Soft and chewy oatmeal cookies filled with the perfect amount of raisins are a classic that will never stop being made in my house. These have been Sean’s favorite cookies for as long as I can remember.
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
I’ve been making this recipe since we were newlyweds (has it really been over 25 years?!) and the recipe is timeless for a good reason. These really are the best oatmeal raisin cookies.
(And I take no credit for that. The recipe below is very lightly adapted from the ancient recipe on the side of the Quaker oatmeal packaging.)
With simple pantry ingredients, a bit of butter, a couple of eggs, and a generous handful of raisins, these cookies come together in very little time at all.
The dough freezes well, as do the cookies, so I frequently double or triple the recipe to have it on hand all the time.
What’s not to love about having cookie dough stashed in the freezer?
Frozen Cookie Dough
I was sick over the holidays a few years ago and I was craving oatmeal cookies, but I didn’t have any in the freezer. Side note: This cookie dough freezes beautifully, so I highly recommend stashing some away for future baking.
Sean made a batch of these cookies for me that Christmas and they turned out perfectly. Baking is not his thing at all, so having an easy and reliable recipe helps!
In addition to keeping cookie dough in the freezer, I recommend tucking a few of the cookies in the freezer too. I love having them for snacking on with my morning coffee.
Kitchen Tip: I use this bowl , this sheet pan , and this cookie scoop to make this recipe.
Soft Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- butter
- white sugar
- light brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- flour
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- old-fashioned oats
- raisins
Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
To make these cookies, start by preheating the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat the butter on med-high speed until smooth and almost fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth again.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients except the raisins. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, half at a time. Stir until fully combined. Add the raisins and stir well.
Using a medium-size scoop, drop the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (For larger cookies, make the dough balls golf-ball size and put just 6 on a baking sheet at a time.)
Bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned and when they still look soft in the center.
Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes; this will allow them to finish baking without overcooking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Cookies without Chocolate
The pro-raisin / anti-raisin Oatmeal Cookie argument will probably never be solved. And while I love a terrific Chocolate Chip Cookie , I also love quite a few cookies without a bit of chocolate in them.
If you’re not a chocolate lover, I recommend also checking out Coconut Lover’s Oatmeal Cookies , and Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies .
Maple Nut Scone Cookies . Mexican Wedding Cookies , and Glazed Lemon Drop Cookies are a few more delicious options.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 3/4 cup butter softened
- ▢ 1/2 cup white sugar
- ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar
- ▢ 2 eggs
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ▢ 1 1/3 cups raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat the butter on med-high speed until smooth and almost fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sugars and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth again.In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients except the raisins. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, half at a time.
- Stir until fully combined. Add the raisins and stir well.
- Using a medium-size scoop, drop the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (For larger cookies, make the dough balls golf-ball size and put just 6 on a baking sheet at a time.)
- Bake smaller cookies for 8-9 minutes. (Bake larger cookies for 14-15 minutes.) Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned and when they still look soft in the center.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes; this will allow them to finish baking without overcooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 1/5/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/5/23}
Light, buttery, almond flavored shortbread thumbprint cookies have been the most requested cookie I make for almost as long as I can remember. My friend Augusta gave me this recipe years ago and it became a forever favorite at first bite.
Thumbprint Cookies with Jam
There’s something so endearing and adorable about jam thumbprint cookies. Fruity jam adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the flaky shortbread cookie. The easy glaze on top of these thumbprint cookies adds a beautiful touch.
These cookies are great as a snack, tucked into lunches, or when served as dessert. I especially enjoy them with cafe con leche , chai , or a London Fog on a chilly afternoon.
Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
With just the right amount of sweetness, filled with jam, and then lightly drizzled with icing, these cookies are a hit with everyone who tries them. Don’t be fooled by their unassuming appearance. They’ll surprise you by just melting in your mouth.
Almond extract is what gives these cookies just a hint of almond flavor. It adds a nice layer of nuttiness that complements the buttery flavor of the shortbread cookie and the fruitiness of the jam.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
I often reach for a jar of my family’s favorite homemade peach jam to use in these cookies. You can use whatever flavor of sweet preserves you like. I’ve made these cookies with several varieties of jam and the cookies turn out delicious every time.
I typically just use whichever flavors of jam I happen to have on hand at the time. For this last batch, I used apricot jam and a mixed berry jam. You really can’t go wrong with the jam choice. If you enjoy eating the jam, you’ll likely love it in the cookies.
How to Make Thumbprint Cookies
Chilling the dough for a solid hour in the refrigerator is an important step in this recipe. So even if you’re in a hurry to bake these cookies, don’t skip that step.
Chilling the dough helps keep the butter in this recipe solid. And the cold butter helps the cookies maintain their structure in the oven.
When it comes to filling thumbprints with jam, less is more. A quarter teaspoon or so should do it. Too much and you risk disrupting the structure of the cookie and the jam to cookie ratios. (Yes, jam to cookie ratios are a thing!)
The last thing to remember here is to be extra careful not to overbake these cookies! You want to take these cookies out of the oven before they are even slightly brown.
Overbaking will result in a much harder cookie without that crumby delicate shortbread texture. If you love thumbprint cookies like we do, you’ll want to try Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies and Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies too.
Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the flour and almond extract. Beat again to combine. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
When ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into 1″ balls or use a 1″ scoop to place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Press down on the top of each cookie and use your thumb to create a small indent. After all the indents are made, fill the indents with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned. Let cool on the trays for 1-2 minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack.
To make the glaze, add the almond extract to the powdered sugar and then slowly add the milk. Stir constantly and stop adding milk when you reach the consistency of icing. It should drizzle off the tip of a spoon in a thin white stream.
When the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle the icing over the tops. Allow them to sit until hardened and then store in an airtight container.
Shortbread Cookie Recipes
Shortbread cookies don’t get as much love as they deserve, in my opinion. Delicious, simple, and not-too-sweet, they appeal to the palettes of kids and adults alike.
If you’re looking for more great shortbread cookies, I recommend Sugared Shortbread Cookies for sure. They’re a simple cookie sprinkled with sugar crystals that you can bake and serve all year round.
If the perfect slice of cinnamon toast met Pecan Sandies, these Cinnamon Pecan Shortbread Bars would be the result. This is a tender shortbread, filled with pecans, and then generously topped with cinnamon sugar.
Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread is a flaky shortbread that is barely crisp on the outside. These shortbread bites melt in your mouth with chocolate and just a hint of coffee flavor.
Ingredients1x2x3x
COOKIE INGREDIENTS
- ▢ 1 cup butter softened
- ▢ ⅔ cup sugar
- ▢ 2 cups all purpose flour
- ▢ 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ▢ approximately ½ cup any flavor jam I used our favorite peach jam
GLAZE INGREDIENTS
- ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
- ▢ 1-2 tablespoons milk
- ▢ 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the flour and almond extract. Beat again to combine. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- When ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into 1" balls or use a 1" scoop to place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Press down on the top of each cookie and use your thumb to create a small indent. After all the indents are made, fill the indents with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned. Let cool on the trays for 1-2 minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack.
- To make the glaze, add the almond extract to the powdered sugar and then slowly add the milk. Stir constantly and stop adding milk when you reach the consistency of icing. It should drizzle off the tip of a spoon in a thin white stream.
- When the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle the icing over the tops. Allow them to sit until hardened and then store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 8/12/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/13/23}
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/3 cups raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat the butter on med-high speed until smooth and almost fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sugars and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth again.In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients except the raisins. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, half at a time.
- Stir until fully combined. Add the raisins and stir well.
- Using a medium-size scoop, drop the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (For larger cookies, make the dough balls golf-ball size and put just 6 on a baking sheet at a time.)
- Bake smaller cookies for 8-9 minutes. (Bake larger cookies for 14-15 minutes.) Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned and when they still look soft in the center.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes; this will allow them to finish baking without overcooking.
Nutrition
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/oatmeal-raisin-cookies-made-by-my-man/
