend putting the dough balls in the freezer for at least 15 minutes prior to baking to keep spread to a minimum.
- I always have you futz your dough balls into perfect little spheres. Not this time. Gently futz into balls and then press down a bit, so you have more of a disc. Yep, that’s right. You got this.
Let’s get our bake on…
More Yummy Cookie Fun
Grab My Favorite Cookies Tips for Perfect Cookies, make these Crinkly, Fudgy Brownie Cookies (they’re so good!) or try my favorite, small-batch (one bowl! no rest!) Mega Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies!!
Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Makes About 2 Dozen Cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 1 stick, 4 ounces, of unsalted butter, melted or browned
- ½ cup sunflower seed oil, or other neutral oil
- 1 cups packed brown sugar or muscovado
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup bread flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 1/2 cups oatmeal (I use Quaker Old Fashioned)
- 2 cups raisins (I like the dark ones)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure you have a rack in the top third of your oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- In a large bowl, mix your melted butter, oil and sugars until nice and smooth.
- Add the eggs + vanilla and mix until everything is well blended.
- In a small bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, bread flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
- Dump the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until the cookie dough is barely blended….you’ll still see streaks of flour. Add your oatmeal and raisins and finish mixing with just a few strokes.
- Lay some plastic wrap on the counter and dump the dough on top. Wrap tightly and stick in the fridge for at least 30 minutes…it will make it easier to work with. This is a wet cookie dough, your hands will get messy. Prepare yourself. Side Note: You can put the dough, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, in the fridge for several days at this point, if you want to make the oatmeal raisin cookies another day. Additionally, you could also roll the dough into balls (and gently press down into little discs), freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet and then shove them in a resealable plastic bag and put back in the freezer to have oatmeal raisin cookies on-demand…just add a minute or two to the bake time.
- Once the dough is chilled, pull out of the fridge and gently roll into balls of about 2 tablespoons each and allow about 2 inches of space between the dough balls. Press the dough down a bit (not too much) so that they are like little discs.
- Bake the oatmeal raisin cookies in the top third of the oven for about 11-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes post baking and then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling down.
- I hope you love them and thanks for making these oatmeal raisin cookies! Be sure to tag me @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your creations!!
On My Mind
- If you want to read about my favorite Amazon + Etsy stuff, read this quickie interview over on The Housewife Blog!
- What fall shows are you watching? I have yet to get into anything…looking for suggestions…
- What’s everyone reading? I picked up The Grandmothers several years ago, read several pages and never picked it up again. Did you see the movie? It’s crazy. Last night I picked the book back up and I’m loving it. Has anyone else read it?
- I’m doing a feedfeed (@thefeedfeed) Snapchat takeover on Sunday!! I’m going to make my Pumpkin Scones, if you guys would like to join me. Get your ingredients and bake along with me! I’ll start around 10am PST.
- MORE COOKIE RECIPES: Chocolate Marshmallow Sea Salt Cookies, Dark Chocolate + Tart Cherry Cookies, Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chai Spiced Oatmeal Granola Cookies, Brown Butter Muscovado Snickerdoodles, The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever, Loaded Aloha Cookies, Smoked Salt Double Chocolate Rye Cookies, Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies, Bomb Chocolate Chip Cookies, Breakfast Crack Cookies, Holy Shit S’more Cookie, Bi-Curious Peanut Butter Cookies, Classic Snickerdoodles, Giant Salted Dark Chocolate + Olive Oil Cookies…
- FAVORITE FALL RECIPES: Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Petite Pumpkin Scones, Pecan + Tart Cherry Granola, Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies (one of my favorites!), Fresh Fig + Pecan Fall Salad, Thai Thai Scones and Breakfast Crack Cookies.
- I’m so glad you guys liked the Pumpkin Streusel Muffins!!! I had a really hard time taking them off the cover of the site…I was obsessed with the photos…
- I know, lots of sweets happening over here! I’m working on something savory…something with chicken…maybe with a slow cooker (can’t decide)…but it’s comforting and just the kind of stuff we want to eat come fall. Which is Thursday — YAY!!!
- Enjoy your last day of summer. Sending lots of love!
–Rebecca xoxo
Hi there! These look great and I want to try to make them. I was wondering why add the oil instead of using all butter for the fat? Can I use all butter and if so, how would the cookies be different? Thanks!
Hey Ana, thank you! I like to add oil to my cookies as it helps keep them soft (I don’t like crispy cookies…typically). So it’s a texture thing. You can replace it with butter…I haven’t made this cookie with all butter, but if I was going to I would probably use 8 tablespoons (113 g or 4 oz) of butter to replace the oil. If you make it this way let me know how it goes and reach out with any other questions. Have fun!! xoxo
This looks delicious! Your recipes are so tempting! Going to try a few. Do you happen to have the ingredients list for this one in grams and ml? Thank you :O)
Hi Veronique! Unfortunately I do not — I’m so sorry. I’m trying to work my way through my older recipes to add weight measurements. I can tell you that typically 1 cup of all-purpose flour in my recipes is 135g (I may lower this to 130g for my next book…but that’s a whole ‘nuther conversation about weights and conversions ;)). Have fun!! xoxo
Our office brings in a variety of cookies every couple of weeks as a treat – most people are all over the chocolate chip cookies but I just love the oatmeal ones. This recipe looks perfect – a classic, raisin filled oatmeal cookie – love it! I haven’t read The Grandmas – will have to look it up. I recommend The Nightingale – it was really good and moving.
Geraldine–I agree!! I love both…I couldn’t pick favorites…I don’t think. ;) I will check out that book, thank you for the rec!! xoxo
So I’m definitely an oatmeal cookie girl over chocolate chip which seems to be rarer than I thought! Something about their delicious chewiness is so much more welcoming to me! I love who gorgeous these look: I have some on track for Christmas time but these would be perfect for my dad who is the ultimate raisin guy!
Jessica–I love the chewiness of the oatmeal cookies, they’re so good!! I hope you give them a try!! xoxo
I’m so glad you futz with the balls… else they wouldn’t be nice and fluffy! Ohhh the flour matters, right? Gluten is magic when one doesn’t have to stay away from it. I love how you’ve tested this recipe over and over to make it just right because, even though it’s a classic, doesn’t mean we can’t improve it! Delicious work my dear and thank you for all those cookie links! My GOODNESS!!
Traci–The flour totally matters!!! I love to mess around and see who the gluten + protein of a flour affects a cookie or cake or whatever. xoxo
Love oatmeal raisin cookies so much! Oatmeal raisin cookies are the quintessential comfort food, in my opinion. ;) These tips are great, Rebecca, and thinking about browning the butter sounds crazy good. xoxo
Tessa–It is completely a nostalgic, comfort-cookie…I totally agree!! Brown butter is ALWAYS a good idea!! xoxox
i love all of your futzing to achieve the perfect oatmeal cookie! i will definitely give it a go, though i usually leave the raisins out. i know i know! but i live in a house with peculiar men. and i suggest catastrophe on amazon. witty dialog/banter and just the right amount of offbeat. check it out.
Cathy–Thanks for the show rec, I will check it out. I know the raisin dilemma..I used to be one of those people. We like each other now. Maybe there’s hope for them? xoxo
I think those are the most perfect oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever laid my eyes on. Swoon!
Thanks Alida!!! xoxox
These *so* look like the perfect oatmeal cookie. Love!
Thank you Laura!!! xoxox
My son Sean is a connoisseur of oatmeal cookies Rebecca since he does not like chocolate. I know, I just said that, he does not like chocolate. He must have been switched at birth! He will be up from Charleston in a few weeks, so I will most definitely try these out on him and get back to you with his report! I’m sure he’s going to LOVE them!
Mary Ann–I would love to hear his thoughts!!! I don’t even understand not loving chocolate…it’s like you just started speaking Russian to me. I’m kidding. I hope you guys love them and have fun on his visit!!! xoxox
These cookies look perfect to me and just to be sure, I can taste test them for ya, lol :D
For shows? I love Narcos and Stranger Things. Both are on Netflix and are totally awesome!
Dawn–Always in need of cookie testers!! I will check out those shows, thanks for the recs!! xox
I feel a bit guilty but I’ve never liked the oatmeal cookie. Not sure why bc I love oatmeal. I’ll bet your perfect version here will make me a Belieber! I want to experiment with my gluten free cookies and see if putting the dough in the fridge helps them. Thanks for the tip lady!
Karen–I hope you look back at this and see that you have to put your GF cookie dough in the fridge — it’s a massive game changer. I have a GF Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe where I talk about this…hold on…digging up the link…
Here it is: http://www.displacedhousewife.com/?p=2510
Loads of GF cookie-making tips. Happy baking!! xoxo