Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Before you start

A good oatmeal raisin cookie is chewy and moist, warmly spiced and full of soft, plump fruit. Most of the chew comes from brown sugar and from old-fashioned rolled oats, which keep their shape and texture better than quick oats. The spice is kept to cinnamon and a little nutmeg so the brown sugar and butter still come through.

Two small steps make a big difference. Soaking the raisins briefly in hot water stops them from drawing moisture out of the dough and baking into hard pellets. Resting the dough for an hour lets the oats absorb some liquid, so the cookies spread less and bake up thick and tender rather than flat and greasy.

Ingredients

• 225 g (1½ cups) raisins
• 190 g (1½ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter — softened
• 200 g (1 cup packed) light brown sugar
• 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 270 g (3 cups) old-fashioned rolled oats

Method

1. Cover the raisins with very hot tap water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain them well and pat dry on a towel so no surface water goes into the dough.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat the butter with the brown and granulated sugars on medium for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla, beating until smooth.
4. Mix in the flour mixture on low until just combined. Add the oats and raisins and stir with a spatula until evenly distributed.
5. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line the sheets with parchment.
6. Scoop 45 g balls and set them 5 cm (2 in) apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers look just set but still soft.
7. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. They firm as they cool but stay chewy.

Tips for success

• Toast the oats on a dry sheet at 175°C (350°F) for 8 minutes and cool before using for a nuttier flavor.
• Do not grind or pulse the oats. Whole flakes give the chew and the craggy look.
• Take the cookies out slightly early. Oatmeal cookies turn dry quickly if they bake even a minute too long.

Substitutions

Raisins

Dried cranberries, chopped dates or chocolate chips work in the same amount. Skip the soak for chocolate.

Old-fashioned oats

Quick oats give a softer, more uniform, cakier cookie. Use 240 g, since they pack more densely.

Light brown sugar

Dark brown sugar makes the cookies darker and more molasses-forward, and slightly softer.

Variations

Oatmeal raisin walnut

Add 100 g toasted chopped walnuts with the raisins.

Maple oatmeal cookies

Replace the vanilla with 2 tbsp maple syrup and drizzle the cooled cookies with a glaze of 120 g powdered sugar and 2 tbsp maple syrup.

Troubleshooting

Cookies spread flat and thin

The dough was not rested or the butter was too soft. Chill for the full hour and use cool-softened butter.

Raisins are hard and dry

They were not soaked or were already old. Plump them in hot water and pat them dry before mixing in.

Cookies taste dry and crumbly

They were overbaked or too much flour went in. Weigh the flour and remove the cookies while the centers still look soft.

Storage

Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days; they stay soft longer than most cookies. Freeze baked cookies or scooped dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake frozen dough balls at the same temperature for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Safety notes

Do not eat the raw dough; it contains raw flour and raw egg. Contains wheat, egg and milk. Oats are often processed alongside wheat; use certified gluten-free oats only if the rest of the recipe is gluten-free too.