Quaker Oatmeal Cookies

The classic Quaker oatmeal cookies recipe from the old-fashioned oats box or canister, plus tips for making these cookies come out perfectly!  These are also known as Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. 

Quaker Oatmeal Cookies

Is there anything better than the classic Quaker Oats oatmeal cookies?  Probably not, at least in the oatmeal cookie category.

My mom made a variation of these when I was a kid.  She loaded them up with lots of extra goodies like coconut, pecans, and chocolate, calling them “cowboy cookies.”  Many’s the time I popped open the storage container to grab a handful of those cookies!

When I reached for the my canister of old-fashioned oats to take a closer look at the recipe, I wondered where the original recipe for Quaker oatmeal cookies came from.  When was it invented?  When did it start appearing on the box or canister?

One article claimed that “by early 1900s a recipe for the delicious treats appeared on every container of Quaker Oats.”  This anecdote is repeated, often word-for-word, on other websites.

The official Quaker Oats history says only that an oat cake recipe began appearing on the box in 1908.  Oat cakes are not the same as the later Quaker oatmeal cookies.  Here’s a recipe from the BBC if you’d like to see how oat cakes are made.

From QuakerOats.com

So, there certainly were oat cake recipes printed on the box back in the early 1900s, but I haven’t found a source yet that reveals when exactly the famous Quaker Oats oatmeal cookie recipe, also known as “Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies,” first appeared.  If you have information on this, please leave a comment below.

You can watch the official video to see exactly how to make this recipe right here.

Surprising Things You May Not Know About Quaker Oatmeal Cookies

1. The recipe does not specify salted or unsalted butter.  This explains why salt is optional.  I use unsalted butter and I don’t add salt, but this is a personal choice.
2. You can use Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats or Quick Oats.
3. You can make an adjustment to the flour to make these cookies at high altitude.  Use 1 3/4 cups of flour rather than 1 1/2.
4. You can swap in whole wheat or white whole wheat flour for any or all of the all-purpose flour.  I’ve been doing this for years and it works like a charm.
5. You can add more mix-ins, such as chocolate chips, shredded coconut, pecans, walnuts, cranberries, etc.
6. You can make this recipe as bar cookies in a 13 by 9 pan.

Other Ways to Use Quaker Oats

• Homemade Granola
• Blackberry Crumble
• Blueberry Crumble
• Apple Crumble
• Cannoli Overnight Oats
• Triple Layer Oatmeal Brownies

Bookmark this recipe so you can have it without having to dig up an actual Quaker Oats canister.

4 from 2 votes

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Quaker Oatmeal Cookies • Straight from the Quaker Oats Box!

The classic Quaker oatmeal cookies recipe from the old-fashioned oats box or canister, plus tips for making these cookies come out perfectly!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Servings 4 dozen

Calories 92 kcal

Author Katie Moseman

Ingredients

• 18 tablespoons butter softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons salt optional
• 3 cups Quaker Oats quick or old-fashioned, uncooked
• 1 cup raisins

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 F.  In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.

2. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

3. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.

4. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Store tightly covered.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Recipe Notes

For high altitude, increase flour to 1 3/4 cups.

Nutrition Facts

Quaker Oatmeal Cookies • Straight from the Quaker Oats Box!

Amount Per Serving (23 g)

Calories 92 Calories from Fat 35

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3.9g 6%

Cholesterol 16mg 5%

Sodium 78mg 3%

Potassium 52mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 13.2g 4%

Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3%

Sugars 6.1g

Protein 1.4g 3%

Vitamin A 2%

Calcium 1%

Iron 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.