Sour Cream Oatmeal Cookies

oatmeal raison cookies on cooling rack with spatula

Bill Boch / Getty Images

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 60 servings

These oatmeal cookies with sour cream are pure nostalgia: soft, chewy, and delicious. They're easy to make and an ideal after-school treat, afternoon snack, or cookie to make just because.

The cookies are filled with either dates or raisins, which add some natural sweetness. The addition of sour cream may seem surprising, but it's what helps to keep them soft and tender.

If you like nuts in your cookies, add about 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts, or add the same amount of semisweet chocolate chips.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup finely chopped dates, or raisins

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

Steps to Make It

  1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.

  2. Coat the dates with 1/4 cup of the sifted dry ingredients.

  3. Stir remaining sifted ingredients into the first mixture with the sour cream. Stir in dates and oats.

  4. Drop by tablespoonfuls a few inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets.

  5. Bake at 375 F for 12 to 15 minutes.

  6. Let the cookies cool on the pans for about 30 seconds; remove them to racks with a spatula to cool completely.

  7. Store in a tightly covered container separated by sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper.

Tip

  • If you don't have quick-cooking oats, you can improvise. Place regular old-fashioned rolled oats into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse just until roughly chopped; you don't want to turn the oats into flour. They should retain some texture.


How to Store and Freeze Soft Oatmeal Cookies

  • These cookies will keep at room temperature in a sealed container for three to five days.
  • If you'd like to, you can freeze these cookies to bake at another point. Just scoop them onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment and transfer to the freezer. Once they're frozen, remove them to a zip-close freezer bag. Bake from frozen as directed, adding 1 to 2 minutes as needed.
  • The cookie dough can be covered and put in the fridge if you don't want to bake them all at once but over the course of a couple of days. Scoop out and bake as directed.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
55 Calories
2g Fat
9g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 60
Amount per serving
Calories 55
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 43mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 34mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)