If you’re a fan of the classic crunchy and chewy texture that only Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies can deliver, then you’re in the right place. These cookies pack a flavorful punch, and the perfectly crispy edges take it to the next level! The added crunch from the optional nuts and the chewy raisins make these cookies truly unforgettable.
These oatmeal cookies are not just your typical cookies. They’re a delicious homemade treat that will fill your kitchen with an irresistible aroma. What’s best is that these cookies are super easy to make. Plus, they’re a great way to impress your guests or satisfy your sweet tooth without leaving the comfort of your home.
If you like this recipe you’ll also enjoy other desserts using oats like Homemade Oatmeal Pie, Peanut Butter No Bake Oatmeal Cookies or even Oatmeal Fudge Cookies.
Oatmeal cookies were something I tried in the past, including the one on my wall. However, I just couldn’t get it quite right – until this beauty came along. I wanted something chewy, soft, thick, and hearty. Maybe it was the fact that my grandma wrote “very good” in her cursive handwriting that these turned out so delicious. Thanks, grandma, they were!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Quick: With a baking time of just ten minutes, this recipe is perfect for when you’re in a hurry or need a quick treat. Plus, the preparation process is straightforward and fast, especially if you have your ingredients ready to go.
Versatile: This recipe is incredibly versatile. Don’t have raisins or nuts? Substitute them with chocolate chips, cranberries, or even white chocolate chips. Want to add a twist? Try adding a spoonful of peanut butter into the mix. The options are endless!
Classic flavors: The delicious blend of old-fashioned oats, raisins, and nuts, along with the crunch of the edges and soft center, makes these cookies a hit with everyone in the family. They’re the perfect companion to a cold glass of milk!
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Key Ingredients
Shortening: This is the fat in our oatmeal cookie recipe. It guarantees a smooth texture and helps the cookies spread properly while baking. Could you use butter? Yes. But you’ll find your dough is more crumbly, and your cookie will not be as soft and chewy. Equally good? Yes.
Granulated Sugar: This ingredient sweetens the cookies and gives them a nice crisp edge. It also helps the cookies spread in the oven.
Brown Sugar: This type of sugar lends a deep, caramel-like flavor to the cookies. It also adds moisture, making sure that the cookies are soft and chewy.
Eggs: Eggs act as a binding agent in this recipe, helping hold all the other ingredients together. They also add moisture and can make your cookies puff up a bit during baking.
Vanilla Extract: This is used for flavor. It enhances the other tastes and adds a depth of flavor that makes these cookies delicious.
All-Purpose Flour: This is the structure of the cookies. It absorbs the wet ingredients and gives the cookies their shape.
Baking Soda: This helps the cookies rise and spread, creating a soft and chewy texture. It also aids in browning.
Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the sweet flavors and balances out the sweetness of the sugars.
Old Fashioned Oats: These are the star of our oatmeal cookie recipe. They give the cookies their signature texture and nutty flavor. You can use quick oats if that’s what you have on hand, but old-fashioned oats will give a better, chewier texture.
Nuts: These are optional but add a nice crunch and additional flavor to your cookies. You could use any variety you prefer.
Raisins: Another optional ingredient that adds a sweet, fruity flavor and chewy texture to the cookies. If you’re not a fan of raisins, you could substitute with cranberries or even chocolate chips.
Equipment
Stand Mixer – A mixer is used to cream the sugars and shortening together, which is a crucial step in this oatmeal cookie recipe. It is also useful for incorporating the eggs and vanilla extract smoothly into the mixture. If you don’t have one, a good old-fashioned whisk and some elbow grease will do the trick!
Large Bowl – A separate bowl is needed to combine the dry ingredients like all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt before adding them to the wet ingredients. This helps make sure that these ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
Cookie Scoop – This handy tool guarantees that all your cookies are the same size, which makes sure that they bake evenly. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, a tablespoon will work just fine.
Baking Sheet – You’ll need this to place your scoops of cookie dough on before they go into the oven. For best results, line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent the cookies from sticking.
Cooling Rack – Once the cookies are baked to golden brown perfection, they’ll need to cool. A wire rack is perfect for this as it allows air to circulate around the cookies, cooling them quickly and evenly.
How to Make Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies
Preparations
Before you start, preheat your oven to a temperature of 350˚ F. Gather all your ingredients and lay out your baking sheet. You may want to line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for easy cleanup. Have your cooling wire rack ready for the freshly baked cookies.
Step 1 – Cream the Sugars and Shortening
Start by creaming together the brown sugar and butter in a mixer until they’re well blended. Now, add the eggs and a dash of vanilla extract to the mixture. Continue mixing until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Step 2 – Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine your all purpose flour, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Once the dry ingredients are well mixed, slowly add them to your wet ingredients. Continue mixing until they’re incorporated, but be careful not to overmix.
Step 3 – Add the Oats, Raisins, and Nuts
Now, stir in the star ingredients: old-fashioned oats, raisins, and your choice of nuts. These ingredients give the oatmeal cookies their signature texture and flavor. Make sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Step 4 – Scoop and Bake
Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto your prepared baking sheet. Each scoop should be about one and a half tablespoons. Pop the baking sheet into your preheated oven and bake for about ten minutes or until your cookies are golden brown.
Step 5 – Cool and Serve
After removing your cookies from the oven, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Your delicious old-fashioned oatmeal cookies are now ready to enjoy!
Expert Tips
Choose Your Oats Wisely: If you want a dense, chewy, and soft oatmeal cookie, there’s no substitute for old-fashioned oats. They provide a better texture compared to quick oats.
Don’t Skimp on the Creaming: To get the right texture in your cookies, cream the sugars and shortening until they are light and fluffy. This process is crucial as it helps to incorporate air into the dough, making your cookies tender.
Be Mindful of Your Add-ins: Raisins and nuts are optional fillings in this oatmeal cookie recipe. However, they add a delightful crunch and sweetness to your cookies. Feel free to experiment with other ingredients like chocolate chips or cranberries!
Watch Your Baking Time: To retain the soft texture of your cookies, avoid overbaking. The cookies should be a light golden brown when you remove them from the oven. For optimum results, set the timer to eight minutes and check them every minute until perfectly done.
Recipe Variations
Add Other Nuts: For those who love an extra crunchy texture in their cookies, this variation is perfect. Simply swap the raisins with an equal amount of your favorite nuts such as walnuts or peanuts. The nuts will add a delightful crunch and a hint of savory flavor to the classic oatmeal cookie recipe.
Chocoholic’s Delight: If you have a sweet tooth, try replacing the raisins with chocolate chips. You can use either milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips. The melting chocolate adds a gooey sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the old-fashioned oats.
Make Them Festive: Swap the raisins with dried cranberries for a tangy festive twist. Cranberries add a burst of tart flavor that contrasts beautifully with the sweet dough.
What to Serve With
- For a delightful breakfast, pair these old-fashioned oatmeal cookies with a cold glass of milk. The creamy milk compliments the hearty oats and crunchy nuts in the cookie, giving you a delicious and fiber-rich start to your day.
- These oatmeal cookies are a great addition to your afternoon tea or coffee break. Their sweet, comforting flavors pair wonderfully with a robust black tea or a smooth, rich coffee.
- For a dessert option, try crumbling these oatmeal cookies over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. The cookies add a delightful crunch and the raisins provide bursts of sweetness that pair perfectly with the creamy vanilla.
- If you’re a chocolate lover, melt some chocolate chips and drizzle it over the cookies. The chocolate adds an extra touch of delight that makes these old-fashioned oatmeal cookies even more irresistible.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, old-fashioned oats are preferred. They give the cookies a dense, chewy, and soft texture that’s simply irresistible. While quick oats might be handy, they won’t provide the same texture.
Absolutely! The raisins and nuts are optional fillings. You can substitute them with other ingredients, such as cranberries or chocolate chips, to suit your taste.
The cookies should be a light golden brown when you remove them from the oven. To maintain the soft texture, avoid overbaking. Start checking them every minute after about eight minutes in the oven.
Yes, you can use butter as a substitute for shortening. However, keep in mind that it may slightly alter the texture and flavor of the cookies since shortening results in a softer cookie, while butter will give you a more crumbly texture.
Storing and Reheating
Room Temperature: If you have some cookies left over, remember to store them in an airtight container. This will help maintain their freshness and flavor. You can keep them at room temperature for up to one week.
Freeze: For longer storage, these oatmeal cookies can be frozen. Pack them in an airtight container with each layer separated by parchment paper to prevent sticking. They’ll stay good for about three months in the freezer.
Thawing Instructions: If you’ve frozen your oatmeal cookies, you’ll need to thaw them before eating. The best way to do this is by moving them from the freezer to the fridge and allowing them to thaw slowly at room temperature. This will help maintain their texture and prevent them from becoming too soft or crumbly.
Reheat Instructions: If you’ve stored your cookies in the refrigerator or freezer, you can reheat them before enjoying them. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and warm them in a preheated oven at a low temperature for a few minutes. Enjoy them warm with a cold glass of milk.
Serving Size
What to Expect: This recipe makes four dozen cookies (forty-eight cookies) that’s plenty for the entire family to enjoy.
How to Scale: If you want to make more than forty-eight cookies, you can easily double the recipe and follow the instructions as directed. You can easily divide the cookie dough and add different mix-ins before baking them for a ton of variation.
Soft Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup shortening
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup quick oats
- 1 Cup nuts optional filler
- 1 Cup raisins optional filler
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350˚ F.
- Cream the sugars and shortening together in a mixer. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Stir in the old fashioned oats as well as the raisins and nuts (or your preferred fillers) until mixed well.
- Scoop onto a cookie sheet using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop. Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 350˚ F oven or until golden brown. Let cool and remove to a cooling rack.
Notes
- How to Store – Once these cookies are baked and cooled, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Store them in the freezer for up to three months.
- Quick oats or Old Fashioned – I prefer the old fashioned oats as I mentioned above. I know quick oats are probably what you have on hand but if you want the dense, chewy and soft oatmeal cookie there is no substitute for old-fashioned oats.
- Don’t overbake – The cookies should be a light golden brown when you remove them from the oven. To keep the soft texture, you don’t want to overbake them. For optimum results, set the timer to 8 minutes and check them every minute until perfectly done.
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