Kick your cookies up a notch with Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, loaded with childhood favorites like oats and raisins, plus warming spices!
Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are like your old-fashioned favorite oatmeal cookie but better! Along with the oats, raisins, flour, sugar, and butter, you also get to add deliciously warm spices like cinnamon, clove, and ginger to make cookies that taste like a big hug on a cold day!
Old Fashioned Fun
There is nothing more classic than holiday baking and it’s a tradition that I’m so happy my kids have picked up and will carry on. Baking batch after batch of delicious cookies fills your house with so much warmth and holiday cheer, especially when you incorporate warm spices like cinnamon and ginger! Spiced Oatmeal Cookies are loaded with spices and traditional ingredients like oats and raisins, with a chewy texture that makes each bite so satisfying. We love baking large batches for the family to enjoy immediately, plus we freeze some to enjoy later and also to give as gifts to friends and family!
Holiday baking with oatmeal is always a tasty idea, so you’ve got to try more holiday favorites like Cinnamon & Toffee Oatmeal Chewies and Pistachio & Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies!
Other Recipes to Serve with Spiced Oatmeal Cookies
- The best way to stay warm is to drink a big mug of Mexican White Hot Chocolate, loaded with sweet chocolate, a few spices, and even a tiny dash of cayenne pepper to melt the frost from your bones!
- Have you ever held a baking party with friends and family? It’s the perfect time to break out the warm Mulled Wine for all of the fun and laughter that always ensues!
Ingredients
Oats: Here’s a little secret about why these cookies are so perfect- they’re made with both old-fashioned oats for texture and quick oats to bind the ingredients together! This chewy combination is what makes these cookies amazing.
Pantry Items: For the rest of the dry ingredients, you will need butter-flavored vegetable shortening, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and baking soda. You will also need raisins for this recipe.
Refrigerated Items: Set out the unsalted butter and eggs to warm to room temperature before mixing.
Spices and Extracts: To get those tremendous warm flavors you will need cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and a little nutmeg. You will also need salt and vanilla extract.
How to Make Spiced Oatmeal Cookies
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside. Cream the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar using a mixer or beater. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
STEP THREE: Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until well incorporated. Stir the raisins and oats into the dough.
STEP FOUR: Pour one tablespoon of cookie dough onto the baking sheet and space the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
STEP FIVE: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a rack to finish cooling.
Tips for Success
- Be sure to pick up Old Fashioned Oats and Quick Oats, sometimes labeled “Quick 1-Minute Oats”. Each type of oat works differently in the recipe, so both are needed to make great chewy cookies!
- Choose regular or golden raisins for these cookies; the choice is yours. Also, if you want to sneak in chocolate chips or your favorite nuts, like walnuts, I’m sure a few people would thank you.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to five days or freeze them for up to three months.
Why are my oatmeal cookies hard?
The usual culprit of hard cookies is too much baking time. Overbaking cookies can happen pretty quickly so start to check the cookies on the early side of the baking time to prevent hard, overbaked cookies. Also, if you know your oven runs hot then begin checking the cookies even earlier and pull them from the oven just as they turn golden brown on the edges, to avoid overbaking them. The cookies will also continue to cook a little on the baking sheet so remember to transfer them to a wire rack after a few minutes.
What’s the purpose of baking soda in oatmeal cookies?
The reason for adding baking soda to oatmeal cookies is to help the cookies spread and cook more evenly. Some recipes will call for either baking soda or baking powder, and a few even call for both. While baking soda helps with spreading, baking powder helps cookies rise and get fluffy, which is great when you want soft cookies. Oatmeal raisin cookies are hearty cookies, so there’s not much rising they can do but, if you wanted to experiment by adding a teaspoon of baking powder to the recipe, you can, and see if it helps produce a texture you like!
Crazy for all the Cookies!
- Spritz Cookies
- Molasses Sugar Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Apple Cider Cookies with Caramel Filling
- Ranger Cookies
*This post was originally posted on 12/03/2014.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, butter-flavored shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until well combined. Stir in the oats and raisins.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough with a cookie scoop or measuring spoon and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, placing the scoops about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Do not overbake.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 to 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container once cooled.
Rachael says
I just love oatmeal raisin cookies, and that addition of spices, perfect!!
Sandra Shaffer says
I’m going to a cookie swap and several ladies need recipe suggestions, and since I want these, they’re going on the swap list 🙂
Renee says
haha good plan!
Marion says
I’ve never tried using 2 different kinds of oatmeal. Looking forward to trying this recipe. I do love a nice chewy cookie!
Renee says
Be sure not to over bake them, and you will get that chewiness! 🙂
Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry! says
I love oatmeal raisin cookies and I love what you did with these! They look amazing!
Renee says
Thanks Kristin! These cookies make my holiday baking list every year!