Sadelle’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is full of cinnamon and plump raisins and was created by Sadelle’s bakery in New York City.
A few weeks ago, my husband texted me a link to a story the Wall Street Journal had recently posted about the best oatmeal raising cookie recipe that they had ever tried. Naturally, it piqued my interest. Anytime something is labeled as “the best”, I feel like it’s my duty to try the recipe immediately. Plus, my husband loves oatmeal cookies, and I tend to only make chocolate chip cookies, so I was a little overdue on making a new batch of oatmeal cookies. As it turns out, these cookies totally lived up to their hype!
I was immediately curious about this recipe when I read through it – the mixing technique is one I have never done before – the egg is mixed in at the very end, after the flour and even the oats and raisins! There is quite a bit of cinnamon in these cookies (four teaspoons – it’s not a typo!), and I was skeptical that it might be overpowering. Finally, once you mix the dough and shape the cookies, they are chilled – wait for it – for FOUR days! The recipe says that it’s not required but strongly recommended, so I played along and went with the four-day rest in the refrigerator.
These cookies are PHENOMENAL. My husband and I agreed that they actually are the best oatmeal raisin cookies we’ve ever tried. I shared them last Sunday and the rest of my family raved about how good they were… there was a definite consensus!
While I love the heft of the oatmeal raisin cookies from Cook’s Illustrated, the abundance of plump raisins, warm flavor from the cinnamon and super chewy texture puts this new recipe on top for me. If you’re in NYC and have had these cookies, you have to let me know how they compare!
One year ago: Slow Cooker Root Beer Baked Beans
Five years ago: Garlic Knots
Sadelle's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (145 g) raisins
- Hot water
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups (162 g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 egg
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low speed, mix in the oats, followed by the drained raisins, egg and vanilla extract.
- Use a ¼-cup measuring cup to scoop the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten each blob slightly with the bottom of the measuring cup. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 days.
- When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle, about 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
There is no reason the dough cannot be refrigerated in bulk, in a container, in a bag, in plastic wrap. A sheet tray in the refrigerator for 4 days does nothing but inconvenience the household. This kind of silly/pointless notion is what makes people dislike fine baking and cooking and view it as troublesome and difficult.
Professional baker 32 years and counting.
I am so disappointed! After making room in the refrigerator for four days, our anticipation was repaid by cookies that spread across the pan, making oatmeal raisin bars. No idea if I did something wrong, but I won’t be attempting again. Now I don’t have dessert for our picnic . . .
I’ve baked these cookies many times and they taste amazing. The 4 day marinade allows all the raisin and cinnamon flavors to soak through the dough. I’ve applied this technique to other cookie doughs and love the result. I decrease the salt to my preference. I use a golden baking pan lined with parchment paper on the middle rack on convection mode to produce crisp even browning results. I only bake on one rack at a time to get the best even baking results. A light colored insulated baking sheet also produces great baking results on cookies for me. Since every oven and baking pan differs, I always turn the oven light on and watch the cookies toward the end to make sure I pull them out at the right time when the edges have turned a golden brown.
Hello!
Just baked these cookies and they turned out fantastic! I admit, I did not wait the full 4 days in the fridge (in fact, I only waited a few minutes-sorry, I’m impatient), but they still turned out scrumptious. Additionally, as it is hard right now to find all purpose flour I substituted bread flour and they have a nice chewiness to them. Maybe that helped them hold together a bit better, as my cookies are quite large and thick. My butter was a little less than room temperature as well, so maybe that helped too? Anyway, delicious and will definitely make again! Thanks BrownEyedBaker!
I’ve made these cookies quite a few times now. I am surprised by other comments because they have always come out perfectly soft and chewy for me. I am a believer of salt and think most baking recipes could use more salt to balance the sweet (maybe a personal taste). I’ve given these cookies out for Christmas with rave reviews. Thank you for the recipe, it’s a favorite!
I made these and sadly am disappointed. Disappointed because they bake up looking nothing like the pictures. They bake up dark and have a smoother texture unlike the pictures which are light in color and look to have a chunkier texture. When I pulled them from the oven their puffiness deflated. The taste was good but they are too unattractive a cookie to make and serve. I won’t make these again. :(
Too much Salt. I made these but taste too much salt.
Iv’e made these several times & don’t know what I’m doing wrong. While they are delicious they spread so thin that they are like crisps instead of cookies. I follow the recipe exactly. HELP!
This is a very, very crumbly cookie dough. Have you experimented with adding any liquid to the ingredient list? Would you have any suggestions? A very tasty cookie but difficult to portion out without the ball of dough falling apart. Thanks
Do you think using rum instead of water would make these even better . . . ?
Do you have to refrigerate the cookie dough for 4 days?
Hello, I”ve made these cookies twice and each time they came out just like the picture but they had a funny aftertaste. i think it’s the baking soda, but i don’t know. Do you have any suggestions
Saw this recipe several years ago in our “local rag” with 1 important twist. Heat raisins slowly in, your choice, red wine, fruit juice, brandy. Your choice, if you use fruit juice freshly squeezed is best.
If I want to ultimately freeze these, would you freeze after the 4 day refrigerator rest (to then be baked individually) or after they’re baked?
Hi Laura, You could do either, may just need to add an extra minute or two if you bake from frozen. Enjoy!
Great cookies, thank you for another wonderful recipe Michelle. These are uniquely awesome oatmeal cookies.
Tip for the ” I can’t fit the cookie sheets in my fridge”.
Portion and flatten the cookies like the recipe states, get whatever size sheet you can fit in your fridge, you know balanced on the butter and a jar of pickles, you know where I’m going. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, transfer to a gallon freezer bag, and separate cookies with some parchment. Easy, now you have room for that leftover pizza.
I do this same thing for Michelle’s Favorite, well now “our” favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.
YUM! These cookies look so delicious – like the ultimate oatmeal raisin cookie :)
Ok so first off, I am a big fan of the site. Ok on to the cookies…I made them and put them in the fridge for 2hrs and cooked half of them. they were not flat but they were a lot darker than the pictures. they had a very present baking soda taste but taste ok. The other half I waited the four days…(oh i did not put these on trays…all in one bowl in the fridge) when I baked these I was super excited
the out come was still a dark cookie but it did taste better. It didn’t spread as much either. I didnt love this cookie but i didn’t throw them away either.
The Only cookie! Crunchy. Bourbon soaked raisins.
These are the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever made! As I was making them for a party that was to be held the very next day, I read the step that called for refrigerating the cookies for 4 days and panicked! I put the cookies in my deep freeze overnight instead (about 12 hours total) and then baked right from the freezer. I added 2 minutes per batch and they were perfectly browned and thick and chewy. I’m sure the flavor would have been better if they had been refrigerated as directed, but if anyone else makes the rookie mistake of not reading the recipe first like I did, there is hope!
I made these cookies twice! The first batch of 15 cookies were perfectly soft, chewy and delicious! I used my Kitchenaid mixer to get the butter and sugars super fluffy. Then I added all the flour into the same bowl and mixed it by hand with a wooden spoon until combined with fluffed butter/sugar. I think it’s important to not over mix. I then added all the other ingredients one at a time and used my Kitchenaid mixer again on stir until things are combined. I waited a little over 4 days and baked them right out of fridge. They were perfect!
I made these cookies a second time and they were flat!!! I didn’t have as much patience and only waited 2 days. Lol they were still delicious!
These are excellent! I made them twice, once not waiting the entire four days and once baking after four days. They were both very good but the ones baked after four days were definitely the best! Highly recommend!
Thanks for sharing this recipe, the best cookies I’ve ever made.
These are the best cookies ever! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Hi Michelle???
It’s a day after / The S. Oatmeal Raisin cookies.
They are pretty soft & chewy. They taste good
But Should They be a firmer?
Hi Marsha, I’m glad you enjoyed them! They should be quite soft and chewy.
Just finish Baking ? SADELLE’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. And they are Amazing‼️ I made one batch, wanted to make sure they came out okay. And Theyr better than okay ??? They are Soooo Good. My doctor Loves my Chocolate chip Cookies. Now he can add Oatmeal Raisin to the list.. Have to admit I wasn’t to keen on the 4 Days in the Fridge. Cookie dough seem a little hard. ??But I had no problem, Dough was perfect . And I dough left in a Bowl. Cookie Were big. So I just added less. ???
Happy Holidays?? ???