Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Name: Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 sticks butter (browned); 1 1/4 cups brown sugar; 2 eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups rolled oats; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 1/4 cups raisins (soaked)

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Brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies are one of my favorites! They’re loaded with rolled oats, plump raisins, and lots of cinnamon flavor!

Brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies one of my favorites! They're full of oats, raisins and warm cinnamon flavor!

There are two types of people in this world: people who hate raisins and people who love them. I happen to love them and when they’re added to cookies like this, it’s game over for me! If you aren’t a fan, feel free to substitute with chocolate chips, chopped nuts or toffee pieces!

Soaking the raisins before adding them to the cookie dough makes them softer and more pleasant to eat!

Ingredients in brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies:

Butter: Butter is the base of any good cookie recipe but browning the butter in this recipe adds a delicious, nutty depth of flavor.
Brown sugar: We are using brown sugar opposed to granulated sugar here because it has more moisture and a slight molasses flavor.
Eggs: 2 eggs add structure and help bind everything together.
Vanilla extract: I like using pure vanilla extract, but you can also use vanilla bean paste.
All-purpose flour:
Old fashioned rolled oats: This is a key ingredient for these cookies. They provide flavor, texture and chew!
Ground cinnamon: The flavors of cinnamon, oats and raisins are basically made for each other!
Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise perfectly!
Raisins: This step is optional, but I like to soak the raisins in warm water before adding them to the cookie batter. You’ll want to be sure you drain them and pat dry before adding them to the cookie batter to avoid too much moisture.

One of the reasons these brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies are so easy to make is because you can add everything to one bowl for the dough!

How to make brown butter:

If you’ve never brown butter before, don’t worry- it’s very simple! All you need is a pan, two sticks of butter and a whisk – that’s it! You’ll start by melting the butter over medium heat in the pan. Once melted, constantly whisk the butter, and continue to cook it until it reaches a rich, golden color. This can burn very easily so be sure to keep a close eye on it (now is not the time to walk away, just keep whisking!).

You’ll know it’s done when the surface is foaming, the underneath is browned, and it smells very toasty and nutty. When it reaches this point, immediately remove it from the heat and set aside to cool. Believe me, once you try these browned butter cookies, you’ll never go back to another method!

How to make the best chewy oatmeal raisin cookies:

Brown the butter and soak the raisins: Doing these two steps first will ensure that the butter can cool a little and the raisins can become plump before mixing the batter.
Combine the wet ingredients: This includes brown butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth!
Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle the flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Lastly, fold in the soaked and drained raisins.
Chill the dough: Let the dough sit in the fridge for 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350 degrees F.
Bake: Scoop or roll the cookies into 2-inch balls and place them on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown. Let them set up for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before enjoying.

Everyone has their ideal cookie texture, but I don’t think it gets better than chewy centers, and crisp edges! Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before scooping and baking the cookies helps them keep that chewy texture so don’t skip this step!

Chilling the cookie dough helps the cookies have a chewy interior with crisp edges because the flour and oats have time to hydrate.

My top tips for perfect oatmeal raisin cookies:

Brown the butter: Taking an extra 5 minutes to brown the butter is so worth it for the depth of flavor it adds to the cookies. Be careful though, it’ll go from browned to burnt very quickly!
Soak the raisins: Pour hot water over the raisins and let them sit for at least 10 minutes for draining and patting dry. This will make them soft and plump for the cookies.
Chill the dough: 30 minutes in the fridge is the perfect amount of chill time for these cookies. It firms up the dough enough to make it easy to roll into balls. Don’t leave it in the fridge for much longer or else the oats will begin to absorb all the moisture in the dough and the cookies won’t expand in the oven.

You'll want the cookie dough balls to be about 2 inches in size. They won't spread very much in the oven so they don't need too much space on the cookie sheets!

FAQ:

Can I skip browning the butter?

You can use regular softened butter if you’re short on time, but browning the butter does add tons of flavor so if you have the time, I highly recommend trying it out!

Can I use quick or steel cut oats in this recipe?

You’ll want to use old fashioned, rolled oats for this recipe. They’re thicker and heartier than quick oats and provide the perfect texture and flavor for these oatmeal cookies.

How long should I soak the raisins for?

Soaking the raisins in hot water for a minimum of 10 minutes will do the trick! You just want them to soften a little so they’re more pleasant to chew on in the cookies.

What can I use instead of raisins?

If you aren’t a fan of raisins, don’t worry! You can swap them for any kind of chocolate chips, chopped nuts, toffee pieces or even shredded coconut (no need to soak any of these other options before adding them)!

Can I omit chilling the dough?

I highly recommend chilling the dough for 30 minutes before scooping out the cookies and baking them. By chilling the dough, the flour and oats will hydrate, and the butter will become firmer to avoiding too much spreading in the oven.

How do I know when the cookies are done baking?

You’ll know the cookies are done when they have slightly flattened and are lightly golden on the edges. it’s ok to leave them a little underdone because they will continue to cook from any residual heat on the baking sheets even once they’ve been removed from the oven.

How should I store these cookies?

Let them cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and leave at room temperature for 5-7 days!

These brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies will last 5-7 days when stored at room temperature.

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