Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies bring out the best of everything in a cookie. I have been craving oatmeal cookies lately. I guess it is the change in the seasons. There is nothing like a delicious oatmeal cookie with a glass of milk or a coffee on a crisp fall afternoon. The history of oatmeal cookies began with Scottish oatcakes that have been around since the Middle Ages. However, the modern version really got its start in the late 1800s with a cookbook publishing a recipe in 1896 from the Boston Cooking School. That recipe didn’t include raisins. However, in the early 1900s, a recipe including raisins was included in the Quaker Oats packages we all are familiar with. From there, the popularity in the United States grew to become a staple across the whole country.
Most of the recipes I have seen for this classic cookie never taste much like oats and are so over-spiced that you can barely taste anything except cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg or cloves. I have seen a recipe on America’s Test Kitchen that used browned butter as one of the ingredients. While they were delicious, I wanted to bring in even more of the browned butter flavor. Browned butter has this amazing nutty and toffee flavor that compliments the oats fantastically well. It takes minimal effort. (Though you do have to watch the pan to not get to the burnt stage!) These Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies come together in almost no time. You don’t even need a mixer, just one bowl and a skillet to brown the butter.
Then there is the controversy of the raisins. Personally, I actually like raisins. However, to mix it up, I decided to use dried cranberries which added a tart sweetness. The walnuts add that extra texture, and they balance out the sweetness of the cranberries perfectly. It is great to have a cookie scoop that is about 3 tablespoons like this one from Amazon for this recipe. I use it all the time when I make cookies, and it makes even cookies every time. (I get a small commission at no cost to you from Amazon. If you use any link on this page, please consider helping fund my food journey.) I like to use parchment for baking these cookies, as it makes clean-up a breeze. You can use Silpat also.
I really hope you make a batch of these Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies. They are a fantastic treat this time of the year, or anytime! That is all for this week. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Please think of others in your choices of what you do. Together we can all get through this. Until next week!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup Vegetable oil
- A pinch of ground coriander optional
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
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Preheat the Oven to 375°
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Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
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Mix together in a measuring cup or small bowl the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set it aside.
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Over medium heat, melt the butter in a skillet. Watching carefully, let the butter cook until the milk solids become a deep brown and the butter smells nutty. Be careful not to burn it, as it can go from brown to burned quickly.
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Pour the browned butter into a large bowl. Immediately add the cinnamon and the optional pinch of coriander. Let the spice bloom for 1 minute.
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Add the oil to the butter and spices.
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Stir in the brown and white sugar into the butter mixture, blending well.
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Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, again stir to combine.
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Stir in the flour mixture. This will make a thick dough.
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Add in the oats, cranberries, and walnuts.
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Make sure the dough is thoroughly combined.
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Scoop 3 tablespoon mounds onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart, 10 to a sheet, or use a 50mm cookie scoop.
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Wet your hands and gently press them to around 2 ½ inch circles. You are flattening each cookie, so they bake more evenly.
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Bake one tray at a time for 10 -12 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to brown on the edges. They will cook further on the sheets when you take them out.
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Let the cookies sit on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool.
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Meanwhile, bake the second tray of cookies.
