Image of Grannie Annie's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with pitcher.

Grannie Annie's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Toffee and Sea Salt

By Chris Scheuer | Updated on May 19, 2024

4.82 from 16 votes

Crazy delicious oatmeal raisin cookies with buttery toffee and coconut. They're topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt which takes them over the top!

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Crazy delicious oatmeal raisin cookies with buttery toffee, coconut and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, taking them way over the top!

Who's Grannie Annie? Well, she just happens to be my sister, as well as one of my favorite cooks! Annie made these wonderful oatmeal raisin cookies for me when I visited her back in April at her home in Washington D.C. They were so good, I re-created them within a day of returning home. And I've been making them ever since, with rave reviews from everyone who tries them.

The cookies are easy to throw together. I use my KitchenAid mixer, but Annie doesn't bother with a mixer, she just uses one of these handy Danish whisks and whips them up by hand. The recipe makes a large batch, so you'll have plenty to feed family and friends. And speaking of friends, do you need any new buddies? Bring over a plate of these gems to a neighbor or coworker and it's sure to seal the deal!

I love that, even though these cookies are crazy-delish, the portion of oatmeal to all the other ingredients is really high. The recipes calls for three cups of oatmeal. Now that doesn't make the cookies a power snack but in the realm of cookies, it makes them just a bit healthier. In addition to lots of oats the cookies also call for traditional oatmeal cookie ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, cinnamon baking soda and salt.

Of course oatmeal raisin cookies also have to have raisins, right? The recipe calls for regular raisins, but I really like to use golden raisins for this recipe. To me, the golden raisins are a little sweeter and plumper than their darker cousins. Feel free to use either one though.

A handful of shredded coconut adds another layer of flavor, as well as a nice chewy texture. And toffee? Well, in my mind, just about everything is better with little bits of buttery, crunchy toffee! You can find toffee bits at most major grocery stores in the chocolate chip section or shop online. Feel free to substitute chopped walnuts or pecans.

One last thing. Want to know what takes these cookies way... over the top? A sprinkle of flaky sea salt right after they emerge from the oven is the delicious crowning glory, for sure. That salty-sweet combination just can't be beat! I love Maldon Sea Salt. It's delicious and is considered a "finishing salt", meaning that it's used as a final touch. I keep mine in a small container on the counter. It's more expensive than me table salt or kosher salt but a small box will last you forever.

Everything you've wanted to know about oatmeal cookies!

If you've never made oatmeal raisin cookies or don't do a lot of baking, you might have some questions. I tried to round up the most common queries and provide answers below.

What kind of oatmeal to use? Some oatmeal cookies call for quick (also called instant) oats and others for old fashioned (or rolled) oats. Quick oats are pre-cooked, and ground up. Cookies made with quick oats tend to have less texture and will produce a flatter, denser cookie. Personally I prefer old fashioned oats in oatmeal raisin cookies because I like the added texture and chewiness they give. Be sure to use old fashioned oats for these Grannie Annie Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
How to get uniformly round cookies? Use an ice cream scoop. All the cookies come out the same size and tend to have a nice round shape. Some cookie doughs tend to have a mind of their own though, and the cookies will come out of the oven in random shapes, no matter what you scoop them up with. See the collage below for an easy way to solve this problem.
Do oatmeal cookies freeze well? Yes! I like to freeze cookies on a sheet pan for about an hour and then transfer them to an airtight container. Just pull them out an hour or so before you plan to serve them. No one will guess they were frozen.
Are oatmeal raisin cookies healthy? We won't fool ourselves into thinking cookies are a healthy snack, but there are lots of oats in these particular cookies. Live Strong says, that "compared to chocolate chip, peanut butter and sugar cookies, oatmeal cookies are marginally more nutritious." Oats are whole grains and contain both complex carbs and fiber. They're great for providing slow-burning energy, which can help keep you full for long periods. Raisins are also a good source of fiber and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are naturally protective substances that help boost your immune system. That's the scoop, take it for what it's worth!
Why are my oatmeal raisin cookies flat? The way you measure your flour and the type of butter you use can make a difference. Some butter has more moisture than others, which can cause cookies to spread. Try baking one or two test cookies before proceeding with the whole batch. If they come out flat, add a bit more flour and try again. Also, make sure your baking sheets are completely cooled before adding the next batch of dough. A warm pan can also make cookies spread.
How to get chewy oatmeal cookies? Use old fashioned (rolled) oats for chewy cookies and under bake them just a bit.
How to get crisp oatmeal cookies? With these particular cookies, baking them a few extra minutes, makes the difference between chewy and crisp.
Are oatmeal cookies gluten-free? There are gluten free oatmeal raisin cookie recipes, but if a recipe contains, even a small amount of wheat flour, it is not gluten-free.
Are oatmeal cookies good for lactation? Oatmeal is a good source of iron and low iron levels can result in a decreased milk supply, so it makes sense that eating something high in iron might increase milk supply in some women. "Lactation" cookies usually also contain additional ingredients such as Brewer's yeast, flaxseed and wheatgerm.

One last thing. I mentioned above that some cookie doughs like to do their own thing in the oven and emerge each with it's own random shape. If that happens and you want to "pretty" them up a bit, there's a simple little trick to coerce them into "bake shop" appearance. As soon as they are done baking, just take a metal spatula and gently push them into a nice round shape.

I made yet another batch of these wonderful oatmeal raisin cookies last night, as we have a hungry herd arriving later today. Our daughter and her family are (as I write) winging their way across the Atlantic, on their final journey back home. They've been living in London for the past 7 years and, though we've had the blessing of visiting them frequently over those years, we're beyond thrilled to have them back on U.S. soil!

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