Take a delicious trip back in time with Nana’s Oatmeal Cookies. This beloved family recipe has been cherished for generations, bringing smiles and creating precious memories. With their perfect blend of soft chewiness from the oats and raisins, the delightful crunch of walnuts, and the comforting embrace of cinnamon and nutmeg, these cookies truly capture the essence of a warm hug from home. They taste just like the classic treats you remember from childhood. These cookies are easy to make and perfect for sharing on any occasion.

Whether you enjoy these wonderfully chewy cookies alongside a tall, cold glass of milk or share them with loved ones during holidays and gatherings, Nana’s Oatmeal Cookies are the ultimate symbol of homemade comfort and affection. Get ready to bake a batch of these truly delightful treats that everyone will instantly fall in love with and ask for the recipe again and again.

Sharing the Gift of Family Recipes

When I choose to share a cherished family recipe with you, it extends far beyond simply wanting you to experience its delicious taste. It represents a deeper connection, embodying love, tradition, and the simple, pure joy of sharing wonderful food with the people you care about most. Every single batch of these classic oatmeal cookies carries a piece of history within it, and each delightful bite serves as a gentle reminder of the warmth, safety, and comfort of being truly at home. Nana’s perfect recipe has been carefully passed down through the years and generations, ensuring that her beautiful legacy continues to thrive and bring happiness and pure delight to everyone who has the pleasure of tasting her very special treats. It is a way to keep those precious memories alive and create new ones with your own family and friends.

Ingredients for Nana’s Oatmeal Cookies

To make a batch of these truly comforting and delicious Nana’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, gather together the following simple ingredients. You likely have many of these pantry staples already on hand, making these cookies a perfect impromptu baking project. Using good quality ingredients will help ensure the best flavor and texture in your finished cookies.

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

How to Make Nana’s Oatmeal Cookies

Making these wonderfully chewy homemade oatmeal cookies is surprisingly simple and takes just a few easy steps. You can whip up a batch in hardly any time at all, perfect for when a cookie craving hits or you need a quick dessert for guests. Follow these steps to recreate Nana’s beloved recipe right in your own kitchen.

1. First, get your oven ready by heating it up to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). While the oven warms, prepare a standard size cookie sheet. Line it smoothly with parchment paper. Parchment paper helps prevent the cookies from sticking and makes cleanup so much easier.
2. In a large mixing bowl, begin by creaming together the softened butter and the granulated sugar. Beat them together until the mixture becomes light in color and fluffy in texture. This typically takes about two minutes of mixing. This creaming process incorporates air, which helps give the cookies their soft structure. Next, add the two large eggs into the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix everything thoroughly until the eggs are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth.
3. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, you will combine all the dry ingredients. Sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, ground nutmeg, and kosher salt. Sifting helps to remove any lumps and ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed. After combining the dry ingredients, stir in the old-fashioned oats. Make sure the oats are well mixed throughout the flour mixture.
4. Now, add the dry ingredients mixture from the second bowl into the large bowl containing the wet ingredients. Mix them together gently until they are just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as overdeveloping the gluten in the flour can result in tougher cookies. Once the dry and wet ingredients are mostly combined, add in the chopped walnuts and the raisins. Stir them into the dough until they are fully and evenly incorporated throughout the mixture.
5. To portion the dough for baking, use a medium cookie scoop. A scoop that holds about 2 tablespoons of dough works perfectly to create uniformly sized cookies. Drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about one inch of space between each dough ball. This space allows the cookies to spread slightly while baking without running into each other. After placing the dough balls, gently press down on the top of each one just slightly to flatten it a little.
6. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven. Bake the cookies for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. You’ll know they are ready when the edges appear lightly golden brown. The centers might still look a little soft, but they will set as they cool. Once baked, remove the sheet from the oven. Let the cookies cool slightly on the hot pan for a few minutes. This brief cooling period on the pan helps them firm up before you move them. Then, carefully transfer the warm cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling on a wire rack allows air to circulate around them, preventing them from becoming soggy.

Balls of oat cookies ready for the oven. They look so promising even before baking!

Serving and Storing Oatmeal Cookies

To keep these wonderful cookies fresh and delicious, store them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature on your counter. For those who enjoy a softer, chewier texture in their oatmeal cookies, try adding a slice of fresh bread to the container along with the cookies. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, helping them stay soft for longer. It is best to avoid storing them in the refrigerator, as the cold can actually dry the cookies out and make them hard.

Nana’s oatmeal raisin cookies are absolutely delightful served simply with a frosty glass of cold milk. They also pair beautifully with your afternoon tea or coffee. These cookies make a truly welcome and tasty addition to any holiday cookie tray or a thoughtful homemade gift box for friends and family. Their classic appeal makes them a favorite for everyone.

Cookies with oats, raisins and walnuts. Look at that perfect texture, chewy and inviting!

FAQs about Nana’s Oatmeal Cookies

Thinking about making these cookies and have a few questions? Here are some common inquiries and helpful answers to ensure your baking success.

Variations for Nana’s Oatmeal Cookies

These wonderful chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are incredibly versatile treats that can be easily customized to suit your personal preferences or whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand. Here are a few simple variations and substitutions you can try to put your own spin on Nana’s classic recipe:

• Leave out the nuts If you or someone you are baking for has a nut allergy or simply doesn’t love the crunch of nuts in their cookies, you can easily omit the chopped walnuts entirely. The cookies will still have a delightful chewy texture from the oats and raisins. Alternatively, if you enjoy nuts but want a different flavor profile, you could try substituting pecans or even chopped almonds for the walnuts.
• Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies For a delightful twist on the classic raisin version, simply replace the cup of raisins with an equal amount of chocolate chips. The combination of warm oats and melty chocolate is truly irresistible and creates a wonderfully decadent cookie that appeals to many different tastes. You could even use a mix of raisins and chocolate chips for the best of both worlds! Dark, milk, or white chocolate chips all work well.
• Add a Vanilla Glaze To mimic the look and extra sweetness of store-bought oatmeal cookies, you can easily whip up a simple vanilla glaze. Mix together a little bit of milk (start with a tablespoon or two) with some powdered sugar until you reach a drizzlable consistency. You can add a drop of vanilla extract for extra flavor. Once the cookies have cooled completely, you can drizzle the glaze over the tops or even dip the tops of the cookies directly into the glaze before letting them set on a wire rack. This adds a lovely touch of sweetness and visual appeal.

Bake a batch of these timeless classic oatmeal raisin cookies with your children or grandchildren. It is a wonderful way to share quality time in the kitchen and let them experience the pure joy of creating something absolutely delicious from scratch with their own hands. The love, the stories, and the precious memories associated with Nana’s cherished recipe will undoubtedly continue to live on, bringing warmth, happiness, and the unmistakable taste of home to all who have the pleasure of tasting her special treats, baked with care and tradition.

Print