Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These cookies just remind me of fall and cuddling up next to a fire. Rolled oats, cinnamon, molasses, and toasted walnuts just shout warmth and sweetness.
These soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are easy to make and are just like any other cookie recipe. The hardest part is waiting to chill the dough at least 30 minutes to prevent the cookies from spreading so much during baking.
The original recipe, from Sally’s Baking Addiction, calls for raisins (typical for an oatmeal raisin cookie), but we were out, so used chocolate chips instead. Chocolate chips can go in just about any cookie recipe, and these are no exception. Feel free to use your own substitutions and variations. Example: dried cranberries and white chocolate instead of raisins.
Harper has a sweet tooth and was quite fond of these. She can’t really “talk” yet, but instead grunts and points and something she wants. She did a lot of pointing and grunting with these cookies.
It’s to the point that if I want a cookie, I have to eat one when Harper goes to sleep, because otherwise she will beg me to share! Lol.
Enjoy!
- 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (yes, Tablespoon!)
- 1 Tbsp. molasses
- 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 cups (240g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- *1 cup (140g) raisins (we substituted chocolate chips because we ran out of raisins)
- ½ cup (64g) chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
- Using stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in the oats, raisins, and walnuts on low speed. Dough will be thick, yet very sticky. Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator (do the full hour if you're afraid of the cookies spreading too much). If chilling for longer (up to 2 days), allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats. Set aside.
- Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft and undone. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to "set" on the baking sheet during this time.
- MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked cookies freeze well - up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well - up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.