Crunchy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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Crunchy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are crunchy, crumbly cookies loaded with oats and raisins. These are perfect for those who crave that satisfying crunch in a cookie.
There are so many types of cookies in this world. Soft, chewy, gooey, anything you name it. If you love crunchy cookies, I think you will love this Crunchy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe.
This recipe was adapted from my previous Crunchy Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies. But I used brown sugar, cinnamon powder, and raisins this time. Substituting confectioners’ sugar with brown sugar gives these cookies a deep caramelized flavor and extra crunch.
These Crunchy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are perfectly crispy and crunchy inside and out, studded with plump and chewy raisins, and buttery in taste with a subtle cinnamon flavor. These cookies smell heavenly when they are in the oven and also keep really well.
No matter which cookie style suits you, I believe that cookies make this world a better place.
Ingredients You Need
- Butter. Ensure the butter is at room temperature so it will blend well with the other ingredients. I use unsalted butter in this recipe, but you can also substitute it with salted butter and omit the salt.
- Brown sugar. To provide sweetness, help the cookies spread, and give the cookies a crunchy texture and caramelized flavor.
- Egg yolk. Egg yolk cuts the water and throws in fat, hindering both gluten development and aeration, producing cookies that are dense, tender, and rich.
- Vanilla extract. To enhance the flavor.
- Cake flour. Cake flour is a lower-protein flour. It has about 7-9% protein compared to the 10-12% protein in all-purpose flour. Using cake flour will make the cookies crisper, lighter, and more tender. You can also substitute cake flour with all-purpose flour but the cookies will turn a little bit denser.
- Oats. Use quick oats or instant oats which will act as a binder in the cookie dough, absorbing moisture and building structure. If you use rolled oats, they won’t help your dough bind together.
- Baking powder. To produce a light, fine cookie texture.
- Salt. For taste.
- Raisins. For extra flavor and texture.
Variations
- Sugar. You can swap the brown sugar with castor or confectioners’ sugar if preferred. The confectioners’ sugar will give the cookies a tender and crumbly texture, while the castor and will give the cookies a crisper, denser texture.
- Flour. Substitute the cake flour with rice flour or any gluten-free flour for the gluten-free version.
- Add-ins. Feel free to add some chocolate chips for extra flavor. Nuts such as pistachios or almonds make a great addition as well. You can substitute or add any sweetened dried fruit in this cookie recipe. If you use a larger dried fruit such as apricot, just be sure to chop the fruit before adding it to your dough.
- Spice. Nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and ginger to spice the cookies.
Secrets of Crispy and Crunchy Cookies
The reason the cookies end up being crispy and crunchy instead of soft and chewy are due to a couple of reasons:
- Less liquid. The amount of egg as a liquid in this recipe is very crucial because it can cause the cookies to puff up or spread. If you put an extra egg, you will get chewier cookies. Meanwhile, you will get a more crumbly cookie with less egg.
- Egg yolk. One thing to remember is the different effects of egg yolks and egg whites in cookies. The white provides strength, stability, and moisture. Meanwhile, the yolks where all of the fat is in an egg, increase richness, tenderness, and flavor. Therefore, egg yolks are used to create dry, rich, and delicate cookies. They also have the unique ability to bind liquids and fats together.
Cake flour. Flour affects how cookies bake and behave. Cake flour creates more delicate, tender textures and the cookies will become crisper since it does not give as much structure or gluten as the all-purpose.
Baking powder. We usually use baking powder and baking soda for the leaveners in cookies. Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies.
Flatten the cookie. Round dough balls take longer to bake, resulting in softer, thicker cookies. Flatten cookies yield thinner, crispier cookies.
Longer baking time. If you want them to be crispy, bake them longer at lower temperatures.
More Cookies Recipes
Are you looking for the perfect cookie recipes to satisfy your sweet craving? Check out these recipes below!
- Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Super Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond White Chocolate Matcha Cookies
- Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 9 tbsp (125 gr) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 7 tbsp (90 gr) brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 gr) cake flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (100 gr) quick cooking/instant oats
- 1/2 cup (75 gr) raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320F/160°C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla. Beat the mixture until well combined.
- Sift in cake flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed just until combined. Don't overmix.
- Add oats and raisins. Mix with a spatula until combined.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into balls. Arrange the balls onto the prepared pan, leaving about 2 1/2 inch/6.5 cm of space between the cookies.
- Flatten the dough ball with a fork. Make sure the flattened dough still has at least 1 inch/2.5 cm of space between because the cookies will spread a little during baking.
- Bake the cookies for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Transfer the cookies immediately onto a cooling rack and cool them completely before transferring them into an airtight container.
Wow, thank you for explaining how the ingredients interact here! I am eager to try these cookies–my family loves crunchy!