Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
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So, in order to understand why I felt the urge to whip up oatmeal raisin cookies in the midst of holiday baking season, you’ll need to know a little more about me. You already know that I love food and love to bake. And for the most part, I’m a girl’s girl. But… There’s a bit of tomboy lurking beneath the surface that comes out from time to time. Maybe you caught wind of my love for hockey and football when I made the Pittsburgh Penguins cookies earlier in the year for the Stanley Cup Finals or when I made the Pittsburgh Steelers cookies for the start of football season this fall. But wait, there’s more… Not only am I a crazy hockey and football fan (and currently waaaay too into my fantasy football team – it’s my first year playing), but I can’t get enough of the NHL09 game on PlayStation. My Chief Culinary Consultant and I can play for hours on end. I’m not even all that good, but winning every 4 or 5 games keeps me pretty well addicted.
So, where do the oatmeal raisin cookies come in? Well, over Thanksgiving weekend we were watching a Pens game and the announcers were talking about Matt Cooke, a scrappy 3rd liner (apologies for the hockey talk), who is affectionately nicknamed “Cookie”. They told a story about being on a recent road trip and at breakfast in the team hotel, Matt Cooke requested a cookie, saying that he eats a cookie everyday. And the cookie he requested? Oatmeal Raisin. First of all, it made me hungry for them as soon as I heard, and secondly, it was too fun a story and I felt like I HAD to make them.
Now, let’s talk about these cookies. They are absolutely incredible. Not only are they outright massive in size, but the flavor is awesome, they are thick and chewy (which I love), and neither the oats nor the raisins overpower the other. The “secret” ingredient in this recipe is that it includes no cinnamon like many other oatmeal raisin cookies, but rather just a smidge of nutmeg. It’s enough to bring all of the flavors of the cookie together and yet it plays a rather silent part. If you didn’t know it was in there, you probably wouldn’t be able to detect it. I love subtle, sneaky flavors like that. You definitely don’t want to over bake these cookies, so keep a close eye on them. The recipe says 22 to 25 minutes; I baked the first batch for 22 minutes and they were definitely overdone. The second batch I baked for 20 minutes and they were much, much better. I may shave another minute or two off the next time I make them. Keep in mind that everyone’s ovens are different, so baking times can always vary.
So here you go, Matt Cooke – an oatmeal raisin cookie.
More Oat Yuminess:
Triple Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Baked Oatmeal
Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies[/donotprint]
Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, (7½ ounces )
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 16 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool, (2 sticks )
- 1 cup (220 g) packed light brown sugar, (7 ounces)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, (7 ounces)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups (243 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1½ cups (217.5 g) raisins
Instructions
- 1. Adjust the oven racks to the low and middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
- 2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- 3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
- 4. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture with a wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in the oats and raisins.
- 5. Working with a generous 2 Tablespoons of dough each time, roll the dough into 2-inch balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- 6. Bake until the cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies with a wide metal spatula to a wire rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I am just starting on baking…. need recipes that ate easy to follow.
Thanks!!!
No cinnamon?
I really don’t enjoy leaving low comments, but I also don’t enjoy a waste of ingredients and time. Â These have been the worst cookies I have ever made and I am not a novice baker or cook. Â They looked nothing like the photos in the post. Â They were not chewy. I used my 2 T cookie scoop to drop these and they stayed like rocks. Thought maybe I should flatten them a bit after dropping on the tray to bake, and some spread too much. Â Not one has a uniform shape and not one was chewy. Â I am not sure what went wrong, but I will not be making these ever again. Â Following others who said they were bland, I did add 1 t of vanilla, 1/2 t of cinnamon, a sprinkle of cloves, and a sprinkle of allspice. Â I didn’t have quite enough raisins so made up the difference with craisins. Â None of those changes should have made these cookies turn out as they did. Â I will say with the spice additions I made the cookie was very flavorful and they were good decisions and the craisins added a nice compliment to the raisins. Â Just really disappointed with how they baked up.
This is the Cook’s Illustrated recipe from their Baking Book. Â I found it very bland. Â Needs more flavor.
I’ve been craving oatmeal raisin cookies for a while, and looking for the perfect recipe. This was it! They’re so good!Â
Followed the recipe to a tee. First batch came out great from the oven. 2nd pan was a total flop. Came out like pancakes. Not sure why the 2nd pan came out that way? 2 different recipes gone wrong!
Wow. Great recipe! Â I made them twice now and going to make them again this evening. I highly recommend you to try out this recipe. Instead of raisins I used Crasins. Yummy!
Hi is it ok to use soft tub margarine?
I do not recommend substituting margarine for the butter, as it will affect the taste and texture.
Hi Michelle. Just made these cookies yesterday afternoon. Instead of raisens I put in crasins. I plumbed them up in hot water before adding in recipe. I had raisens, I love them,but I had to try those cranberries. Delish!  I loved the idea of adding nutmeg  No cinnamon. I love cinnamon, but your recipe caught my attention and had to try it. My favorite oatmeal cookie by far. Thanks Michelle! Â
This pretty much the way I make them with a couple of additions, I plump raisins in a sauce pan. set aside to cool while mixing the rest of the ingredients. 1 cup chopped toasted nuts (your choice) optional, then fold in the raisins and nuts. With all the people allergic to nuts, you can omit them.
Bake as you do.
I have baked for over 45 years and have never come crossed one of the worst oatmeal raisin cookie in my entire life.
I made these cookies last weekend for a family BBQ. Big flop. I followed the recipe to the letter. They looked great. But there was just something off about the taste. Maybe our crowd just doesn’t care for nutmeg. I missed the vanilla and cinnamon, I guess.
I’ve made this exact recipe (from my Cooks’ Baking Illustrated cookbook) – both with, and without cinnamon. I like it better with 1/2 tsp cinnamon but that’s just an individual preference. They really got the ratio right between the oatmeal and flour and sugar — they turn out chewy and delicious. There’s an option to reduce the white sugar by 1/4 cup per the cookbook, which I might try the next time. Definitely a keeper!
Nomnomnomnom!
I am baking these right now. My husband loves nutmeg and I did give him a choice between nutmeg and cinnamon or both and he chose nutmeg. I have to say, the cookie dough tastes great, very interesting with the nutmeg. I am sure he will LOVE them! Thank you for the post!
I have to agree with the last couple of posts – these were offensive to the palate – way too sweet, buttery, and huge… I couldn’t taste the oats, what a waste… Quaker oats recipe is pretty much the same except they add a touch of vanilla, use less sugar, and less butter… They are far superior IMO… Thank you, but I will stick with a tried and true Oatmeal Raisin Cookie…
Halved the recipe. Delicious – I’m not a huge cinnamon fan with oatmeal cookies, and I thought the nutmeg was perfect. But these are way too sweet; I’d probably cut the sugar by at least a quarter and up to a half.
However, I had some of the problems other had – but it started with the flour and sugar / butter mixture not quite being cohesive. I should have somehow remedied it, but the oven was almost heated, so I went ahead and dumped oatmeal and raisins.
So, very crumbly and easily broken. But it certainly made me wonder why I hadn’t been making these from scratch all these years. Definitely beats in-store bakery cookies – and, of course, hands down the packaged versions.
I’m sorry, but I have to agree with the last 2 comments. The nutmeg was soooo displeasing and the cookies burnt on the bottoms. I should have gone with my gut feeling on not baking the cookies for 22-25 min’s. I followed instructions to a tee so I’m not sure what went wrong. All my ingredients were at room temp so I’m not sure why I ended up with puffy, hard cookies. Not sure I’ll be making these again :(
I was extremely underwhelmed by these. They were GINORMOUS!! This wouldn’t be bad if they were good. The nutmeg added a flavor that I’m not sure I liked. It was…off. Cinnamon would have been better. I certainly won’t be making these again.
I sent my 1st child to college a week ago. I wanted to send her a box of scrumptious homemade cookies. I found your recipe and it looked like it fit the bill – BUT THEY ARE TERRRIBLE!!! I checked the recipe 10 times to check to see if I had left something out or did something different than the directions; but I followed the recipe to a tee. I thought the nutmeg gave it an off taste – save your nutmeg for pumpkin pie!! I wasted the morning and a whole bunch of expensive ingredients. I will not be on this site again as I can’t trust the results. I give this recipe 10 thumbs down!!
Good cookies, but need to be flattened a bit before baking otherwise they are quite thick. Taste great.
These turned out massive! They seem so much bigger than the picture, but I made exactly 18 with the exact amounts here…but I guess I can’t complain – more is always better!
I made these tonight, substituting home made applesauce for half of the butter. Wonderful!
thanks for sharing.
Just made these right now, so far SOOO GOOD. Crispy on the edge with a chewy and moist inside! Thank you, great recipe!
Used: Cinnamon instead of Nutmeg (have none) & 2 cups Raisins.
:D
These cookies were amazing!!! The flavour was scrumptious, the texture was perfect! This recipe is a keeper!!! Love your website and I am now an avid fan!!!! Keep up the excellent work!
okay seriously, every recipe I try out from your website turns out perfect! You are a genius!! These are sooooooooo good!
Thanks! I will try. I’m allergic to cinnamon and also it’s very heating spice. With hot flashes, i try to eat mrore cooling foods and spices. Can’t wait to try this. :)
I made these yesterday, and instead of a batch of 18 cookies, I got instead 50 something cookies….not that anyone’s complaining :P
These are so delicious, it was hard enough for me to stop taking little bits of the dough :)
Ive made these using a small cookie scoop. They are quite thick for sure. I baked them for only 10 minutes due to the size..
I bookmarked this recipe months ago and finally tried it out. SO GOOD!! I followed the instructions exactly (which was tough as we don’t own an electric mixer) and they came out great. I replaced the raisins with a cup of butterscotch chips and a half cup of coconut and they were DELICIOUS! Thanks again!
Love the consistancy of the cookie, but am not in happy with the nutmeg. I’m making them again tomorrow without and am sure I will love the result.
Thanks for the great recipe. I’ll have to try this one next in my quest for the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie.
Oatmeal raisin cookies… Soo good on their own. Love the dash of nutmeg you add in there — would’ve never imagined such a simple spice could bring it all together. Can’t wait to give these a try :D
Yum! Your cookies look very tasty… I wouldn’t mind a few of them right now!
hehe too funny! You should send him a batch for good luck :)
I have made these a few times too and they are my husband’s favorite cookie. I leave the nutmeg out though, use half the amount of raisins and add chocolate chips. They have definitely converted me from a chocolate chip cookie lover to an oatmeal-raisin chocolate chip cookie lover.
This is one of those cookies that scream comfort food, along with cocolate chip cookies, and ice cream. Very nice looking cookie, I’m sure it tastes awesome. BTW, how are you liking our Canuck player, Crosby? I’m a Habs fan, living in Montreal, but not too happy with all their change in players. Oh well, time will tell.
I absolutely LOVE that there is no cinnamon in these! They must have a much more delicate flavor than the cinnamon versions. Great!
I love bakes with a story! These cookies look truly immense – so deliciously thick and chewy.
best ever says a lot – like the nutmeg switch….
go pens go! that’s how i cheered for them after my consistently inconsistent canucks lost to hawks last season!
when cookie was still with canucks, i loved him for a while cos, at first glance, he reminded me of orlando bloom, then i liked how hard-working he was. i was a little bit heart-broken when he’s traded to your team, but i’m glad that he was cos he seems to be showing his grit there!
the real cookies are wonderful. they are my mom-in-law’s favorite. i’m gonna replace them with dried cranberries though cos i’m a cranberry freak!
this is great! my husband & i are huge pens fans as well! i’ll have to try the lack of cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookies, i think my pops might like that!
love you blog btw! :)
I love cinnamon, but I think that a lot of oatmeal raisin cookies have an overpowering amount of cinnamon flavor. These look like a really nice change of pace!
I have tried this recipe before and I think I like the cookies better with cinnamon – maybe a cinnaman/nutmeg combination would be good. I’m also an avid Penguins fan – the game last night must have been extremely frustrating for them! – at least it wasn’t a shut-out! Go Pens!
Okay so you’re an amazing baker AND you’re a hockey fan!!! You’re too good to be true! Long-suffering Maple Leafs fan, here, thank you very much. Next time they make it to the playoffs I’ll have to create a cookie for them … it’s been awhile to say the least! I am all over oatmeal anything and these are GORGEOUS!
Yum oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite kinds of cookies – I like mine soft and chewy too! I think I would need to add chocolate chips to these cookies – I can’t eat anything without chocolate basically :)
That was a nice story about Cookie the hockey player!
I make oatmeal cookies ALL the time because they are my husbands favorite. Instead of the raisins though, I use white chocolate chips! :9
Great to hear about the ‘tomboy’ streak in you! I’m not a girl’s girl either, though I’m not interested in watching sports!! The cookies look fab, one of my favorite kinds!
Oh my, I’m used to put cinnamon to everything I bake, even it it doesn’t call for it (I’m a cinnamon junkie). But maybe I’ll try it someday… when I run out of cinnamon! :P
Haha, so fun about the “tomboy streak” – great story related to the cookies! :)