Make Perfect Oatmeal Cookies (Soft, Chewy and Warmly Spiced)

• Food: Oatmeal Cookies
• Writer: Lizzie Green
• Content-Type: Food Blog

I don’t often use the word “perfect” to describe a dish, but these oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and warmly spiced, just like a good oatmeal raisin cookie should be.

Happy Friday, everyone! I’m ecstatic to share these oatmeal cookies with you today since they’re just the finest. I had a strong need for an oatmeal raisin cookie a few weeks ago.

I dashed to the kitchen and hurriedly put together ingredients that I happened to have on hand, making some acceptable oat-ball cookies without actually measuring.

They satisfied my hunger to a degree, but my appetite remained unsatisfied. So when I was flipping through Sarah Copeland’s lovely new book Every Day is Saturday, I was drawn to her oatmeal cookie recipe.

“There are three sorts of oatmeal cookies,” Sarah says, “over-sugared and raisin-laden, too wholesome (a hippie cookie disguised), and these little bits of ecstasy you can’t stop eating – that just right kind of cookie.”

These belong to the third camp: sugar is kept in check, but it’s still there, and there’s no skimping on the butter (although I used coconut oil and they were still perfect).

These have a strong flavor because to cinnamon and vanilla. A sprinkling of raisins and buttery pecans (I used walnuts) will satisfy the sweet taste.”

What is my personal opinion? These cookies were absolutely delicious! They were exactly what I needed; the only issue was that they were gone far too quickly!

Ingredients for Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe’s components are basic, and you probably already have them in your pantry!

• The dough is made out of all-purpose flour and whole rolled oats.
• Baking soda and baking powder give them a wonderful puffy texture.
• Brown sugar provides just the right amount of caramelized sweetness to the dish.
• The salt balances out the sweetness of the sugar and raisins.
• They have a delightfully warm, spiced oatmeal cookie flavor thanks to cinnamon and vanilla extract.
• Moisture and richness are added with coconut oil or melted butter. I used coconut oil instead of butter, and they tasted exactly as delicious!
• They have a rich, thick dough with a moist, light final texture thanks to 1 large egg + an extra egg yolk.
• Raisins adorn them with chewy sweet bursts.
• Walnuts give nuttiness and crunch to the dish.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

This oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is simple to make. This is what you must do:

1. Whisk together the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls.
2. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until just incorporated.
3. Combine the oats, raisins, and walnuts in a mixing bowl. It’ll be a thick mixture!
4. Allow 20 minutes for the dough to rest. Then make balls out of it.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the balls for 10-11 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. The cookies should appear slightly underbaked when you remove them from the oven. Don’t worry, they’ll be delectably soft and chewy if you leave them on the hot baking pans for 5 minutes after taking them out of the oven.
7. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely after 5 minutes, and enjoy!

Tips for Making Oatmeal Cookies

Sarah’s book contains a few helpful hints. Her techniques for producing the best oatmeal raisin cookies are as follows:

• Brown sugar should be used. Sarah uses 100% brown sugar instead of a blend of brown sugar and granulated sugar. It adds a lovely caramelized taste to these oatmeal raisin cookies.
• Melted butter, not creamed butter, is the way to go. Creamed butter cookies, according to Sarah, are unpredictable: they can easily spread too much or be too stiff. You’ll always get moist, chewy cookies if you use melted butter.
• Allow 20 minutes for the dough to rest before baking. Those 20 minutes will make it easier to roll your dough into balls, ensuring that the cookies maintain their shape and develop a deliciously chewy texture in the oven.
• To get the best texture and flavor, let the cookies cool fully. Allowing these oatmeal raisin cookies to cool completely is a pain, but it’s worth it. They’ll be chewier and more flavorful from the brown sugar. Sarah prefers them a few hours to a day after they’ve been baked. (However, if you can’t wait that long, I can testify that they’re still good.)

My Favorite Oatmeal Cookie Variations

You will not be disappointed if you follow the recipe exactly as written: these oatmeal cookies are buttery, nutty, and properly spiced. However, if you want to branch out from the conventional oatmeal raisin cookie, here are a few suggestions:

• To make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, replace the raisins with chocolate chips, or combine the two.
• Instead of walnuts, try pecans.
• Dried cherries or cranberries can be substituted for the raisins.
• Toss the dough with a pinch of cardamom or ginger.
• For a more buttery flavor, omit the raisins and replace with butterscotch chips or a blend of chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Oatmeal Cookies that can be made ahead of time

This oatmeal cookie recipe is for you if you want to have cookie dough on hand in the fridge or freezer. The dough can be mixed and stored in the fridge for 7-10 days or frozen for up to a month.

To keep the dough, roll it into balls and place them in the freezer for a few minutes. Then, refrigerate or freeze them in sealed plastic containers or Ziploc bags. You can alternatively use an 812-inch piece of parchment paper as a guide to roll the dough into a log. Refrigerate or freeze the log tightly wrapped in parchment, then slice the cookies into rounds before baking.

Straight from the fridge, bake your cookie dough. Allow it to come to room temperature for 15 minutes before putting it in the oven if it’s frozen

Oatmeal Cookies

These oatmeal cookies are soft and chewy, and they’re the perfect afternoon snack! For a fun twist, add chocolate or butterscotch chips to the mix. Sarah Copeland’s Every Day is Saturday.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup whole rolled oats
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and parchment paper two baking sheets.
2. In a large mixing basin, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk the melted coconut oil, sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla together quickly in a separate dish.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Fold in the grains, raisins, and walnuts, if using, until a tight batter forms. While the oven heats up, set aside the dough for 20 minutes. (Note: if your dough is too wet to scoop, chill it for 20 minutes in the fridge to firm it up.) Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of water if your dough is too crumbly.
4. To make the balls spherical, scoop them into 20 tablespoon-sized balls and roll lightly in barely damp hands. Spread out onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 to 11 minutes, or until puffed, golden, and a little underbaked. Allow 5 minutes to cool on the pans before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.