These Coconut Oatmeal Rum Raisin Cookies are a family favorite and a no-brainer for my upcoming book Zoë Bakes Cookies (coming out in 2024)! In season 3 episode 9 of Zoë Bakes I enlist two of my best taste testers, my sons Henri and Charlie, to taste test some recipes for the book.
I hope you’ll tune in to discovery+ or the Magnolia | Time Well Spent app to watch because my boys are quite opinionated when it comes to food and I end up starting over on one of my recipes after it failed to meet their standards. I suppose that means I raised them to have impeccable taste!
Learn more about Zoë Bakes season 3 here.
Servings: 21 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 tbsp dark rum
- 4 1/2 cups (375g) rolled oats
- 1 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups (275g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (50g) loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Pour the rum over the raisins and let soak for at least 30 minutes, but up to 24 hours. The longer you let them soak the more flavor the raisins will soak up.
- Whisk together the rolled oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and black pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until incorporated. Add flour mixture all at once and mix just until incorporated. Mix in raisins and coconut, you may need to give the bowl a couple of swipes with a rubber spatula at the end to make sure they are evenly distributed.
- Using a portion scoop, scoop cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I used a 2.7-ounce (83g) scoop, you can make the cookies larger or smaller, but it will affect the baking time. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, but they improve if you let them sit for 24-36 hours. After they are chilled you can bake them or freeze the dough balls for later baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, with racks on the top and bottom thirdx of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Bake 6 evenly spaced cookies on each sheet in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and continue baking for about 5 more minutes. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet and then remove to a cooling rack.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
If you enjoy these rum raisin cookies, I’d suggest checking out my comprehensive guide to making the best cookies.
I love this cookie recipe. Oatmeal is one of my favorite cookie. Keep the cookie recipes coming
These cookies are absolutely delicious!! I cooked a few dozen and froze the rest for later!!
I noticed that you keep a baking stone on the floor of your oven. What is the purpose of the stone when baking things on sheet pans or cookie sheets?
Thanks – love watching the show and making the artisan bread in 5 minutes recipe.
Hi Jim! Zoë does this because it keeps the temperature of the oven more consistent once it’s fully preheated. When you open and close the door it will not drop the temperature as dramatically. I hope this helps! Thank you so much for watching the show!
This recipe is DELISH!!! Love, love, love, it!!!
Thank you for sharing.
Can I get a good cookie that bakes evenly if I bake off frozen cookie dough balls (adjusting the time as needed)? Or is it better to defrost dough balls first? Many thanks – delicious cookies!
Hi Spica, Zoe typically just lets the dough balls thaw on the cookie sheet while the oven preheats. I hope this helps!
I made these with my 3yo and everyone in my family loves them! I love the fact you can freeze them afterwards. One question – when baking from frozen, do they need to defrost before baking or just increase the baking time and bake straight out of the freezer? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, so glad your family is enjoying the recipe! Re: freezing, you can do either of your suggestions, it will just change the texture depending on how long they defrost and bake. Straight from the freezer they will be crisper on edges and soft in the center. Zoe typically lets the cookies thaw on the pan while the oven preheats. Cheers!
These cookies are PERFECT! Love the rum raisins and coconut!
These cookies are absolutely scrumptious, Zoe! All the delicious flavors shine through.
My husband has celiac and it can be quite difficult to adjust cookie and cake recipes with any level of success. His love of rum raisin inspired me to try here, and it was a successful bake indeed. I substituted 2/3 cup almond flour and 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour…and WHEW! They were perfect. I love how beautifully they freeze, making them the perfect treat to have on hand for last minute guests. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing your modifications, Gina! We are SO glad you and your husband enjoyed them. Cheers!
AWESOME RECIPE!!!
AMAZING COOKIES! This recipe takes the basic oatmeal cookie to a whole other level. Followed the recipe exactly. My raisins ended up soaking for about 36 hours. Super easy to make. I do recommend freezing some cookie balls for future use, otherwise you are going to eat the entire batch.
if i’m not a fan of rum, what could i soak the raisins in instead?
I see Zoe has a new oven. Is it a Wolf or some other brand. I would like to get one.
Hi! She has a Blue Star Double Electric Wall Ovens.
These cookies are fabulous! I’m not a big raisin fan so swapped them out for dried cranberries and soaked them in grand mariner. I took them into the office and the big question at my staff meeting was, “Who made the delicious cookies?!!” I have now made them four times. I especially like the coconut and believe it adds the right amount of sweetness to the cookie. They came out just as they should…soft in the middle with crispy edges. They are definitely a new favorite!
Hi Zoe,
I made your cookies a couple of months ago and they turned out fantastic. Fast forward a few months, and I have made them twice and the cookies will not spread. I have all ingredients at room temp and can’t figure out what is wrong…. Help!!! 🙂