Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I’m not a huge fan of raisins, but after watching Ina Garten whip up some oatmeal raisin cookies I couldn’t help but try them again. The cookies looked so good my husband sent me to the store to buy ingredients so I could come right back home and make cookies. I thought the idea was brilliant.

I wanted to do everything exactly the way she did, even if it meant adding raisins instead of chocolate chips to the cookie dough. The cookies would be delicious with chocolate chips, but I actually like the sweet juicy raisins. Toasted pecans and dark brown sugar add bold flavor and a really nice texture to the classic oatmeal cookie. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. And yes, it’s fine if you use chocolate chips instead of raisins.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

recipe by Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa
printable version of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 ½ cups raisins (or chocolate chips)
1 ½ cups toasted pecan halves, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Bake pecan halves in 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or until toasted. Allow pecans to cool slightly and chop them roughly; set aside.

Mix butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. Slowly add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix well. Add oats one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add raisins and pecans.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!