Grandma's Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Anthony-Masterson/Taxi/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 48 servings
Yield: 4 to 5 dozen cookies

These old-fashioned oatmeal cookies are made with shortening, brown sugar, buttermilk, and spices, along with raisins—just like grandma's cookies! Instead of raisins, feel free to use chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or chopped dates.

The chewy oatmeal cookies are easy to mix and bake and they freeze well. Make a big batch and freeze half of them for another day. Oatmeal cookies are great for gift-giving, too, and they are an excellent choice for packing and sending in the mail.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable shortening

  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup buttermilk 

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 3 cups rolled oats, quick-cooking

  • 3/4 to 1 cup raisins

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the oven to 375 F. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

  2. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.

  3. Into another bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

  4. Stir the sifted mixture into the creamed mixture until blended. Stir in oats and raisins.

  5. With a tablespoon, drop onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies.

  6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Recipe Variations

  • If you don't have buttermilk, place 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Add regular whole milk to the 1/2 cup line. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Use the soured milk as a replacement for the buttermilk.
  • If you want to make them a little fancier for a special occasion, drizzle them with some icing. Combine 2 cups of confectioners' sugar with 3 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Add more juice, if necessary, for drizzling. For a simple vanilla icing, use milk instead of orange juice and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
108 Calories
5g Fat
15g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 48
Amount per serving
Calories 108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 91mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 62mg 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.)