Mary Berry’s Oat and Raisin Cookies are a wholesome, chewy bake that has become a staple in British kitchens for its perfect balance of sweet raisins and textured oats. Ideally the butter should be softened at room temperature to ensure it creams smoothly with the sugar for a light, uniform cookie dough.
Mary Berry Oat and Raisin Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- 100g butter, softened
- 100g light muscovado sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 100g self-raising flour
- 100g rolled oats (porridge oats)
- 100g raisins
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional, for extra warmth)
How To Make Mary Berry Oat and Raisin Cookies Recipe
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas 4). Line two large baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.
- Cream the Base: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and light muscovado sugar together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Add the Egg: Gradually add the beaten egg to the butter mixture, whisking well after each addition. If the mixture looks like it might curdle, add a tablespoon of the flour.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Sift in the self-raising flour (and cinnamon if using). Add the rolled oats and the raisins. Use a large metal spoon or spatula to fold everything together until you have a thick, sticky dough.
- Shape the Cookies: Spoon rounded tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking trays. Ensure you leave plenty of space between each spoonful (about 5 cm), as the cookies will spread during baking. You should get about 12 to 14 cookies.
- Bake: Bake in the center of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still feel slightly soft to the touch.
- Cool: Leave the cookies to firm up on the baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- Muscovado Sugar: Using light muscovado sugar instead of regular white sugar is essential for that characteristic toffee-like flavor and chewy texture.
- Oat Selection: Use standard rolled oats (porridge oats) rather than “instant” oats or giant jumbo oats. Jumbo oats can make the cookies too crumbly, while instant oats lose the desired texture.
- Avoid Over-baking: These cookies should be soft and chewy. If they look “done” in the middle while in the oven, they are likely over-baked; they will continue to firm up as they cool on the tray.
- Uniform Size: Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough for perfectly even-sized cookies that bake at the same rate.
What To Serve With Mary Berry Oat and Raisin Cookies
Cookie pairings are comforting additions frequently enjoyed during a relaxed afternoon tea or as a quick lunchbox treat. Ideally the milk should be ice-cold to provide a refreshing, creamy contrast to the warm, spiced oats and sweet raisins.
- A hot cup of English Breakfast tea or a coffee
- A glass of cold milk
- Mary Berry Strawberry Meringue Roulade as part of a larger dessert spread
- A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to make a cookie sandwich
How To Store Mary Berry Oat and Raisin Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If they start to go soft, you can refresh them in a 150°C oven for 3 minutes.
- Refrigerate: There is no need to refrigerate these cookies as it can cause them to become stale more quickly.
- Freeze: These cookies freeze brilliantly. You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze the raw dough balls and bake them from frozen (adding 2 minutes to the bake time).
Mary Berry Oat and Raisin Cookies Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 165 kcal (per cookie)
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Protein: 3g
- Fat: 7g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Sugar: 14g
Nutrition information is estimated per cookie based on a yield of 12.
FAQs
Yes, Mary Berry often suggests swapping the raisins for 100g of plain or milk chocolate chips if you prefer a sweeter, more indulgent treat.
This usually happens if the butter was too melted rather than just softened, or if the dough was too warm when it went into the oven. Chilling the dough for 15 minutes before baking can help prevent excessive spreading.
If you use plain flour, you must add 1 level teaspoon of baking powder to ensure the cookies rise slightly and have the correct “short” texture.
Try More Recipes:
- Mary Berry Fork Biscuits Recipe
- Mary Berry Shortbread Cookie Recipe
- Mary Berry Buttercream Icing for Cupcakes Recipe
Mary Berry Oat and Raisin Cookies Recipe
Description
Traditional, chewy British oat biscuits packed with juicy raisins and a hint of cinnamon.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg gradually.
- Fold in flour, oats, and raisins until a dough forms.
- Spoon tablespoons of mixture onto lined trays, spaced well apart.
- Bake at 180°C for 12–15 minutes until golden at the edges.
- Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Notes
- This is the original recipe as featured in “Mary Berry’s Baking Bible.”
- For a citrus twist, add the grated zest of half an orange to the butter and sugar.
- Ensure your raisins are fresh and plump; if they are very dry, soak them in a little warm water for 10 minutes then pat dry before adding to the dough.
