Mrs Fields Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

It’s no secret that I love baking cookies. In fact, I truly think that cookies are my most favorite thing to make. There are so many variations that you can create, that it just makes baking cookies so much fun!

When I got married, the only 3 things I knew how to make were chocolate chip cookies, boxed chocolate pudding mix and a (boxed) chocolate cake loaded with Cool Whip and Heath Bar candy. I was definitely a prize to be had! haha!

Sixteen years later, my cooking skills have definitely improved (haha, hence why Gathered In The Kitchen was born!) and so have my cookie recipes!

I love to try new recipes and tweak them to what I feel my family will love the most. Some of my favorites are, of course, the best soft chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cherry almond chocolate cookies, pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and french butter cookies.

I was recently on the hunt for a new, healthier seeming cookie recipe – and figured oatmeal raisin was just the type of cookie I needed!

Oatmeal naturally is beneficial for promoting healthy bacteria in your gut because of its high fiber content. Oatmeal also provides antioxidants and is good at naturally lowering cholesterol. So, because it’s the new year, and I’m focused eating healthier, I figured oatmeal cookies were definitely a good alternative to a regular chocolate chip cookie! 🙂

I have so many cookbooks, but I often times find myself just looking for recipes online…because it’s easier and more convenient. But I decided to browse through some of my dessert cookbooks, looking for a classic, tried and true recipe. I stumbled upon Mrs. Field’s Oatmeal Raisin Chews in my Mrs Fields Best Ever Cookie Book! I instantly knew these were the cookies I was going to make! And boy am I glad I did! They were delicious!

I’m so happy that I gave these cookies a try! The honey in the cookies gave it a caramel-y taste. My boys thought that I had made caramel raisin cookies in fact! While I made this recipe according to the directions, I did omit the optional walnuts. After making this batch, I think that the walnuts would add a really nice nutty flavor to compliment the raisins. Guess I need to bake another batch!

• flour – use all-purpose flour for this
• oatmeal – it’s suggested to use quick oats and not instant oats
• honey – the honey adds such a unique flavor to these cookies, that almost seems like caramel. It also helps create a crispy texture when added with the brown sugar
• egg – always use fresh, large eggs when baking. My eggs are fresh from my backyard chickens
• brown sugar – this recipe actually calls for dark brown sugar, but I did not have it, so I used light brown sugar. The main difference between dark brown sugar (more molasses) and light brown sugar (less molasses) is the molasses content
• granulated sugar – regular white sugar
• vanilla extract – it’s preferred to use real vanilla extract instead of imitation for a more purer taste
• butter – I always use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer. This recipe actually calls for salted butter
• raisins – I used dark raisins, I’m sure you could swap the dark raisins for golden raisins, however, it may change the flavor a bit. Give it a try and let me know which you prefer!
• walnuts – these are optional to use. I did not use any nuts in my cookies

• stand mixer – I used my KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment because this batter is thicker and I used cold butter, rather than room temperature so it is more difficult to mix. I would highly recommend investing in a good mixer. Mine is now 16 years old and I have never had an issue with it…and I use it ALLLLL of the time!
• baking sheet – use any 9×13 baking sheet you prefer.
• parchment paper – through my years of baking, and hours of watching Martha Stewart’s baking show on YouTube, I have concluded that it is best to bake cookies on parchment paper. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet and then bake according to the recipe directions

If your oatmeal raisin cookies got hard, the first question you need to answer is how long did you bake them for? Secondly, how long ago were the cookies baked and how were they stored? This recipe creates crispy cookies, so the texture and density is different than of a fluffy and light oatmeal raisin cookie.

Of course! That’s the great thing about cookies, you can change up the ingredients and still make delicious creations!

Yes, oatmeal raising cookies can be frozen for longer storage times, however, they must be put in an airtight container before being stored. I like to wrap several stacked cookies in plastic wrap and then place them in either an airtight container or a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, place cookies on the counter to thaw. If needed, once thawed, place in a 300°F heated oven for 1-2 minutes to retain their original crispiness.

For a crispier, chewy cookie, bake for a longer time at a lower temperature. This recipe calls for baking the cookies at 300°F for 18-20 minutes.

So many factors determine the crispness of a cookie, from the ingredients used to the size and rolling of the dough before baking, but the temperature of the oven and the length of baking time greatly affect the crispiness of a cookie.

Cookies turn out cakey or puffy because too much leavening agent was added to the mix. Leavening agents, such as baking soda (a quick-acting agent), baking powder or eggs whites, are substances that causes dough to expand by releasing gas once mixed with liquid, acid or heat. Too much of these leavening agents will cause the cookie dough to rise too much when baking.

I loved that the cookies were thin and crispy. The honey and brown sugar added such a nice, warm crunch that I haven’t really noticed in other cookie recipes. As I mentioned above, my kids thought that they cookies had caramel in them.

The oatmeal was not overpowering I definitely recommend giving this recipe a try! This is definitely a classic oatmeal raisin cookie that is best served with a tall glass of milk!

• I did not have dark brown sugar, so I used light brown. The difference between the two is that dark brown sugar has a higher content of molasses than the light brown sugar
• I did not have any quick oats (my daughter used them all baking treats for our horse, Stuart, haha!) so I used steal cut instead. I loved using these oats because they are chopped up so you didn’t have any large grains of oatmeal in the cookie (haha kids! You ate oatmeal and didn’t know it! … I’m always looking for ways to sneak in healthier ingredients to my recipes (like these chickpea chocolate chip cookies)

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