This recipe for high altitude oatmeal cookies works perfectly for Colorado bakers. Loaded with oats and raisins, this quick and simple fool-proof recipe makes cookies your family will devour. Soaking raisins before adding them to the cookie dough is the secret to soft chewy results.
Inspiration for these Oatmeal Cookies
Growing up, my absolute favorite cookie was my mom’s homemade oatmeal cookies. She called them oatmeal crispies and I’ve probably made the recipe a jillion times.
Until that is, I moved to Colorado. High altitude baking suddenly and unexpectedly hit me right between the eyes.
Her recipe for oatmeal crispies changed from a nice round thick chewy oatmeal cookies to a flatter and odder version at a higher altitude.
At higher altitudes, there’s lower air pressure in your kitchen. You’re supposed to increase oven temperature, decrease leavening, increase fluid … and as I learned in Culinary School, you’ll need to experiment and come up with a formula for each and every recipe to eventually get it right.
I’m not very fond of that theory, because when I take the time to bake, I don’t want to be disappointed, and I don’t like starting over.
With that said. I’m a big fan of our Denver Junior League Cookbook series. I own and cherish each and every one of them.
This recipe for High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies comes from the the very first Denver Junior League cookbook, Colorado Cache. It’s chewy texture and the oatmeal cookie flavor was just like my moms.
I’ve made this recipe many times and have never been disappointed. And The Denver Post hails them as The Best Oatmeal Cookies.
Lineup of Ingredients
- Three Eggs: Eggs are binders for any recipe. What would a meatloaf be without them? Keep those eggs cold to keep the cookies from spreading while baking.
- Raisins: The raisins are soaked in the beaten eggs to make them soft and chewy. Use dark or golden raisins here.
- Vanilla: Friends don’t let friends bake cookies without it. Use vanilla extract, or better yet, vanilla paste.
- Butter: Unsalted is always better. You get more of a pure buttery taste.
- Brown Sugar and White Sugar: Brown sugar brings that deep rich sugary taste to this recipe.
- Flour: Bleached or unbleached, just make sure it’s all purpose.
- Salt: Don’t forget it or your cookies will taste flat.
- Cinnamon: Gives these cookies a beautiful spiced flavor.
- Baking Soda: Gives those cookies just the lift they need.
- Old Fashioned Oats: To insure a chewy oatmeal cookie, use old fashioned oats instead of quick cooking oats.
- Pecans: Gives these cookies a beautiful crunch.
Can oatmeal cookies be frozen?
- As you can see in the photo above, this recipe makes enough for an army. Around six dozen cookies to be exact. After giving the neighbors some, I still had way too many cookies for just the two of us.
- So you bet, thank goodness, oatmeal cookies can be frozen. Just lay a gallon freezer bag on its side and start shuffling in the cookies to where they’re in layers. Squeeze the air out and lay the bag flat in the freezer. Or you can use an air tight plastic container. I like using a zip-lock because it takes up less room.
- You’ll have a lovely stash of cookies that will last about a month in the freezer.
Pro Tip: Use two cookie sheets to bake these oatmeal cookies. When you ready to cook that second batch, placing cookies on a hot cookie sheet will cause the butter to melt too quickly and the cookies will spread. You want the cookie dough to land on a cool surface before placing in the oven.
If you’re simply opposed to raisins, just leave them out. You can substitute mini chocolate chips instead. Next time I make these, I’m going to try Craisins.
Recipe for High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies
What I love most about this recipe, besides it being a quick and simple process, is that the raisins are soaked in the egg mixture for one hour. Making those raisins nice and soft. Rather than biting into a cookie and finding a hard raisin that’s been mixed into the dough straight out of the box.
There’s nothing better than chewy oatmeal raisin cookies.
I wish I could tell you that these cookies work at lower altitudes. I would imagine the recipe works just fine. Would someone please give them a try and let me know.
More Colorado Inspired Dessert Recipes
- Vanilla Roasted Peaches
- Lemon Lush Dessert
- Almond Chambord Raspberry Bars
- Cream Cheese Churros Bars
- Cream Cheese Caramel Flan
And if you’re looking for more, don’t miss my Dessert Category. You’ll find lots of luscious ideas. Including the most popular dessert recipe on my site from Denver’s famous Fort Restaurant Chile Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Bourbon Frosting.
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High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 eggs well beaten
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Cup butter softened just enough for it to cream with sugars
- 1 Cup light brown sugar
- 1 Cup white sugar
- 2 ½ Cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 Cups oatmeal Quick cooking works best.
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a bowl, add eggs and with a whisk or fork, beat the eggs well. Stir in raisins and vanilla and let stand for one hour, in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.
- Cream together butter and sugars. Add flour, salt, cinnamon and soda to sugar mixture. Mix well. Blend in egg-raisin mixture, oatmeal, and chopped nuts. I used my stand mixer for this step.
- Dough will be stiff.
- Drop by heaping teaspoons onto uncreased cookie sheet or roll into small balls and flatten slightly on cookie sheet.
- Bake 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool 10 – 15 minutes or until cool enough to move to a cooling rack without breaking.
Notes
Nutrition
High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies … They’re What’s For Snacking
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Excellent recipe for our Denver mile-high altitude, plus family says it’s the best oatmeal raisin cookie they’ve ever had. Perhaps key is soaking raisins? Whatever it is, it makes delicious, perfect cookies.
The best I’ve ever made and my husband & son agree! High altitude recipe; I live in Colorado. Thank you!
I am assuming it is light brown sugar and not dark brown?
Also when you remove them from the oven how long before you move the baked cookies to a cooking rack?
Thanks
Katherine
Good Morning Katherine and thanks for your note. I really appreciate your questions, as it reminds me that I need to be more thorough in instructions.
I always use light brown sugar, unless dark brown is specified. But I think they’re interchangeable, with just a bit stronger molasses flavor in the dark.
Let the cookies sit for about 10 minutes. Just long enough that they won’t break apart when moving them.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
REALLY dang tasty and came out SO GOOD even though I forgot salt (which my BF immediately noticed). At 5200 ft. Going to add more oats next time. Any tips on cooking dough from frozen?
Flat crispy cookies. Not enough oats. Not a high altitude recipe.
Good Afternoon JJ
Sorry the cookie recipe didn’t turn out for you. I’ve made the recipe many many times and have lots of positive reviews from others.
I’m just wondering, have you ever tested or verified your oven temperature? My oven runs hot and I have to watch the cookies like a hawk. If you oven is too hot, the butter melts too quickly and the cookies spread.
Also placing cookies on a hot cookie sheet will cause this. I always use two cookie sheets, so when I place the dough for each cooking batch, they’re landing on a cool surface.
Hope that helps.
I’m at 8750 elevation. This recipe is a family favorite. I add an extra 1/4 c flour and the consistency is perfect. I use craisins, soaked in egg per recipe, and a full cup of pecans because we like them! The “batter” is very dry and crumbly but it works!!! Thanks for this wonderful treat.
Made these cookies exactly per directions. They are amazing!!!. I am new to Colorado.
I will try a sugar substitute see how it goes. ( I saw a comment above and you provided a link to a sugar subtitute). I will try with Stevia.
9,800 feet. One of the best cookies I’ve ever made at this elevation!!! AMAZING COOKIES!! I can’t stop eating them!! Added 1/2 cup more flour. (Tried it Without the 1/2 cup flour as written they still tasted great but were a little flatter where we live)
Yaaaahooooo 6400’ and this is the BEST OATMEAL COOKIE, Y E T!!😃
Thank you 👍👍
What altitude are you at, Lea Ann. I’m at 2900 altitude. I made your oatmeal cookies. I used 3 packs of splena, because my husband can’t eat sugar. They came out tasting alright but not chewy. What you do recommend I do.
Thanks,
Joanne
Good Morning JoAnne
We are at 7000 feet. I have never used a sugar substitute in baking, so am not equipped to answer your question. However, I did find this article from the splenda website.
Did you substitute the splenda for both the brown sugar and the white sugar?
https://www.splenda.com/baking-tips-for-splenda-original-sweeteners/
Under the subheading “Texture” it mentions brown sugar and texture.
Let me know what you think.
We live at 6700 feet, these cookies turned out amazing! Thank you!
Thank you so much for letting me know. So glad you liked the recipe.
These are by far the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies to make if you live in metro Denver!
The flavor on these is absolutely amazing! However, my cookies spread. Any idea what might have caused that?
Hi Vanessa. Do you mind telling me what altitude you’re at? The most common reason for spreading is placing the cookies on a hot sheet pan. Did the first batch spread? I use two sheet pans when making cookies, so there’s always a cool one to place the next batch of cookie dough on. Another reason is not enough flour, however, I’ve made these many times, my neighbor makes them all the time … without incident. I hope that answers your question, let me know.
Best oatmeal cookies ever! Been looking for high alltitude chocolate chip! Don’t see a recipe from you, help! First time in 4 yrs., I’ve baked something in Denver that actually turned out GREAT!
Thank you so much for your comment. I’m so glad you liked those cookies. Your kind words felt like a warm hug this morning.
I asked a friend of mine, Holly who writes a baking blog over at http://www.abakershouse.com and she sent the following information: Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Lea Ann,
I don’t have anything on my site because I most often use the Tollhouse recipe and add just a bit of extra flour. I did find this recipe which looks similar too–
https://mountainmamacooks.com/perfectly-puffy-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Perfectly Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Mountain Mama Cooks
Perfectly Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies. By Kelley on July 12, 2019 | Cookies, Desserts Jump To Recipe. Because you can never have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes, I bring you Perfectly Puffy Chocolate Chip Cookies. A little cake like and perfectly dense, these chocolate chip cookies have quickly become a favorite at Casa de Mountain Mama.
mountainmamacooks.com
I’ve made these cookies twice now and added choc chips the second time. Everyone loves them and during this “stay at home” time, my son was so happy to get them shipped to him!!
Thank you for the best recipe! They are wonderful!
What type of oatmeal do you use? Old fashioned or quick cooking oats?
I have used both. But quick cooking seems to yield a more moist cookie. With that said, I like to use Quick Cooking.
These are my husband’s favorite cookie and I have had a hard time finding the perfect recipe. Even with high altitude adjustments they come out too crispy for him,, but just right for me. He prefers his chewy, so I’ll have to try these. thanks!
The cookies look very good LA and I’m not even a fan of oatmeal cookies. Hope you guys are staying safe and sound.
Might also try some butterscotch chips and a mixture of pecans and walnuts. Then we would have the same recipe . As in terrific!!