Fresh Milled Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Soft, chewy, and delicious. That’s how I would describe these Oatmeal Raisin cookies. These cookies might not be quite as popular as chocolate chip, but they’re a comforting favorite for a lot of people, including me. This version is a classic oatmeal raisin cookie made with whole wheat flour, oats, raisins, and a touch of cinnamon. I used freshly milled flour but it will work with store-bought flour as well.

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Drop cookies are some of my favorite things to bake. They’re quick and easy to make, and perfect for satisfying those sweet cravings. These oatmeal raisin cookies are at the top of my list along with Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Coconut Cookies. Is it coincidence that two out of three of my favorite cookies contain oats? Definitely not.

I love oats in all forms, from Breakfast Cookies to Baked Oatmeal and everything in between. And I can’t forget my Easy Granola, which I use almost daily to top yogurt bowls, oatmeal or just eat by the handful!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

If you love soft and chewy cookies, read on. These are perfectly crispy around the edges but soft and chewy in the middle. Lightly sweet and packed full of oats and raisins, they’re perfect for lunch boxes, a light dessert, or a snack anytime. And for another great snack option, check out my Fresh Milled Peanut Butter Cookies. They’re easy to make and you can easily swap in almond butter if you need a peanut-free option. As it turns out, almond “peanut butter” cookies are pretty awesome too!

As usual, I like to keep things flexible so feel free to make these your own. Whether you use the exact same ingredients I used or tweak to fit your preferences, you’re bound to get delicious results. I think experimenting is half the fun. The other half is taste testing, of course!

Tips for Success

• If your raisins are a bit clumpy, toss them with the oats before adding to the dough. This will make it easy to break up any big clumps of raisins.
• I used a large (#16) cookie scoop. Feel free to make these smaller, using a small cookie scoop, or tablespoon. Lower bake time to 8-10 minutes and look for lightly golden edges and soft middles.
• Regardless of size, if you prefer crispier cookies, bake one or two minutes longer than indicated.

Ingredients

Key Ingredients

Flour: If using fresh milled flour, use your favorite soft grains for these. I used a mix of spelt and soft white wheat fresh milled flour for these. I often forget to use my spelt grains, so I decided to use them here. The mix worked beautifully and I think the spelt adds a little something special.

If using store-bought flour, you can use all-purpose in the same amount. If you want to make this with whole wheat, use half all-purpose and half white whole wheat flour. When using store-bought flour to sub for all-purpose, I love this King Arthur Golden Wheat Flour, which is whole wheat flour made with white wheat instead of red. It’s milder in flavor and I’ve had great results with it.

Sweeteners: The recipe calls for both granulated white sugar and brown sugar. I used granulated cane sugar and sucanat in this batch. Of course, regular white and brown sugar work just fine too.

You can also use your favorite sugar-free granulated sweeteners. Although I didn’t use it in this batch, I often use FitLane Allulose Sweetener in my baking because it has no aftertaste and is gentle on blood sugar. Of course, there are plenty of options, such as Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener or Swerve Granular.

Keep in mind that the sweetener you use can affect the taste, texture, and even the color of your bake. If you’re not already baking with alternative sweeteners, considering replacing just a quarter of the sugar to start. I find replacing up to half the sugar with alternative sweeteners usually works well, but it’s always best to start slow. Once you know how your favorite sweetener behaves in the dough, you can adjust from there.

Butter: I used regular salted butter. For best results, take your butter out of the fridge about an hour before baking. You want it to be softened but still slightly cool; it should hold its shape but dent easily when pressed with your finger.

If I forget to set the butter out, I will sometimes grate the stick of cold butter into my mixing bowl and let it sit while I gather the rest of the ingredients. Once I’m ready, I add the sugar and start mixing. It’s best to plan ahead, of course, but if you’re in a pinch, give this a try.

Oats: You can use either old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking. I prefer the texture of these cookies with the rolled oats, but either one will work. However, rolled oats do result in more spread while quick-cooking oats tend to make for thicker cookies.

Raisins: I used regular raisins for these but golden raisins would also work well. The most important thing is that the raisins are fresh and soft. If your raisins feel a little dry or tough, just soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes, then drain well and blot if needed before adding to the dough. We don’t want hard little lumps in our cookies!

Other ingredients: You will also need basic fridge and pantry ingredients including leaveners, cinnamon, salt, eggs and vanilla.

Instructions

Step 7: Bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes for large (4 tablespoon) cookies or 8-10 minutes for smaller (1 to 2 tablespoon) cookies.

Baking a Test Cookie

When ready to bake any batch of cookies, I always recommend baking one or two test cookies to see how they bake up. This allows you to make adjustments before baking a full sheet.

If the cookie spreads too much, add a bit more flour (1 to 2 tablespoons), or let the dough rest longer, preferably in the fridge. Many people like to refrigerate cookie dough overnight and even up to two days. If you can’t wait that long, even a 20 to 30 minute rest in the fridge can help prevent flat cookies. That said, if your cookies are spreading way too much, they might just need a little extra flour.

If the cookie doesn’t spread well, you can flatten the dough ball slightly or add a bit of milk (1-2 tablespoons) to the dough. I prefer flattening the dough ball as I find that usually works pretty well.

Once you know how much the cookie spreads and how long it takes, you can bake a full sheet, spacing the cookies appropriately.

Pro tip: I recommend rotating the baking sheet halfway through the bake time. If you’re baking one sheet, just turn it front to back. If you’re baking two trays, swap their positions and rotate both trays for even baking.

FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of fresh milled flour?

Yes! These cookies work perfectly well with store-bought flour. Use all-purpose flour in the same amount, or try half all-purpose and half white whole wheat.

Why did my cookies spread too much (or not enough)?

Spreading can depend on how soft your butter is, how long the dough rests, and the type of flour or sweetener you use. Try chilling the dough longer, adding a tablespoon or two of extra flour, or baking a test cookie first to make adjustments. (See the full “Test Cookie” section in the post for more tips!)

Can I freeze the dough or baked cookies?

Yes! You can freeze the dough in pre-scooped portions for easy baking later. Just add a minute or two to the bake time if baking from frozen. Baked cookies also freeze well, just let them cool completely first, then store in an airtight container.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour

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