The BEST Oatmeal Raisin Cookies EVER!

[JustJoel]

Okay, not really. It’s just that I’ve been researching oatmeal raisin cookie recipes for a week or two. I started craving them. And if you google “soft chewy oatmeal raisin cookies,” you’ll get about a thousand hits, each recipe claiming to be the BEST. Odd thing is, there isn’t much that separates the recipes. Brown sugar and granulated sugar creamed into butter, eggs and vanilla, and flour, baking soda, a bit of salt and some cinnamon. And of course rolled oats and raisins.

I settled on this recipe, which is adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe. The source was one point in its favor, the other was that it uses baking powder instead of baking soda, the reason being that baking powder creates a chewier cookie.

I tweaked it, of course. The recipe is oddly lacking vanilla, so I added two tsps. I cut out a 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and added two tbsps of molasses. Along with the cinnamon, I added 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp ground clove. I plumped the raisins in a bit of whiskey mixed with water and honey. And in half the batch I added milk chocolate Raisinettes, just because. (Mark doesn’t like chocolate in his cookies, so just half a batch.) The best tweak, though, was that before I put them in the oven, I sprinkled each cookie with a few grains of course sea salt (Real Salt was what I had on hand). WOW! What a punch! It really made them truly the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies ever!

What special things do you do to make your oatmeal cookies pop? Do you like chewy, crispy, or both? Share with me, please!

 

[Cheryl J]

OK, now you've done it, Joel. I'm going to have to make a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies - they are my favorite! The recipe you posted along with your tweaks sounds really good.

I've tried many different recipes over the years, but I always go back to "Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies" from the recipe on the underside of the lid on the carton of Quaker Oats.

I love them on the soft and chewy side, too. I make them a little bigger than called for so that they'll be softer. I'm not a fan of hard cookies. I always plump the raisins as well, in a tiny bit of boiling water...just for minute, then drain and pat.

I often sub half of the raisins for dried cranberries and add some chopped pecans to the mix, if I have those ingredients. I love them best that way.

Thanks for sharing your new oatmeal raisin cookie discovery!

 

[JustJoel]

OK, now you've done it, Joel. I'm going to have to make a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies - they are my favorite! The recipe you posted along with your tweaks sounds really good.

I've tried many different recipes over the years, but I always go back to "Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies" from the recipe on the underside of the lid on the carton of Quaker Oats.

I love them on the soft and chewy side, too. I make them a little bigger than called for so that they'll be softer. I'm not a fan of hard cookies. I always plump the raisins as well, in a tiny bit of boiling water...just for minute, then drain and pat.

I often sub half of the raisins for dried cranberries and add some chopped pecans to the mix, if I have those ingredients. I love them best that way.

Thanks for sharing your new oatmeal raisin cookie discovery!

Isn’t it great how adaptive oatmeal cookies can be?!? I think for my next batch, I’ll use yogurt dipped raisins and some dried and rehydrated pineapple and mango!

 

[Kayelle]

My late FIL made a wonderful chewy oatmeal cookie and at Christmas he added chopped red and green candied cherries to the mix.

 

[JustJoel]

My late FIL made a wonderful chewy oatmeal cookie and at Christmas he added chopped red and green candied cherries to the mix.

Festive!

 

[Cheryl J]

It does sound pretty Kay, not to mention the family memories!

 

[Andy M.]

Oatmeal raisin with walnuts is one of my very favorite cookies. I also use the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe.

JJ, you made some significant changes to the recipe. I'm glad they came out great.

 

[JustJoel]

Oatmeal raisin with walnuts is one of my very favorite cookies. I also use the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe.

JJ, you made some significant changes to the recipe. I'm glad they came out great.

Were my changes that significant, really? I just subbed out a bit of the sugar for a bit of molasses and added some vanilla, really. The spice additions I didn’t think too dramatic, and the sprinkle of salt on top of the cookies was more of a garnish than a change.

They did come out quite good though, if I do say so

I’d love to add nuts, too. Walnuts, almonds, especially pecans, or even pistachios. Alas, my teeth, or lack thereof, prevent me from munching on nuts! Same reason I make soft chewy cookies. I love the crunchy ones that are almost like brittle, but I just can’t right now!

I’ll have to look up that Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe! Seems to be very popular on DC.

 

[Andy M.]

I think they’re significant.
Molasses has a much bolder flavor than sugar and is hygroscopic, making for a softer cookie.

Vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and clove are all bold flavors.

Then there’s whiskey!

I wonder if you can taste the oats!

I’m not being critical and I’m glad the cookies came out so good. But so many bold flavors at once is risk. Being conservative, I’d try one or two changes in a batch.

 

[JustJoel]

I think they’re significant.
Molasses has a much bolder flavor than sugar and is hygroscopic, making for a softer cookie.

Vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and clove are all bold flavors.

Then there’s whiskey!

I wonder if you can taste the oats!

I’m not being critical and I’m glad the cookies came out so good. But so many bold flavors at once is risk. Being conservative, I’d try one or two changes in a batch.

The oats most definitely have a presence! And there was so little whiskey, I might as well just have left it out, lol.

I didn’t take your comments as criticism, btw, and they were most welcome! I guess my changes were a bit “riskier” than I thought!

I did look up the Quaker Oats recipe. It’s quite similar to most of the other recipes I found on-line. What makes it special, or different, or at least so popular on DC?

Oh, I hate, really really hate, creaming butter and sugar. I zapped the butter and sugar for about a minute before I beat it. Didn’t seem to do any harm.

 

[Andy M.]

The risk of nuking butter before creaming is softening/melting it so it won’t hold its shape and give the cookies volume.

I’m not surprised oatmeal raisin cookie recipes are often similar. It’s a fairly basic cookie that highlights the flavor of the oats and raisins.

 

[JustJoel]

The risk of nuking butter before creaming is softening/melting it so it won’t hold its shape and give the cookies volume.

I’m not surprised oatmeal raisin cookie recipes are often similar. It’s a fairly basic cookie that highlights the flavor of the oats and raisins.

Well, one learns something new everyday! Maybe I was just lucky, nuking the butter and sugar, or maybe I didn’t nuke it long enough to actually melt it. Like I said, whatever happened didn’t seem to have any bad consequence.

So why is Quaker’s recipe so popular? On this forum, anyway? Has it become kind of a standard that everyone knows?

 

[Cheryl J]

Joel, your cookies do sound delicious. Especially after just getting out of the hospital.

About the Quaker Oats recipe...to be honest, my mother used that recipe for decades and I just kind of followed that over the years, with a couple of little tweaks. LOL

 

[CraigC]

Sounds good as long as the raisins are left out. Not a fan.

 

[GotGarlic]

So why is Quaker’s recipe so popular? On this forum, anyway? Has it become kind of a standard that everyone knows?

Because marketing works The recipe has been included in the lid of the package for over a hundred years. That's also why Nestlé Tollhouse Cookies are the most popular chocolate chip cookie and the Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe on the can label is the most popular way to make pumpkin pie. It's convenient and right there when you need it.

 

[Cheryl J]

Yep! The last time I bought oats, the store brand was having a really good sale, so I bought two. I threw away the new lid from the store brand and put the Quaker lid back on it so the recipe would be handy.

 

[Andy M.]

Yep! The last time I bought oats, the store brand was having a really good sale, so I bought two. I threw away the new lid from the store brand and put the Quaker lid back on it so the recipe would be handy.

I never trust any recipe to always be there for me, either on a website or food packaging. If like a recipe, I add to my cookbook.

Did you know the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe has changed in recent years from the original?

 

[Cheryl J]

Andy, I don't know about any changes - all I know is that I've used this recipe for so long and have the same one in my hard copy recipe binder. It's my go-to. What recipe do you use?

Quaker Oats has the same recipe on their webpage.

 

[JustJoel]

I really don’t like oatmeal. I do love oatmeal cookies, but haven’t had them in years, til now. I’m afraid I underestimated the fiber content! It’s a good thing, though; I haven’t been this regular in months!

 

[JustJoel]

Andy, I don't know about any changes - all I know is that I've used this recipe for so long and have the same one in my hard copy recipe binder. It's my go-to. What recipe do you use?

Quaker Oats has the same recipe on their webpage.

This is the recipe that I found on Quaker Oats’ website. I’d be very interested to know when and how it it was altered!