Oatmeal Brown Sugar Cookies with Raisins & Pecans

I love to bake and I especially love to find end all, be all recipes for classic all-American desserts. This variation on oatmeal raisin cookies is one of them (see also Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies and Supernatural Brownies…if you haven’t made these yet, what are you waiting for?!). You bakers out there know that it can take many attempts to get it just right, but once you find that perfect recipe, it’s your go-to forever. As soon as I tasted these cookies out of the oven, I said, “That’s it! I’m done.”

Now, these are not your ordinary oatmeal cookies. The recipe calls for way less oats than most, which, strangely, makes for much better oatmeal cookies. The other big difference is that they are sweetened entirely with brown sugar, which gives them fabulous flavor and makes them slightly crispy on the outside and deliciously moist and chewy on the inside. I’ve left out the typical spices…a simple hit of vanilla is all they need. And for additional flavor, I toast the pecans before mixing them into the batter.

My friend Sandy jokes that I sound like her mother when I write things like, do not burn or do not overcook. She makes a good point, “Obviously, I’m not going to burn something on purpose!” So forgive me for stating the obvious (hopefully you can benefit from all my trials and errors) but be extra careful not to overcook these. Oatmeal cookies get very crispy if baked too long and you’ll enjoy them so much more if they are slightly chewy.

So here you go, many many batches later (and one family that is seriously tired of trying them), the ultimate oatmeal raisin cookie according to me.

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Oatmeal Brown Sugar Cookies with Raisins & Pecans
Printable Recipe

Makes about 20 large cookies (This recipe can easily be doubled, but keep in mind these cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are baked.)

Ingredients

¾ cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use quick cooking or instant oats)
1 cup all-purpose flour (be sure to measure properly*)
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup raisins or currants

Directions

1. Set the racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Place chopped pecans on baking sheet and toast in oven for about 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. (You can re-use the same parchment paper when you’re ready to bake the cookies.)

3. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir to mix well.

4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat again until smooth, about 30 seconds.

5. Add flour and oatmeal mixture and mix on low speed until just combined; add pecans and raisins and mix again. Do not over-mix.

6. Drop dough into 2-tablespoon mounds (about the size of a golf ball) about 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets (you should have ten on each sheet).  Bake until edges are slightly golden but centers are still pale, about 15 to 18 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then either slide the papers off the pans onto cooling racks or transfer cookies with a spatula. Once cool, store cookies in an air-tight container.

*I know it’s easiest to use a measuring cup to scoop flour out of its container, but this method will pack the flour too tightly and throw off your recipe. To measure flour correctly, use a spoon to lightly scoop flour out of its container into a dry measuring cup. Continue until the cup is overflowing. Holding the measuring cup over the flour container, use the back edge of a knife to level off the flour even with the top of the measuring cup.

**These cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are baked.