Best-Ever Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
My Best-Ever Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are the perfect comfort treat! I’ll let you in on the secret as to how I make these oatmeal raisin cookies so delicious, and it has to do with how I use the raisins. These cookies are soft, chewy, and utterly wholesome with a rich butter flavor, notes of caramel from the dark brown sugar, and the warmth of ground cinnamon. They’re like a nice sweet hug!
You’ll know these truly are the best-ever oatmeal raisin cookies when they disappear off the plate in a flash! Now, on to the secret of the raisins. What sets my Best-Ever Oatmeal Raisin Cookies apart is I hydrate the raisins in warm water for about ten minutes before adding them into the cookie dough. This makes the raisins super plump, and the cookies look much more appetizing with these larger raisins.
I do have two other secrets that take these oatmeal raisin cookies to the next level. The first is the ratio of white sugar to dark brown sugar. And, I chose to use dark brown sugar because the extra molasses adds more moisture and flavor. Since there is more brown sugar than white sugar, these cookies stay softer and chewier longer. But, they won’t last long!
My final secret is that I use old-fashioned or rolled oats. Old-fashioned oats are larger than steel-cut or instant oats. You’ll be able to see the oats in the cookies, which adds more visual appeal, and the old-fashioned oats make the cookies softer and chewier.
As with all my recipes, I use the scientific method to carefully craft them to ensure you get deliciously perfect results every time.
My Best-Ever Oatmeal Cookies are easy to make and super delicious, so I hope you give them a try! Enjoy one with a cup of coffee for a little moment of pure bliss!
Happy Baking!
Ingredients
1 stick (113 grams or 1/2 cup) of unsalted butter
1 large egg
96 grams (2/3 cup) of raisins
82 grams (1/3 cup, packed and 1 tablespoon, packed) of dark brown sugar
75 grams (1/4 cup and 2 level tablespoons) of white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
160 grams (1 1/4 cups) of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
120 grams (1 1/2 cups) of old-fashioned/rolled oats
Yields 18 cookies
Instructions
Let all ingredients come to room temperature. Cut the butter into small pieces to help it come to room temperature.
Geeky Tip: Ingredients that are all the same temperature incorporate more easily and fully.
Fill a small pot or bowl with hot water. Put the raisins in the water. Set it aside.
Geeky Tip: This step is crucial to having plump and juicy raisins that take my Best-Ever Oatmeal Raisin Cookies to the next level! Hydrating the raisins in hot water really does make a significant and delicious difference in these oatmeal raisin cookies!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Geeky Tip: Oven temperatures vary wildly, so get an oven thermometer. When my oven “beeps” to indicate pre-heating is done, it is usually 50-75 degrees below the target temperature. An oven thermometer is the best $5 baking investment you can make!
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Geeky Tip: I highly recommend using a light-colored aluminum baking sheet. Baking sheets that are dark will conduct more heat and may burn whatever is on them. Just think of wearing a black shirt versus a white shirt on a hot sunny day. Old baking sheets that have dark spots may heat unevenly.
Fully whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Then, mix in the oats. Set it aside.
Geeky Tip: Whisking together all the dry ingredients ensures a homogenous mixture, and it breaks up any clumps in the flour. Also, make sure to keep flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place to maintain freshness and prevent spoilage.
Beat the butter until it has a smooth appearance. About 1 minute on medium-high speed.
Geeky Tip: This helps to work some air into the butter that will aid the rise later, and it makes it easier for the sugar to cut into the butter.
Scrape down the bowl.
Add the white sugar into the butter, and cream together until lighter in color and fluffy. About 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed.
Scrape down the bowl.
Geeky Tip: Adding the white sugar before the brown sugar produces a better result and makes it easier for the white sugar crystals to cut into the butter to create small air pockets that will help generate the rise later.
Add the brown sugar, and cream together until fully incorporated. About 1 minute on medium-high speed.
Geeky Tip: If the brown sugar is packed, break it up with a fork to help it incorporate better.
Scrape down the bowl.
Beat in the egg until it is incorporated. Occasionally, scrape down the bowl.
Mix in the pure vanilla extract.
Strain the raisins, and then slightly dry them with paper towels. Set them aside.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by halves, and mix until just incorporated. Don’t overmix.
Geeky Tip: Overmixing will build up the gluten and protein structure in the dough and lead to a tougher and denser cookie.
Gently fold the raisins into the dough until evenly distributed.
Using a #30 cookie scoop (2 tablespoons), make scoops of dough, and evenly space them 2 inches apart on the sheet. For more visual appeal, position the scoops so visible raisins are on top.
Bake on the oven’s center rack at 350 degrees F. for 12-14 minutes. After baking, place the sheet on a wire rack to cool.
Enjoy!
Storage
To store the cookies, put them in an airtight container with a slice of fresh plain bread. The bread helps to keep the cookies from going stale. They can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. They can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Best-Ever Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick (113 grams or 1/2 cup) of unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 96 grams (2/3 cup) of raisins
- 82 grams (1/3 cup, packed and 1 tablespoon, packed) of dark brown sugar
- 75 grams (1/4 cup and 2 level tablespoons) of white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 160 grams (1 1/4 cups) of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 120 grams (1 1/2 cups) of old-fashioned/rolled oats
Instructions
- Let all ingredients come to room temperature. Cut the butter into small pieces to help it come to room temperature.
- Fill a small pot or bowl with hot water. Put the raisins in the water. Set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Fully whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Then, mix in the oats. Set it aside.
- Beat the butter until it has a smooth appearance. About 1 minute on medium-high speed. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the white sugar into the butter, and cream together until lighter in color and fluffy. About 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the brown sugar, and cream together until fully incorporated. About 1 minute on medium-high speed. Scrape down the bowl.
- Beat in the egg until it is incorporated. Occasionally, scrape down the bowl.
- Mix in the pure vanilla extract.
- Strain the raisins, and then slightly dry them with paper towels. Set them aside.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by halves, and mix until just incorporated. Don’t overmix.
- Gently fold the raisins into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Using a #30 cookie scoop (2 tablespoons), make scoops of dough, and evenly space them 2 inches apart on the sheet. For more visual appeal, position the scoops so visible raisins are on top.
- Bake on the oven’s center rack for 12-14 minutes. After baking, place the sheet on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
To store the cookies, put them in an airtight container with a slice of fresh plain bread. The bread helps to keep the cookies from going stale. They can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. They can be frozen for up to 6 months.