Creative Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipes

Cooked Oatmeal Cookies

The addition of cooked oatmeal gives this cookie an extra-soft texture that elevates the humble cookie into a gourmet pastry.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quick cooking oats

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup cooked oatmeal

• ½ cup dark or golden raisins

• 1 egg

• ½ cup almond butter

• ½ cup white sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon salt

Mix the cooked oatmeal, uncooked oats, flour and raisins in a large bowl. Cream sugars, egg, salt and vanilla with the nut butter in a small bowl until well incorporated. Stir the creamed ingredients into the oat mixture.

Grease a cookie sheet. Drop approximately 2 teaspoons of dough onto the sheet per cookie. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the outer cookie is crispy and lightly browned. Remove cookies from the baking sheet and cool on a rack. Store the cooled cookies in airtight containers. Makes approximately two dozen cookies.

Sugarless Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

This version of the oatmeal cookie uses no refined sugar to get its sweetness, but utilizes molasses (a great source of iron) and maple syrup instead. The addition of molasses also adds a true old-fashioned flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ cups white or whole wheat flour

• ¾ cup quick cooking oats

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup butter

• 2 eggs beaten

• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

• 4 tablespoons black strap molasses

• 1 ½ cups applesauce

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• ½ cup dark or golden raisins

In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients (the first five). Cream butter with the syrup and molasses until the mixture is fluffy. Beat the eggs slightly and add to the creamed mixture. Add applesauce and vanilla to the creamed mixture. Stir wet ingredients into the dry, incorporating well. If the batter feels a little dry, add a spoonful or two more applesauce. Mix the raisins in last.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for approximately 20 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container once cooled. Makes approximately two dozen cookies.

Health Nut Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies

This recipe takes the sugarless oatmeal recipe and turns it into a handy protein-packed meal that’s great for hiking or camping or a quick snack for the kids that you never have to feel bad about.

Follow the Sugarless Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe above. With the raisins add:

• ¼ cup chopped raw pumpkin seeds

• ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

• ¼ cup raw chopped walnuts

• ¼ cup chopped dried cherries

Bake and cool as instructed in the basic recipe.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Bars

Who doesn’t love chocolate? The pairing of dark chocolate chips and dark raisins is like a great food and wine pairing; each brings out the best qualities of the other. Making bars instead of individual cookies means you can produce more treats in less time, which you’ll be thankful for when everyone starts asking for more!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter-flavored shortening

• 1 cup white sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons molasses

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3 cups quirk cooking oats

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

• 1 cup dark raisins

Cream shortening with sugars until fluffy. Add beaten eggs, molasses and vanilla. Mix well. Combine all of the dry ingredients except raisins in a large bowl. Incorporate creamed ingredients with dry. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips.

Spread the mixture in a greases 13- by 9-inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the edges slightly pull away from the pan. Cook and cut into 3-inch bars. Makes 12 cookies.