This is the Best Oatmeal Cookie Recipe – Crisp on the Outside, Chewy in the Center – Browned Butter, Toasted Oats and Ground Pecans
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CREATING THE BEST OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPE
We created the best oatmeal cookie recipe by collecting tips from lots of different recipes, and then using the best. I love reading recipes and picking up tips and ideas. With lots of recipes for oatmeal cookies available, there are lots of ideas for improving them.
TIPS ON MAKING THE BEST OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPE
- Toast the oatmeal to add flavor and then grind some to use as part of the flour to improve the taste and texture of the cookie.
- Soften the raisins before adding to the dough so they don’t dry out the cookies.
- Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan or use an air fryer. A few minutes in the air fryer on 300 degrees will toast them to the perfect amount of crunch. Using an air fryer instead of the stove or oven also saves on energy and lowers our carbon footprint.
- After refrigerating the dough overnight, half the batch can be frozen instead of baking them all. Portioning out the dough and then vacuum sealing them keeps them fresher. We often bake them right out of the freezer, one or two at a time. Individual cookies, or up to four at a time, can be baked in an air fryer. The air fryer doesn’t have to be preheated, and uses only a fraction of the energy of the oven. The secret to using the air fryer is to use a little bit lower temperature than the oven.
- Bloom the cinnamon in the browned butter.
- Add ground nuts for moisture and texture as well as taste.
- Add two teaspoons of vanilla instead of just one to improve the flavor.
THE SCIENCE TO MAKING THE BEST OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPE
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THE SCIENCE BEHIND MAKING GREAT COOKIES EVERY TIME
To make great cookies, it is important to understand a little of the science of making them. They are small, so there is less room for error, which is why measuring accurately is so necessary. And they have very few ingredients, so each ingredient has a key roll, and using the best of each ingredient will make a big difference.
INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING GREAT COOKIES
USE THE BEST INGREDIENTS – The brands we have listed will let you make great cookies every time. They not only taste better but production of each is controlled so the product is consistent. The size of the sugar crystal, the amount of protein in the flour, the shape of the salt – all these things will affect the way the cookies bake. Cookies are so small that little differences in the ingredients can lead to a big difference in the cookies.
FLOUR
Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flourhas a lower protein amount than some all purpose flours – 10.5 percent protein. This is a good flour for baking cookies, since it makes them more tender. In addition, the company ensures that the protein content is carefully calibrated, so you get consistent results. Also, it is important to use the unbleached flour.
King Arthur Flour– King Arthur is an employee-owned company that responsibly sources the wheat for their flours, and it pays off in the taste and quality. They have a “never bleached” guarantee, which means their flours don’t have an off taste or unpredictable results that can be caused by bleaching. They also carefully calibrate the protein content, which means the flour gives you the same results, every time you bake. King Arthur unbleached all purpose flour– 11.7 percent protein – is good for baking cookies that are a little more hearty and need some substance, which the higher protein provides.
SUGAR
We useWholesome organic sugar, because it is produced from sugar cane fields that are green cut and are not burned or treated with herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. Burning sugar cane fields contributes to air pollution andclimate change, and is a major cause of the destruction of the rain forest. Buying sugar from fields that are green cut helps prevent this destruction. The sugar also has a better taste because of how it is produced, but mostly we use it because it is a sustainable choice. It is more expensive than buying the standard brands, but the difference is only a few cents per recipe, so it’s worth it. We also save money bybuying this in bulkdirect from the company andstoring it in jars in the pantry. Instead of buying brown sugar, we add some molasses or sorghum syrup to a recipe, since brown sugar is just sugar with molasses added. This saves money, since brown sugar is more expensive than white sugar, and it saves storage.
VANILLA
Heilala producesthebest tasting vanilla we have ever tried. Plus, it is ethically produced. We double the amount of vanilla usually called for to add extra flavor. Vanilla extract is usually half alcohol and half water, so the extra vanilla can add back some of the liquid that was removed when browning the butter.
CHOCOLATE
Using a high quality chocolate makes a really big difference. We useValrhona chocolate, because of the quality and because it’s an ethical choice.
SALT
We like the quality ofDiamond Kosher saltand don’t want the iodine taste. The weight and structure of salt varies between brands so it is important to choose a salt and stick with it to be consistent.
BUTTER
Usingbrowned butter, or buerre noistte as it is known in France, adds a huge amount of flavor to baked goods. We useHorizon Organicbutter to make browned butter. We think Horizon products taste better than any other dairy products we have tried. This is probably because the products are organic and from family farming partners. Just as important, Horizon is acertified B corporationthat has committed to becomingcarbon positive across their entire supply chain by 2025.
METHOD FOR MAKING COOKIES
USE A SCALE AND MEASURE IN GRAMS – Use a scale to measure all the ingredients by weight. This is absolutely essential. The inaccuracies from using measuring cups can easily lead to failure when baking. Different brands of flour and sugar will be different when measured with measuring cups, and not all measuring cups are accurate either. But measuring by weight is the same every time. Measuring by weight is also much easier – just put the mixing bowl on the scale, zero the scale, add an ingredient, zero the scale again, add the next ingredient, and so on. Measuring in grams is more accurate because it is a smaller, more precise measurement than an ounce or pound. Also, grams are often easy numbers to remember, making it possible to make the cookies without looking at the written recipe and easy to compare recipes. Clean up is easier, since there will be fewer bowls and no measuring cups and to clean up. And cooking with children is easier because they quickly learn how to add ingredients until the scale reads the correct amount.
CREAM THE BUTTER AND SUGAR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES – Cream the butter and sugar for several minutes to make sure they are light and fluffy, but not so long that the butter starts melting. This will take about 5 to 8 minutes in a stand mixer. Do not let the mixture exceed 68 degrees F.
USE A SCALE AND A SCOOP TO MAKE DROP COOKIES – Use the scale to make sure the cookies are exactly the same size. Using a scoop makes forming the cookies fast and easy and will also help maintain the same shape.
REFRIGERATE THE DOUGH OVERNIGHT – This allows the flour to absorb the liquid in the dough and hardens up the butter, making the cookies bake better. You can refrigerate the dough in the bowl covered with plastic wrap, but it is easier to measure out the dough as cookies for drop cookies or form it into a flat square for rolled cookies, and wrap in plastic before refrigerating it.
VACUUM PACK AND FREEZE EXTRA DOUGH -After refrigerating the dough overnight, freeze extra cookie dough as cookies in a vacuum packed container. Portioning out the dough and then vacuum sealing them keeps them fresher and makes it easy to take out just a few for baking.
USE AN OVEN THERMOMETER – Use an oven thermometer to check the oven temperature before putting the cookies in. The temperature of ovens vary, and may not be the temperature on the dial.
ALLOW THE COOKIES TO COOL ON A RACK – Allow the cookies to cool for a minute on the pan, then transfer them to a rack to keep them from getting too dark on the bottom. The cookies will become more crisp as they cool on the rack, though we realize allowing them to cool before eating them is almost impossible.
MAKING OATMEAL COOKIE MIX:
It’s not hard to make your own cookie mix, and you can use any of your favorite recipes. Just mix the dry ingredients together ahead of time. Then later add the butter, eggs and vanilla, and bake. The cookie mix makes a nice gift when you package it in a canister with a ribbon and label… and, of course, instructions.
Equipment
- scale
CHOOSING BRANDS:
For certain products, the choice of brand will make a big difference in the outcome of the recipe and in your carbon footprint. So, for those products, we have listed the brand. We are not paid to mention a brand and have no affiliates.
Ingredients
- 100 grams pecans
- 300 grams rolled oats – old fashioned
- 100 grams Gold Medal unbleached all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 60 grams Horizon butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 250 grams Wholesome organic sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Wholesome molasses
- 100 grams Roasted peanut oil
- 2 large eggs one whole egg and one egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon Heilala pure vanilla extract
- 200 grams raisins
Instructions
- Toast the pecans in an air fryer on 300° F for 4-5 minutes, or in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until they just start to brown. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool. After they are cooled, grind half the nuts to a powder, but not so long that they become nut butter. Place the ground nuts in a medium sized bowl. Roughly chop the other half, leaving some whole to place on top of the cookies.
- Toast the oatmeal in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until it just starts to brown. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool After the oatmeal cools, finely grind 50 grams to a fine powder. Add the ground oatmeal to the ground nuts in the medium sized bowl.
- Soak the raisins in hot water (or bourbon for a more adult flavor) for 5 minutes to soften. Then drain and transfer the raisins to a paper towel.
- Put the medium sized bowl with the ground nuts and oatmeal on the scale, zero it and measure in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir together and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until it foams and turns brown, stirring constantly. Immediately pour the browned butter into a large mixing bowl.
- Place the mixing bowl on the scale. Stir in the cinnamon and wait one minute. Zero the scale and then measure in the sugar, molasses, peanut oil, vanilla, egg and yolk, zeroing after each item. Then stir in the flour mixture. Then stir in the oats, nuts and raisins.
- Portion out the dough into balls 3 tablespoons in size. Using a 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop makes this easier and more accurate. Cover the balls with plastic and refrigerate overnight. The next day, place them on the baking sheets, leaving space between each. allow them to come to room temperature thenusing a glass, flatten the cookies into thick disks. Place a whole pecan or two on the top of each cookie. The balls can also be vacuum packed and frozen at this stage.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or bake in an air fryer at 300 degrees).
- Bake 1 tray at a time. Bake until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and centers are still soft – about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute and then transfer them to a wire rack. If possible, allow them to cool before serving.
Nutrition
WHY THIS RECIPE IS SUSTAINABLE:
Check out the chart on the blog post to see how food choices affect climate change. This recipe uses responsible brands and items that are lower on the chart and the production creates less greenhouse gas.
HOW THESE COOKIES FIT WITH OUR PLAN TOEAT BETTER:
We have listed the brands for some of the ingredients because ingredients are everything, especially in something small like cookies. We have found that these brands give superior results. And by using brands like Horizon butter and Wholesome sugar we cut our carbon footprint in half and are helping to control climate change.
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Photos by Tony Fitzgerald Photography