These crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside oatmeal raisin cookies are reminiscent of childhood. Delicately spiced with cinnamon, they get even better the next day.
These cookies are one of my absolute favourite cookie recipes. The recipe is slightly adapted (and UK-ified) from one that I used to make in my teens when I worked as an assistant chef at a children’s summer camp back in Canada. I used to make huge batches, scooping the batter onto giant baking trays with an ice cream scoop.
They were the best afternoon snack with a glass of milk for hungry kids who had been playing outdoors all day. They make an awesome after-school snack, or portable fuel for hillwalking and picnics too.
This week, they’re going to be fuelling teams of fencers (the pointy sword kind, not fence makers) during a fencing camp Shetland is hosting this summer.
I also baked an extra batch of these oatmeal raisin cookies for my husband. He loves these cookies too, and it’s not fair to make several dozen to give away, is it?
These cookies keep really well. I think they get better the next day, and even the 2nd and 3rd days, if they last that long. You can also freeze them and defrost a few at a time, as needed.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR THESE OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
- porridge oats – the quick cook variety (Scott’s porridge oats are perfect)
- raisins or sultanas
- plain flour
- granulated sugar (but caster sugar works fine too)
- soft brown muscovado sugar
- baking powder
- bicarbonate of soda
- sea salt
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves (I freshly grind my own for the best flavour)
- white vegetable fat – Crisco if you’re in Canada/USA or Cookeen in the UK (Trex works, but it’s a bit too fluffy).
- a free range egg
- a little bit of milk (this can be non-dairy)
- vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE THESE OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
Step 1: Whisk together the flour, sugars, spices, salt and rising agents in a bowl.
Step 2: Rub in the white vegetable fat with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Stir in the porridge oats and raisins.
Step 4: Beat the egg with the milk and vanilla.
Step 5: Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
Step 6: Drop by the spoonful onto a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes.
These cookies really do bring back memories of childhood for me, especially the summer.
You may notice that the recipe calls for white vegetable fat and not butter. Now, I do love cooking with butter, but with this recipe, it’s just not the same if you use butter. It’s the wrong texture. If you’re in North America Crisco works really well, and if you’re in the UK Cookeen is my preferred brand. Trex does work ok, but it’s a bit too soft and fluffy and the resulting bake isn’t quite what I like.
What’s your favourite cookie from your childhood? Let me know in the comments!
The Very Best Homemade Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 190 grams plain flour
- 120 grams granulated sugar
- 90 grams light brown muscovado sugar
- 0.25 tsp ground cloves
- 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp Shetland sea salt
- 0.5 tsp baking powder slightly heaped tsp
- 0.25 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 90 grams white vegetable fat
- 75 grams porridge oats
- 80 grams raisins or sultanas
- 40 ml full fat milk
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 medium free-range egg
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F.
- Whisk the flour, sugars, spices, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together in a large mixing bowl.
- Rub the white vegetable fat in with your fingers tips until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Stir in the porridge oats and raisins.
- Beat the egg, milk and vanilla together and add to the dry ingredients. Combine well with a wooden spoon.
- Drop by the spoonful (about the size of a walnut) onto a greased baking tray or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-14 minutes, until golden.
- Leave to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
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Easy recipe! I needed something sweet in a hurry and these fitted the bill really well. I didn’t have Cookeen so I used butter instead and they turned out fine. You mentioned freezing them – can I freeze them after baking or do I just freeze the dough? They would be great as a freezer standby.
I’m so glad you like this recipe! They can be frozen after baking, and they defrost really quickly too. 🙂
I am literally going to go to the store today to get ingredients for these cookies. I am SO EXCITED to try them! Oatmeal Raisin is my absolute favorite.
I love oatmeal cookies but I’ve never tried a recipe with raisins! I will definitely try this one!
Your photos are always mouthwatering, amazing! I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks
These cookies look delicious and I just know I would love them!
I think these look amazing! Perfectly baked and I just want a big ole glass of milk and three of them!
My son loves raisin oatmeal cookies. In fact, we just bought a batch this past weekend. None of us liked them but my son couldn’t stop eating them.
Ooh I love the sound of these. I love oatmeal and even better that its as a cookie. A great on the go snack indeed.
Oatmeal cookies are my absolute favorite.You are making me want some just be reading this recipe. Yummy!
Those look absolutely scrumptious. I am trying to stay off sugar lately, but may be will try is with an alternative.
You just can’t beat homemade cookies like this!!
Yum! These Oatmeal Cookies look so amazing! Chewy and Soft just like I like them! Pinned!
Oatmeal raisin cookies are the ultimate comfort snack. And homemade ones are the best.
I love raisin and cookies so this is great recipe for me. In fact I have gotten this huge raisin from the Grape Valley in Turpan China from my vacation last month. I am going to use that to make thse oatmeal raisin cookies.
Excited to bake these with my girls. This recipe will make for a fun afternoon and a delicious treat.
These look delicious, seem to be cooked perfectly. Even better the second day? Looks like those in the picture right out of the oven would be hard to beat!
these are my sons favorite cookies although he loves raisins in his I always split the batch and add chocolate chips to half he will love these!
Oh my yummiliciousness. These would be gone in no time in our house. Love that you added raisins to the mix
I’ve been wanting to make this for the longest time. This recipe should finally get me to do it over the weekend!
This looks like a really nice recipe to make. I’ll have to try it out! Thanks for sharing x
These look so good, always looking for new cookie recipes to try! Love oatmeal raisin cookies especially, you’ve got my mouth watering at the look of them, they look so chewy and delicious
Cookies in general are just the best snack with a glass of milk (lactose free in our household) I love the addition of cinnamon in the cookie to give it a little added spice, could these works with using honey do you think?
They do look really good, like they’d still be nice and soft for snapping and milk is the perfect accompaniment. Mich x
Love the sound of these cookies, have been hunting for a good recipe for ages. Really enjoying reading through your website, how idyllic a life in the Shetland Islands must be, I’m jealous ☺️