Fall Spice Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Large, chewy cookies with plumped raisins, old-fashioned oats, and a generous blend of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
Overview
This is our autumn mash-up: the hearty chew of a classic oatmeal raisin cookie pushed into fall with a deliberately generous amount of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Plumped raisins keep their softness, old-fashioned oats give the cookies their backbone, and the dough is chilled before baking so those big cookies hold their shape. Because we chose not to use stronger fall spices such as clove or molasses, we decided to make up for that depth of flavor by amping up the cinnamon. We tried several batches before deciding on the amounts below. We found that much more than normal was required for the cinnamon and other spices to stand apart from the oatmeal and the raisins. However, please adjust the spices to suit your personal preferences.
Ingredients
Raisins
- 1 ½ cups raisins
- Water, enough to cover the raisins for plumping
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups Caputo 00 flour (red bag)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
- 3 cups Bob's Red Mill old-fashioned oats
Wet Ingredients & Sugars
- 1 cup unsalted Kerrygold butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Method
1. Plump the Raisins
- Place the raisins in a large measuring cup and cover them with water.
- Microwave for 1 minute to accelerate the plumping process.
- Drain thoroughly and pat the raisins completely dry with paper towels. This matters: excess water will change the dough.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Caputo 00 flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Stir in the old-fashioned oats and set aside.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugars
- Using a KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the Eggs and Vanilla
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Combine and Chill
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing just until combined.
- Gently fold in the plumped, dried raisins.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- After chilling, let the dough sit briefly toward room temperature so it is easier to handle and scoop.
6. Shape the Cookies
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop generous portions of dough using a large cookie scoop. The final count will depend on the size of your scoop.
- Place the dough portions on the prepared baking sheets and flatten them ever so slightly before baking.
7. Bake
- Bake for about 28 minutes, until the edges are golden and set while the centers remain wonderfully soft and chewy.
- Cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack.
Notes
Plump the raisins: The quick water bath gives the raisins a softer, fuller texture and keeps them from becoming dry little pockets in the finished cookie.
Don't be shy with the spice: The unusually generous cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg blend is intentional. It is what turns an oatmeal raisin cookie into our fall version.
Make them large: The size is part of the experience. Larger cookies give you the contrast we wanted: golden edges and a soft, chewy center.
Give the dough its chill: The one-hour refrigerator rest helps the dough firm up before those generous scoops go into the oven.
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