The Best Recipe for Chewy Oatmeal Cookies is Not on the Back of the Oat Canister

Summary by Krater

America's Test Kitchen demonstrates how to make chewy oatmeal cookies with a strong oat flavor by modifying the classic recipe with rolled oats, less flour, browned butter combined with vegetable oil, extra egg yolk, a touch of cinnamon, and raisins.

From the video

Answers: How do you make chewy oatmeal cookies with a strong oat flavor?

• Oatmeal cookie recipe
• Browned butter technique
• Baking chewy cookies
• Adjusting fat ratios in cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 whole plus 1 yolk egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup raisins

What it concludes

• Using old-fashioned rolled oats instead of quick, instant, or steel-cut oats gives the cookies the best texture and flavor.
• Reducing the flour amount while keeping the oat amount the same results in a stronger oat flavor.
• Replacing most of the butter with vegetable oil and using a brown butter base inverts the saturated to unsaturated fat ratio, leading to a chewier center without a cakey texture.
• Using a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon prevents the cookies from tasting like spice cookies rather than oatmeal cookies.
• Adding an extra egg yolk increases richness without making the cookies greasy.
• Baking the cookies one tray at a time at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until set at the edges but chewy in the center ensures optimal texture.