Description
Delicious, classic oatmeal raisin cookies packed with chewy oats, sweet raisins, and optional add-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, or coconut. These golden-brown cookies are soft on the inside with a subtly crisp edge, perfect for snacking or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shortening (or butter)
- 2 cups brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 cups uncooked oats (quick oats)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups raisins
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
- 1 cup shredded coconut (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to preheat, ensuring it reaches the ideal baking temperature while you prepare the dough.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening (or butter), brown sugar, sugar, eggs, water, and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which helps create a tender texture.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the quick oats, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon thoroughly to ensure even flavor distribution.
- Mix Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry oat mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring steadily until a thick cookie dough forms with all ingredients fully incorporated.
- Add Mix-ins: Gently fold in the raisins plus any optional add-ins like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or shredded coconut to your preference, making sure they are evenly spread throughout the dough.
- Form Cookies: Drop spoonfuls of the dough (approximately 1 ½ tablespoons each) onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart to allow room for spreading.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet for even baking and continue baking for an additional 4 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.
- Cool: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use either shortening or butter depending on your preference; butter will add a richer flavor, while shortening contributes to softer texture.
- Quick oats are recommended for the best texture but old-fashioned oats can be used for a chewier cookie.
- Optional add-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, or coconut enhance the cookie’s flavor and texture but can be omitted for a more classic oatmeal raisin cookie.
- Spacing cookies properly on baking sheets prevents them from merging during baking.
- For a sweeter variation, increase the amount of chocolate chips or add white chocolate chips.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or freeze for longer storage.
