Oatmeal and Raisin Spice Cookie Bars
"These can be made into individual cookies but seem easier baked in a pan and then cut. Substitute dried cranberries or dried chopped apricots if you like. They are very thin bars. From Simply Heartsmart by Bonnie Stern."
photo by mums the word
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Yields:
-
30 bars
- Serves:
- 30
ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup soft margarine or 1/2 cup butter
- 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
- 1⁄3 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ginger
- 1 1⁄2 cups rolled oats
- 3⁄4 cup raisins
directions
- Brush a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with oil, then line with parchment paper or foil, pressing paper down firmly so it stays. Leave a slight overhang of paper.
- In mixing bowl cream the margarine or butter until light. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix in well.
- In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Mix into the batter, then stir in the oatmeal and raisins.
- Press dough evenly into the lined baking pan. (This is the messy part.) The dough will be a bit sticky and there will seem to be almost not enough to fill the pan.
- Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Bake a bit less for chewier bars, a bit more for crispy bars.
- Let cool for 3 or 4 minutes, then lift gently out of the pan. Cool a couple more minutes, cut into squares, then cool fully.
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Reviews
-
I love oatmeal raisin cookies, but really do not care for the waiting for each batch to be done. These bars solve the problem! I substituted butter for the margarine and were delighted with the results. I lined my pan with parchment paper and that worked well without adding extra fat. I would recommend that you use the back of a spoon to spread the batter around, unless you enjoy eating it off of your fingers. Thanks for posting, this will be a school lunch staple. -
Quick, easy, and chewy. I cut back on the sugar. Might omit ginger next time. Superb! -
Well, I completely forgot to add the white sugar, but they were sweet enough without it. I had packed the brown sugar really well into the measuring cup, so maybe that's the reason why it wasn't missed. I thought about adding some chopped nuts, but decided to skip them. Maybe next time...<br/><br/>I used a 13"x9" jelly roll pan that I lined with parchment paper. I didn't bother to grease either of them and that worked out fine. I found the easiest way to spread the dough was with my knuckles, almost like stretching pizza dough. I would not recommend plopping all the dough out in a big ball, which is what I did. The next time I make these, I'll use a small scoop to place lumps of dough around the pan. That way, there won't be as much empty space to fill and it should be easier to spread out.<br/><br/>I took mine out after 15 minutes. They were just starting to brown around the edges. Next time, I'll give them another 2 or 3 minutes, which should give the center a chance to get crispy. Do not let them cool too long before you cut them. I slid them right onto my cutting board, which made them easier to cut. I was thinking a pizza cutter would have been easier than my long knife, but as long as your knife is sharp, you should be okay. I cut mine into 24 bars (I didn't want to do the math), but they were a little large. 30 would probably have made them just the right size.<br/><br/>I'm still debating the ginger. I can't decide if it's a good fit for these bars. Maybe nutmeg would be better. Or, leave the ginger in, but switch out the raisins for another dried fruit, like pineapple. Over all, though, a very nice little cookie. Thanks, Cookin-jo, for the recipe. -
Excellent bar with just the right amount of spices. I probably won't make individual oatmeal-raisin cookies again now that I have discovered this bar recipe. Thanks so much for posting. -
Wanted some cookies but had not time to make individual ones. This recipe solved it! Easy to make and good taste. Made exactly as stated. The bars are chewy and a little more cake-like than cookie-like and very good!<br/>Thanks for posting.
see 9 more reviews
Tweaks
-
Well, I completely forgot to add the white sugar, but they were sweet enough without it. I had packed the brown sugar really well into the measuring cup, so maybe that's the reason why it wasn't missed. I thought about adding some chopped nuts, but decided to skip them. Maybe next time...<br/><br/>I used a 13"x9" jelly roll pan that I lined with parchment paper. I didn't bother to grease either of them and that worked out fine. I found the easiest way to spread the dough was with my knuckles, almost like stretching pizza dough. I would not recommend plopping all the dough out in a big ball, which is what I did. The next time I make these, I'll use a small scoop to place lumps of dough around the pan. That way, there won't be as much empty space to fill and it should be easier to spread out.<br/><br/>I took mine out after 15 minutes. They were just starting to brown around the edges. Next time, I'll give them another 2 or 3 minutes, which should give the center a chance to get crispy. Do not let them cool too long before you cut them. I slid them right onto my cutting board, which made them easier to cut. I was thinking a pizza cutter would have been easier than my long knife, but as long as your knife is sharp, you should be okay. I cut mine into 24 bars (I didn't want to do the math), but they were a little large. 30 would probably have made them just the right size.<br/><br/>I'm still debating the ginger. I can't decide if it's a good fit for these bars. Maybe nutmeg would be better. Or, leave the ginger in, but switch out the raisins for another dried fruit, like pineapple. Over all, though, a very nice little cookie. Thanks, Cookin-jo, for the recipe.
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This was an excellent recipe - so simple and easy to make! I had to substitute almond extract for vanilla, and I didn't have any raisins - the end result tasted great, if a little bit different from the typical oatmeal cookie. I plan on making these again with good old fashioned vanilla and some raisins just as soon as I get my hands on some! And in the meantime, I'll be happily munching away on my experimental batch. Thanks for passing this one along! -
THANKS FOR THE RECIPE! it was delicious, sweet and buttery, and made my kitchen smell so CHRISTMASY! i substituted nutmeg for the allspice though, and maybe i will put in some chocolate chip the next time round too! -
I love oatmeal raisin cookies, but really do not care for the waiting for each batch to be done. These bars solve the problem! I substituted butter for the margarine and were delighted with the results. I lined my pan with parchment paper and that worked well without adding extra fat. I would recommend that you use the back of a spoon to spread the batter around, unless you enjoy eating it off of your fingers. Thanks for posting, this will be a school lunch staple.
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Anyone with a sweet tooth should enjoy these. I followed the recipe to the letter, using butter and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins. I used a smaller pan than suggested, upped the cooking time to twenty five minutes, and ended up with ten bars of the size in the photo. While the bars are nice and chewy, due to their thickness they probably could have done with an extra couple of minutes in the oven. Next time I'll go with the recommended pan size. :)
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I was born in a small Canadian prairie town but was raised in the city. Country living appeals to me more and more and now I think I have the best of both worlds, living just outside the city but within a 30 minute drive from downtown.
I enjoy the wildlife I see out my kitchen window and my vegetable and flower gardens in the summer. And I love cooking with the produce from my garden, although there always seems to be too much at once. Learning to can became a necessity with all those beautiful vegetables and I now really enjoy making pickles, relish, salsa, jams and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I have 2 teenage sons and cooking to suit everyone's taste is always a challenge. Recipezaar has certainly made life easier in that regard, with so many great recipes to choose from.
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