These giant oatmeal raisin cookies are comfort food at its best - thin, chewy, sweet and buttery, with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, and just the right amount of raisins and almonds.
Like a warm bowl of soup or thick slice of homemade bread, they are the kind of simple cookie that makes me feel grounded, cozy, and a little bit better about the world.
These Giant Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are the Classic, Chewy, Comforting Kind
My Grandfather passed away last week. He was 92, and had survived the loss of his wife (married for 69 years) and all 7 of his brothers and sisters even though he was the oldest.
He was a hard working, kind, dependable rock of a man, and amongst the precious few who knew the kind of life he wanted to live and then went about living it until the day he died.
My Grandparents were the kind of people that went to everything any of their kids, grandkids, and great grandkids were participating in. Grandparent days at school, plays, sports events, choir performances... if one of us was in it, they were there to watch and support us.
And, that's the point. They were always there. Now they're not, and I'm feeling a bit off kilter. Unsteady. None of my goals and plans have changed, I am still waking up each morning knowing exactly what needs to be done, and yet, I feel rudderless. I've had a few days of looking at my to-do list and just not doing it. Everything on it feels so unimportant.
On Tuesday, the day before my Grandpa's memorial service, I woke up, sat down at my computer, stared at the list of scheduled tasks for a while and then just got up and left it all undone.
Fifty giant oatmeal cookies, two loaves of homemade bread, and a huge pot of Beef and Barley Soup later, I accepted the fact that not a lot of work was going to get done that day.
So be it. Some days are like that.
Some Days, the Only Thing To Do is Bake Giant Oatmeal Cookies
Some days you need cookies and soup and bread. At least, I do.
My Grandma was a master baker who was especially known for her cookies. There were always cookies at Grandma and Grandpas house. Always.
After she died, my Grandpa picked up her recipes and started baking cookies. So, even after loosing the family baker, there were always cookies at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
My husband suggested that as I try to come to terms with what it means to be in the world without my Grandparents that I bake a few of her recipes and share them with you here. I think I probably will.
These giant chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are not made from one of my Grandma's recipes. But, I think she would approve because they brought me comfort on a day when comfort was needed.
They are large cookies, because the thing about comfort food is that it needs to come in generous servings.
Comfort food is about feeding your soul, so do it generously. Today, I made my oatmeal cookies humongous. And then I ate three.
How To Make the BEST Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:
There are four easy tricks to making the BEST giant oatmeal raisin cookies:
- Roasted almonds
- A mix of all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat bran, and old fashioned oats
- Plenty of brown sugar
- Raisins that have been soaked in eggs and vanilla
Why use roasted almonds in these cookies?
Roasting almonds is as easy as spreading them out onto a baking sheet and popping them in the oven for a few minutes. But, you can also just purchase a bag of pre-roasted almonds if you prefer.
Either way, roasted almonds intensifies their flavor and makes them more crunchy, two qualities that make for a better oatmeal cookie.
A mix of flour and whole grains = a more flavorful oatmeal cookie
This oatmeal cookie recipe calls for all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat bran and old fashioned oats. The mix of flours and grains produces cookies that are more complex in flavor and have a more interesting texture than cookies made from only all-purpose flour and oats.
The one ingredient that is sometimes difficult to find in supermarkets is oat bran. If you can't find it in your local market, you can order it - I like Bob's Red Mill Oat Bran.
You can also substitute the oat bran for ground old fashioned oats. Simply add a half cup of oats to a food processor or spice grinder and grind into a powder.
But, if you can get a hold of some oat bran, use that.
When processing oats, the bran is removed to make quicker cooking oatmeal. The bran also contains a lot of flavor. So adding it back into these cookies makes for a more flavorful cookie.
Brown Sugar adds flavor and a delicious chewy texture
Brown sugar is simply granulated sugar with the addition of molasses. That little bit of molasses adds flavor to oatmeal cookies. It also creates a denser, chewier texture in these cookies.
Brown sugar also increases the amount that cookies spread out in the oven, so including a generous amount in this recipe is what helps make these cookies, thin, chewy, and giant.
For the BEST Oatmeal Cookies, soak raisins in eggs and vanilla
Soaking raisins in eggs and vanilla is a trick I learned from a cookbook published in 1978, The Colorado Cache Cookbook.
Growing up, everyone in my family had a copy of the Colorado Cache Cookbook, and for good reason. It's a treasure trove of nearly 700 time honored, delicious, homestyle recipes. To this day, it's one of my favorite cookbooks.
There's an oatmeal cookie recipe in the Colorado Cache Cookbook that calls for soaking the raisins for an hour in eggs and vanilla before incorporating them into the dough. The trick is genius.
That hour soak plumps the raisins up, making them soft and chewy, so they practically melt in your mouth. Soaking the raisins also does something else for oatmeal cookies - it helps keep the cookies fresh and chewy for longer.
Because raisins are dry, they tend to soak up the liquid in cookies, drying them out soon after baking. But when you soak the raisins in eggs and vanilla before adding them to the dough, they plump up and absorb liquid from the eggs and won't dry out your cookies.
More Comforting Cookie Recipes:
- Almond Shortbread Cookies
- Cherry Shortbread Crumble Bars
- Perfectly Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Vanilla Sugar Cookies
- Pecan Sand Tarts
- New York Black and White Cookies
- Homemade Fig Newtons
📖 Recipe
Giant Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These giant chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are comfort food at its best - thin, chewy, sweet and buttery, with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, and just the right amount of raisins and almonds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (142g) raw almonds
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (160g) raisins, loosely packed
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6oz (12 tbsp) butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups (320g) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30g) whole wheat flour
- ½ cup (53g) oat bran (*see note below for substitution)
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon table salt (1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups (190g) old fashioned oats
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and spread the almonds out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for about 8-10 minutes, until they are a deep brown and beginning to smell toasty. Set aside to cool. Once cool, chop the almonds into large chunks - cutting each almond into 2 or 3 pieces.
- Add the eggs to a small bowl and beat with a fork to combine. Add the vanilla and raisins, and stir. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the butter, vegetable oil, and both sugars to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium high speed until lightened and fluffy - about 3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, add both flours, oat bran, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. Add the oatmeal, eggs and raisin mixture, and chopped almonds and mix on low just until combined.
- Shape the oatmeal cookie dough into large balls, using about ¼ of a cup of dough for each cookie. Add 4 or 5 to a cookie sheet, leaving at least 3 or 4 inches between them.
- Flatten the cookies slightly with your palm and bake for 11-13 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set but the very center looks slightly underdone. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
No Oat Bran? No problem.
If you can't find oat bran, you can use an additional ½ cup of oats instead. Using a food processor or spice mill, grind the ½ cp of oats into a powder then proceed with the recipe. You can also use the extra ½ cups of oats unground; but, I find the chewy consistancy of these cookies to be better when using either oat bran or ground oats.
How to Store Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These oatmeal raisin cookies keep well in ain airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Because they are so deliciously chewy, seperate cookies that are stacked on top of each other with parchment paper or wax paper to keep them from sticking together.
You can also freeze these cookies for up to 3 months. I like to wrap them individually with plastic wrap, then put them in a zip-top freezer bag. This keeps the cookies from sticking together and allows you to remove as many or as few as you want from the freezer at a time.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 276Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 312mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 21gProtein: 5g
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Alistair says
I appreciate the metric measurements but why give butter in Tablespoons and ounces? Why not just grams like everything else? I think that would be aot more helpful foe the non-americans trying to make the recipe.
Sandy Ehrenreich says
I finally decided to try one of your recipes☺️And all I can say is wow😍Since worldwide lockdown, I have been trying to bake. My strengths lie more in cooking than baking but During the past 4/5 months I have been Challenging myself with baking and I DID IT👌🏽My family loves them and so do I! Thank You for the wonderful recipes, this is my 1st try but definitely not the last! They are huge😊, deliciously crunchy, chewy & moist -Super proud of myself🥰🌺P.S. I am not technologically savvy, so don’t know how to post the picture 🤷🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️Never mind, just know that they came out beautifully!😉Thanks again✌🏽
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Sandy! I am so happy to hear that you made these cookies and liked them so much! Your comment just totally made my whole day. 😊 Thank you so very much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I appreciate it more than I can say. xo
Jasreen says
Hi there! I want to make this but not sure if i can get bran. Is there an alternative to that ?
Thanks
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Jasreen! Yes - just use whole wheat flour instead of the bran. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I'd love to hear what you think of these cookies after you make them. xo
Leena says
I’ve never written a recipe review. These were the best cookies I’ve ever made. Thank you for sharing your story and this recipe. Grandparents always have special dishes we all cherish. I’m glad I took them out while they were very soft to the touch and they did stiffen up while resting. I didn’t have oat bran and replaced it with extra wheat flour. I only made 1/3 portion. Next time I want to do a full batch. How can I freeze them or keep in the refrigerator? Thanks again.
Rebecca Blackwell says
I am so happy to hear this Leena! This is one of my favorite recipes and I'm so glad to hear when other people bake them and love them as much as I do. 🙂 The cookies freeze well, but they do have a tendency to stick together unless separated. You could wrap them individually with plastic wrap. This takes a bit of time, but also allows you to just pull one or two from the freezer as you want them. You can also lay the cookies out on a baking sheet in a single layer and then laying a sheet of parchment paper over the top before stacking on another layer of cookies. Cover the tops of the cookies with plastic wrap and let them freeze for a few hours. At that point they should be frozen enough to stack in zip top bags. However, as the cookies thaw, they might start to stick together, so you might consider separating them. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. It means so much to me! xo
Kate says
These are excellent. I added a tiny bit more nutmeg and a sprinkling of cloves to give them a little more spicy taste.
Rebecca Blackwell says
I am so happy to hear that you like these cookies Kate! I usually add a bit more spice as well. Some of us just like bolder flavors, even in cookies. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it! xo
Tami Price says
I made a batch of these the other night for my sweet tooth! They're out of this world AMAZING! So easy to make too! Thanks so much for sharing!
Rebecca Blackwell says
I am so happy to hear this Tami!!! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to leave a comment letting me know you like this recipe. I appreciate it so very much! xo
Femi. O says
This oatmeal cookie hit me right in the cravings! I have been eager for some cookie love and these are just how I like them: chewy, sweet and buttery! So of course, they're going in the to do list... Like, right now! Thanks for sharing with us!
Leanne - Crumb Top Baking says
I'm so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you have wonderful memories of your grandparents. I think it is so sweet that your grandfather picked up some of your grandmother's recipes so there would still be cookies at the house. And sharing some of your grandmother's recipes sounds like a great way to honour them both. BTW, these cookies look like the ultimate comfort cookie. Oatmeal raisin are my favourite!
Veronika says
These oatmeal cookies remind me of my childhood. The combination of flavors and textures is just the best!
Elaine says
So sorry to hear about your loss Rebecca. Losing your loved ones is the toughest and the hardest part of a human's life, so please accept my deepest condolences. Re: the cookies - they are fabulous. I wish I had a big batch of them in front of me right at this second.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Thank you so much Elaine! xo
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
I’m so truly sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful story. Those cookies looks so scrumptious and perfect with a cup of tea!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Thank you so much Lori! xo
Paula Montenegro says
Grandparents are a huge part of our lives and hold a very special place. So sorry for your loss. My grandma left me her recipe journals and they are a treasure. I'm glad you're sharing her famous cookies with us, they look amazing!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Thank you so much Paula! xo
GUNJAN C Dudani says
I love these cookies! They give me so much satisfaction in just few bites that it helps me watch my sugar intake. Although, I have to admit, these are so good it's difficult to just eat a few bites!
Jess says
Oh my yum! These cookies are amazing! They are the perfect combination of crispy and chewy and have become a staple in our house. We especially like to eat them with cold glasses of milk. I can't believe the difference that soaking the raisins makes! YUM!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I am so sorry to hear about your loss. My grandfather also died a couple of weeks ago right before his 95th birthday. Take it easy, and don't worry too much about getting stuff done.
And enjoy the simple things like these cookies! I adore this recipe so much that I added it to my Christmas cookie roster 🙂
Rebecca Blackwell says
Thank you so much Cathleen! My heart goes out to you as you mourn the loss of your grandfather. How lucky are we to have had such amazing people in our lives? ❤️❤️❤️
Chef Dennis says
I really love cookies and these are the best! I love that that they are thin, chewy, sweet and buttery. And the hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, and just the right amount of raisins and almonds make these cookies perfect!
Amanda says
These are some seriously delicious cookies! I just love that chewy texture. With the upcoming holidays, I see myself making these again and again.
Judy says
So, again, these recipes do not fail. I made the full batch but only baked a few, knowing my lack of resolve. I’m amazed that there is always at least one technique I’ve never done before - this time soaking the raisins in the beaten egg (although in my impatience I only did 1/2 hour) and then gently adding them to the dough. I’m so used to beating the eggs thoroughly into what I’m making that I was skeptical, but went on faith, and was not disappointed. Tender, flavorful, chewy, deliciousness. My only other snafu came when I realized I didn’thave any oat bran, but Rebecca saved me by replying to my message and letting me know I could substitute whole wheat flour. Seemed to work just fine. Bravo!!!
Rebecca Blackwell says
I am so glad these cookies turned out well for you! Years ago I remember reading a recipe for oatmeal cookies that called for soaking the raisins in egg. I've made them both ways and the raisin soaking really does make a difference. Honestly, I have no idea why! I'm also glad to know that using whole wheat flour instead of oat bran worked out. Thank you so much for letting me know that these came out well for you! xoxo
Judy says
Thanks for sharing the touching story of your grandparents. So sorry for your loss. These oatmeal cookies look to be the grandparentiest kind of cookies, and one kind of cookie I’ve never had successful results with. Can’t wait to make these, and remember my long gone grandparents too. And hope I’m making these yummy memories for my grandchildren.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Thank you Judy! I hope you and your grandkids enjoy these! xoxo