Oatmeal Raisin Bars

4.94 from 60 votes

Crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the center, these rich and buttery Oatmeal Cookie Bars are flavored with warm spices and dotted with sweet juicy raisins.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Baking

Keyword Oatmeal cookie Bars, Oatmeal Raisin Bars, Oatmeal Raisin cookie Bars

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings bars

Calories 256

Author Erren Hart

Ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose/plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda/bicarbonate of soda
1⅓ cups butter softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190C.
Grease and flour an 9x13 inch baking pan
Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar in until fluffy.
Mix in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Mix in the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Stir in the oats by hand, followed by the raisins.
Spread dough evenly into the pan.
Spread the dough into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, give the pan a little shake. If it jiggles in the middle, put the pan back in and try again every 5 minutes until there is no longer any jiggle.
Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Best served warm, but great cooled as well.

Notes

Number of Servings: This recipe yields approximately 24 bars.

Approximate Serving Size: Each bar is approximately 2x2 inches in size.

To ensure accurate measurements, level off the flour in the measuring cup with a straight edge.
Softening the butter at room temperature allows for easier creaming with the sugars.
Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added to avoid tough bars.
For extra flavor, lightly toast the rolled oats in a dry skillet before adding them to the batter.
To prevent the raisins from sinking to the bottom, toss them in a tablespoon of flour before incorporating them into the dough.

Nutrition