In my quest to find the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie, this recipe for Ina Garten Oatmeal Cookies with Raisin and Pecans are not too moist, not too crunchy, but just right!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are my daughter’s absolute favorite cookie. And, she’s very particular about his cookie. “It has to be moist and it can’t fall apart.” Oh the pressure to find the perfect recipe!
My other kids have also fallen in love with oatmeal raisin cookies. I figure, oatmeal, raisins… it’s a breakfast cookie! Makes perfect sense to me. So I began to hunt for the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. Luckily, Ina Garten came to the rescue!
Laura says :
Why this recipe works
- Simple: I have made these cookies several times, and I’m happy to say that it has never failed me. It is a one bowl recipe that even my teenagers can whip up without any troubles.
- Flavor: These oatmeal raisin cookies have crispy edges yet soft on the inside. Sometimes I use walnuts, other times I use pecans. Both are fabulous! And the touch of cinnamon and nutmeg really add something special to this very iconic cookie.
- Versatile: Whether you are doing some holiday baking for a Christmas cookie box or you just have a hankering for something nutty and sweet, these oatmeal raisin cookies are just what you need! Switch out the nuts, swap out the raisins and use dried cranberries instead – there are a number of small ways to make these cookies your own.
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Ingredients you need
- Old-fashion oatmeal: You want whole rolled oats for this recipe. I explain below about the different oatmeal options.
- Pecans: You can omit the pecans or use walnuts instead. Ina’s recipe calls for you to toast the pecans first. You can do this or skip this step.
- Raisins: If you do not have raisins, you can substitute with dried cranberries or cherries instead.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is used in baking so you can control the salt in your baking yourself. You can substitute with ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil.
- Brown sugar: Although the recipe calls for dark brown sugar, you can use dark or light brown sugar.
- Other pantry staples: all purpose flour, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking powder, ground cinnamon and kosher salt.
- Extra large eggs: I usually bake with large eggs, but the original recipe asks for extra large eggs. The difference between the two is small and you can substitute with 2 large eggs without affecting the texture much.
Step-by-step directions
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- Cream the butter. Mix butter and sugars until creamed and light yellow in color
- Add eggs. Mix eggs in one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Finish cookie batter. Add dry ingredients into wet and mix until fully incorporated. By hand, fold in toasted pecan pieces as well as oatmeal and raisins.
- Scoop dough. Using a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Flatten slightly with a damp hand.
- Bake the cookies. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cookies rest in the baking sheet for one minute, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
Love Ina’s recipes like I do? Here are some of my favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes:
- Ina Garten Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Ina Garten Baked Shrimp Scampi
- Ina Garten Grilled Shrimp Kabob
- Ina Garten Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich
- Ina Garten Shrimp Bisque
- Ina Garten Coconut Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Ina Garten Creme Brulee
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: The cookies will last on the counter in an airtight container for up to a week as long as the kitchen is cool and not hot.
TO FREEZE: You can freeze cookie and baked cookies. Wrap in foil, plastic wrap or parchment paper and freeze for up to 3 months.
Quick oats are more processed than old fashioned rolled oats. Whole rolled oats are oats that are steamed and then flattened. Quick oats are pre-cooked, dried, and then rolled and pressed. The are a bit thinner than rolled oats and cook much faster than the rolled oat variety.
Traditionally, rolled oats are used to make oatmeal raisin cookies. And Ina Garten’s oatmeal cookie recipe is no different. The butter based cookie is made with old fashioned rolled oats that give the cookie a chewy texture. You can see the bits of oats in the cookie, giving it a more rustic look.
You CAN use quick oats for oatmeal raisin cookies, the taste is basically the same. But you will end up with a more uniform looking cookie, and slightly less chewy quality than if you use rolled oats. So you see, the difference is personal preference.
Steel cut oats are processed by chopping the whole oat into smaller pieces instead of being rolled. Steel cut oats are higher in fiber and generally more nutritious than rolled oats. But, they also have a different texture and take longer time to cook than it’s other varieties.
You can use steel cut oats for cookies, but you can’t substitute the oats in this recipe and expect the recipe to turn out the same. Steel cut oats require more liquid and a longer cooking time to cook.
I have always fought the urge to use a scooper for my cookie dough batter, but I have to say, I love the way I can use equal amounts of batter every time. This mini ice cream scoops come in different sizes and really make the cookie making process go faster.
Do you need to use a scooper to bake even looking cookies? No, not at all. For many years I used my trusty tablespoon and would scoop the dough out with that and chisel it out with a smaller spoon or knife.
But the scoop certainly makes the process go smoother, even if you are scooping out rustic oatmeal raisin cookies. Just scoop out the batter onto a baking sheet and press it down with your damp hand or the bottom of a glass to flatten.
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Ina Garten’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup pecans
- ½ lb unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cup old-fashion oatmeal
- 1 ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until crisp. Set aside to cool.
- Chop pecans coarsely and reserve.
- Using a stand mixer, whisk butter and sugars until creamed and light yellow in color
- Mix eggs in one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Add dry ingredients into wet and mix until fully incorporated.
- By hand, fold in toasted pecan pieces as well as oatmeal and raisins.
- Using a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Flatten slightly with a damp hand.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Let cookies rest in the baking sheet for one minute, then using a spatula transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Can I freeze the dough to use later?
Yes, I believe you can freeze the dough to bake later.
I have to say that I’m with your husband here in the sense that oatmeal cookies are my absolute favorites. In fact, I’ve been researching oatmeal cookies, but I had not yet come across Ina’s recipe. Also, thank you for the discussion of quick oats versus old fashioned oats I had noticed both types of oats in various recipes and I had not yet found a description of the difference that they would produce in the final cookie. What you’ve described in that regard makes total sense.
ha ha! Thank you for kind words. I’m glad I was able to help. I hope you enjoyed the cookies!
I often substitute olive oil for butter, but almost never in baking — just love butter’s flavor so much. These look terrific — thanks.,
Ok ok I think I have to make these for my husband for Valentine’s Day!
If he’s an oatmeal raisin cookie fan, then he’ll definitely love them!
I like all of Ina’s recipes. I’m definitely going to make the oatmeal rainsins but I don’t have peacans so I’ll use my walnuts. They sound tasty …