My New Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

5 from 5 votes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

One of the best things about classic cookies is that there are so many versions to love.

My New Favorite Oatmeal Cookies
My New Favorite Oatmeal Cookies / Sarah Crowder / Katie Workman / themom100.com

I haven’t been consistently happy with my oatmeal cookie recipe for a while. Sometimes they turn out perfectly, fairly flat, chewy and moist in the middle, with crinkly caramelized edges —  not cakey or rounded —  butterscotch-esque in flavor. The way they are supposed to. Sometime they don’t follow orders, and stay too puffed, or become a little bit dry, even when they are not overbaked, and less damply dense than I crave.

Perfect Oatmeal Cookies (At Least I Think So)

So, I took the same recipe, but reduced the amount of flour and oats slightly, upped the butter considerably (even in an oatmeal cookie, I am not looking for healthy; it’s still a cookie), took out one egg, increased the salt and the vanilla, changed the sugar ratio a bit to favor the brown variety, and tried it again.

I also baked bigger cookies. Only when your cookies are at least 3-inches wide can you approach the nirvana that comes with a cookie that has different texture throughout, a ring of crispness around the very edge, firm but with some give as you head in for the next bite, and finally soft but chewy in the middle.

My New Favorite Oatmeal Cookies / Sarah Crowder / Katie Workman / themom100.com

I also took a page from my favorite chocolate chip (or chunk) recipe, and let the dough rest for 2 days. You could skip this step, or you could leave the dough for as long as 4 days before baking. The resting time allows the dough to absorb all extra liquid and develop a deeper, richer, more caramel-ey flavor, which is the difference between a great cookie and a memorable one (she said opinionatedly).

I am happier now.

My New Favorite Oatmeal Cookies - Katie Workman - The Mom 100

(P.S. Because these cookies are big, you’ll be baking only 6 cookies per sheet, which seems like a small number, but remember – these are big cookies, and they need their space. And one cookie is definitely a satisfying serving (also, the recipes makes only about 14 to 16 cookies, so you are talking three sheets and done. Unless you double the recipe. Which you are welcome to do.)

My New Favorite Oatmeal Cookies / Sarah Crowder / Katie Workman / themom100.com

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It
5 from 5 votes

My New Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

One of the best things about classic cookies is that there are so many versions to love.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 18 People

Ingredients 

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup raisins

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (postpone this step if you are planning to refrigerate your dough for a couple of days).
  • Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-size bowl.
  • Blend the butter and both sugars together in a large bowl with a hand mixer (or a standing mixer), until well blended. Beat in the egg, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture gradually mixing on low speed until each batch is incorporated. Mix in the oats, and the raisins.
  • Use a ¼ cup measuring cup (or ice cream scoop) to measure out balls of the dough, which should be placed on an ungreased cookie sheet with at least 3 inches in between each ball (you should bake 6 cookies per classic-sized cookie sheet). Use the bottom of a glass to flatten each ball. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days, longer if you like. (You can also layers the flattened disks of dough two layers deep in a container, with parchment or wax paper in between the layers, if that’s easier in terms of fridge space).
  • Bake the cookies for about 11 to 16 minutes (see Note! This is important!), until they are golden brown, but still have nice give in the middle. Let them sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Notes

Note:

If your cookie dough is at room temperature, whether you’ve just made it, or you’ve let it return to room temperature before baking, you must start checking the cookies at 11 minutes. They tend to go from almost done to definitely done very quickly. The longer baking time is if you are baking them straight from the fridge. I need to play around with this a bit more, but I do feel like baking them from room temperature is the most successful in terms of texture and consistency. And having said that, the few that got a bit more crisp-cooked were UN-believable crumbled over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Nothing to be sad about here.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 201mg, Potassium: 131mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 328IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




15 Comments

  1. I’ve been making these for the last 2 years and they are a huge hit! I was wondering if you’ve ever tried using dried cranberries instead of raisins. Also, what do you think about adding white chocolate chips (and cutting back on the raisins or dried cranberries)? Thank you for this delicious cookie recipe!!!

    1. yes I have definitely used cranberries with great success! And I would absolutely try the white chocolate chips, subbing in or half of the cranberries. Let me know how that turns out!

  2. Best cookie ever! I added nuts n dried cranberries, but whatever you prefer this cookie dough is scrumptious.

  3. Really delicious! Exactly what I was looking for. I have been a pastry chef for a very long time and cookies are such a unique entity that seems easy but aren’t really. These are on point!

  4. Can you make these with chocolate instead of raisins? Unfortunately I’m not a huge raisin fan, but these cookies look fantastic!

  5. Hi Katie,
    I have been baking this recipe since you first posted it and hands down this is the BEST OATMEAL RAISIN cookie recipe EVER! I follow your recipe exactly, except I don’t flatten them and they come out perfect! I don’t refrigerate the dough but I allow it to sit for an hour or so at room temperature and then bake the cookies exactly 11 minutes. I allow them to cool down on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes and them transfer them to a cooling rack. Everyone that tastes the cookies say that I should sell them!!! That is how good they are!

    Today, as I began to sit out my ingredients to make the cookies, I thought I need to tell you how much I appreciate this recipe. I was never a cookie baker but thanks to you, I am now! I will begin to expand my baking and cooking efforts and explore more of your recipes.
    Peace & Blessings

    1. Hi, Dee – what a lovely lovely comment! Thank you so much for writing. Isn’t this a great oatmeal cookie? Maybe you should sell them! Thanks again for letting me know.

  6. These look very interesting, but when you instruct to “use your hand to flatten the balls”, approximately how many inches in diameter will these flattened balls be? It is difficult to judge from the photo, and could be anywhere from2 to 4 inches! Thank you.

      1. These cookies are just perfect for late afternoon rich homey crispy …. they say welcome home