It's National Oatmeal Cookie Day, so here are some new recipes to try! Bonus. If you like raisins go ahead and throw some in because it's also National Raisin Day.
What to Make for National Oatmeal Cookie Day
I have so many oatmeal cookie recipes and more than one of them say they're the best. So how could I pick the top 5? I went back and picked out the five recipes I use most often when people request oatmeal cookies. And just to make sure my very top pick was still up to par, I made a batch this morning.
One of my all-time favorites is adapted from Quaker's Best. They don't look like anything special, but they are delicious -- light, buttery, fairly thick, only slightly chewy and with crispy edges. You can make them with or without raisins. Today I used Sun Maid assorted jumbo style and added toasted pecans. For the oats, I prefer using old fashioned but today I got stuck using "Quick" (not instant) and the cookies were still terrific...maybe even better than when I use the old fashioned type.
Oh, one last note. Since I'm using my stand mixer these days, I started with cold butter and beat it with the paddle until creamy. Whenever I do that, I get cookies with very nicely rounded edges.
The Best Oatmeal Cookies
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (7 oz)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ to 1 teaspoon salt (reduce to ½ tsp. if using salted butter)
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh if possible)
2 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter (10 oz)
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Quaker oats, (quick or old fashioned, not instant)
¾ cup raisins
½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; set aside.
In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat the butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat on medium until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl and beat in egg and vanilla, beating for about 30 seconds or until egg is incorporated.
By hand or using lowest speed of mixer, stir in the flour mixture. When flour is absorbed, stir in oats, raisins and nuts. Turn dough onto a clean surface and divide into 4 equal parts. Divide those parts into 9 balls to make about 36 balls of equal size. Keep dough balls chilled until ready to bake or bake immediately.
On parchment lined or lightly greased cookie sheet, space dough balls about 2 ½ inches apart and press down slightly so that tops are flat.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie or 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
Note about raisins. If I use regular raisins, I put them in a bowl, cover them with boiling water or juice, and let them sit for 5 minutes. Before using, I drain them thoroughly and pat them dry. These days, you can buy pre-plumped raisins. Sun-Maid’s “Baking Raisins” let you skip the plumping. You can also use my personal favorite, Sun-Maid assorted Jumbo raisins.
This recipe should yield about 36 cookies
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
King Arthur Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies -- For crunchy yet light oatmeal cookies, this one's great.
Better Homes and Gardens Loaded Oatmeal Cookies -- These are outstanding, and you don't have to settle for just raisins or chocolate chips. Load them up!
Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies -- If you prefer butterscotch over raisins or chocolate, you can't go wrong with these.
Dolce
I did not know a national day for oatmeal cookies existed! Damn it!!
Thanks for the reminder on these great cookie recipes though.
Barbara
I think my kids would have me by the throat if I didn't make my old recipe. It was from that old series Make It Now, Bake It Later and had cchips in it.
But when they're not around, I'm going to try the ones with butterscotch chips. Love that idea!
Cookie Sleuth
I made the oatmeal butterscotch last week. So good! Very crispy...
Elena
I made oatmeal cookies the other day using Carole Walters' recipe from "Great Cookies" and the King Arthur Chewy Oatmeal cookies, picking this and that from each recipe. The cookies are still moist and chewy! I'll have to try the cookies you've listed here; I'm a HUGE oatmeal cookie fan. Thanks!
Anna
Hi Kim,
The "Vanishing" recipe is a good one, but it's not the same. It calls for much less butter. This one is adapted from their "Quaker's Best" recipe. I'll have to try the "Vanishing" recipe again soon. It's been a while since I've made them, but I remember them as being great.
Kim
I made the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe, with the following changes: Some fresh grated nutmeg, and creaming the cold butter, like Anna did with her oatmeal cookies. I did half of them with raisins, and the other half with butterscotch chips. They were good, but I don't remember them needing so long in the oven.
Tara
No way! I just made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 2 days ago and was just now sitting here eating one from the freezer! Celebrating the holiday and didn't even know it! 🙂
vanillasugar
butterscotch! yes why not. amazing how the most simplest are the ones i have yet to do.
i did a levan bakery clone recipe using oatmeal & raisin. i need to post it soon. it was so good.
Anna
Louise, It's a glitch I have with this new theme. I was originally going to do Top 10, but narrowed it down to 5 and changed the headline. Unfortunately, just changing the headline in my editor is not enough and I have to go change it in 2 other places. I'm still getting used to this new template.
Cookie
I had no idea it was Oatmeal Cookie Day! I love oatmeal cookies, especially the Quaker recipe. I'll have to bake a batch soon.
melissa
I love the King Arthur recipe you gave me -- so yummy. Have to make those again soon. Had no idea it was Oatmeal Cookie Day today!
Have a great weekend!
Louise
Why's the title the top 10, but then it drops to the top 5? Did I miss something?
Sue
I looked at my notes and it was the Easy and Good Oatmeal Raisin cookies that were such a hit with my son. I'll have to try some of these too.
https://www.cookiemadness.net/2009/01/easy-and-good-oatmeal-cookies/
Chris Mower
I should take the day off to celebrate National Oatmeal Cookie Day and go home and bake some cookies... especially on this rainy day.
Debbi
That must have been hard just to choose one! I'm going to have to make these.
Sue
I can't remember which of the following recipes turned my son around on Oatmeal Raisin cookies? The Best Oatmeal Cookie or the Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookie? I'll have to go back and look at my notes.
I was thinking of making the Frog Commissary cookies today. I just found out we're having unexpected visitors this evening, and I know one of them LOVES oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.