Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These are some meaty oatmeal cookies.

They’re soft in the middle, and filled to the brim with raisins and walnuts.

And since oatmeal is good for you, all the more reason to make these super tasty cookies.

When reaching for an oatmeal cookie, have you ever justified eating one by telling yourself that it’s okay because oatmeal is healthy?

This thought process is helpful when trying to reduce the cookie-guilt-factor.  I do it all the time.

That’s why my inside thoughts are…..oatmeal cookies for breakfast, oatmeal cookies for lunch, and oatmeal cookies for dinner.  I try to keep these thoughts to myself but they just slipped out.

Oatmeal cookies are such a nice contrast to add along with other holiday cookies on a decorative plate or in a tin because they have so much texture to them.

So give these yummies a try.

It’s hard to stop at eating just one though, but since oatmeal is good for you……

Let’s check out the ingredients.

Butter, flour, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice (optional), cinnamon, baking soda, salt, raisins, walnuts, and uncooked rolled oats.

Here’s how to make it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a sifter, add the flour,

baking soda,

salt (btw, there’s extra salt in this recipe which adds a nice taste along with the sweet from the sugar),

cinnamon,

and pumpkin pie spice which is optional.

As a side note, these measuring spoons are my favorite…they’re Mickey Mouse’s hand.  I found them at Disneyland and I cherish them.  I threw one away recently by mistake and had to dig in the trash for it.  Not just the kitchen trash but the big old trash can by the side of the house.  I was a nervous wreck until I found it…but all ended well.

Then,

sift away…

and sift away…

…and sift away.  Set aside for a sec.

In a large mixing bowl, add the butter…

…brown sugar,

and white sugar.

Beat until it turns a light color.  If you have a stand mixer, the flat paddle attachment works well for this.

Next,

beat in the eggs and the vanilla.

Set the mixer on low speed and….

…gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and add the oats,

nuts,

and raisins.

Hold on, here’s a couple stragglers.

Mix with a large sturdy spoon,

or spatula.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons (about 2 tablespoons per cookie) onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

This is the batch I tried baking without the parchment paper and they didn’t hold their shape as nicely as the cookies baked on parchment paper.  So I would definitely recommend using parchment paper if you have it.

Bake in a preheated oven until the edges are a light golden brown and the middle looks slightly undercooked (about 10 minutes).  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies; and inspired by Mrs. Fields Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies, and Martha Stewart’s Anytime Oatmeal Cookies.

Here are some more oatmeal cookie recipes to check out:
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies by The Pioneer Woman
Almond Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies by Two Peas and their Pod
Thick Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies by Sally’s Baking Addiction
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Maple Glaze and White Chocolate by Shugary Sweets
Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Iced Oatmeal Cookies from Mother Thyme
Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies by How Sweet Eats
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies by Coupon Clipping Cook (that’s me)