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 (145g) 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 (I add in the remaining rum, but most of it should be absorbed into the raisins. If there is more than a couple tablespoons, the dough may be too soft.) 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. Flatten the cookie balls into 3/4-inch disks. Refrigerate 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 disks for later baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, with racks on the top and bottom third 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
I made these cookies the Oatmeal, rum raisin for a party and everyone Loved them. Even people that weren’t a fan of Oatmeal cookies were having seconds and asking the recipe. Great recipe thank you Zoe
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!
I have a pizza stone that I have trouble finding room to store! I’ll try this! It has a metal rack that it sits on with handles….can I keep that in there too if it fits?
Also, these cookies were fun to make and a huge hit! Baked them all and will freeze individually for ongoing treats! I’m having for break today!
Can you share which pizza stone she has? I’m looking for a new one.
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’ve made the chocolate chip cookies many times and they always get rave reviews. I usually put the portioned cookie scoops directly into the freezer. I am making the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe today and noticed that Zoe’s instructions say to put the portioned cookie scoops in the refrigerator before putting in the freezer. Should I be putting the cookie scoops in the refrigerator Before I freeze them? or can I put directly in the freezer? Thanks!
Hi Deby! If you only plan to freeze them, feel free to put them straight into the freezer. Enjoy!
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!!! 🙂
These are wonderful! Great flavor. In one batch, I add c. chips instead of raisins. I love that they do not spread too thin. Yonnie
Hi, I want to try this fabulous sounding recipe but I cannot use any alcohol now. What could I substitute for raisin soaking? Orange juice? (Yes, I know it will make the cookie taste differently.)
I believe this is answered below and it says you can use water
Fabulous cookie recipe / do you have any suggestions for a cookie container to keep the cookies fresh
Please help, devious flavor, but cookies did not spread. What wrong?
Hi Sharon! Sorry to hear you had that experience. Zoe suggests flattening the dough balls into 3/4 inch disks next time to ensure they spread. I’m going to add a note to the recipe. Thank you!
Planning on making these cookies, but I have two problems: first, I only have
light rum. Second, could I substitute brandy instead of the rum?
Hi Ellen, you can use light rum or brandy for these cookies. Really, you can use anything. The goal is to plump them up! Enjoy.
What can we use to substitute rum? We don’t use alcohol. Thank you!
Hi Zoe,
Tried these again last night with better results with spreading but the color is dark, do you use light brown sugar and the oats are they just rolled oats or 1 minute oats?
Thank you…
I don’t have rum, may I just use water instead?
Hi Debra, yes you can use water to plump up the raisins. Happy baking!
This is recipe is absolutely perfect! Crispy on thev I followed the recipe exactly according to the directions using light brown sugar and old fashioned rolled oats. Baked in a convection oven at 350 deg F. Cookies turned out crispy on the outside while being moist and chewy on the inside. It needs no modifications or extra ingredients. Great cookie Zoe! Will definitely be adding it to my cookie recipe collection.
Best oatmeal raisin cookies…better than Phoebe’s
Is the 400g of brown sugar correct? When I lightly pack it in 2 cup measures it’s more like 266g. I don’t want to mess this up!
Hi Paula, yes! 400g is correct. Happy baking!
Outstanding taste and they only get better the more days they sit. Freeze great!
I loved the cookies but they were just a wee bit too sweet for me. If I cut the brown sugar and granulated sugar by half would I need to up the flour or oats to balance out the ratio of dry to wet ingredients?
Love the cookies and your show, Zoe, it’s one of my favorites!
I made these cookies the Oatmeal, rum raisin for a party and everyone Loved them . Even people that weren’t a fun of Oatmeal cookies we’re having seconds and asking the recipe. Great recipe thank you Zoe
How long can I freeze the Oatmeal cookies for? I’m think of making them Christmas.
Hi Lisa! Zoe recommends making the dough ahead and freezing the dough balls, then baking closer to the day you’ll serve them. Enjoy!
These were soooo good. I’ll admit, I rushed it. Soaked the raisins for maybe 15 minutes and popped them in the microwave to speed up the “marinating.” I did save a portion of the dough in the fridge for two days and then baked. I noticed the developed flavor of rum in the raisins and it made me a believer. Either way, rushed or proper timing, these cookies were swoon-worthy.
Can I use cranberries instead? What do you think?
Hi Shelley! You can absolutely use dried cranberries in place of the raisins. In fact, I’ve done it myself and my family always loves them! If you do try it, please come back and leave us a rating/review. Cheers!
This Rum raisin cookie was the hit of my Christmas party! My guests said it was the best cookie they’ve ever eaten. It has become our family favorite. Zoe, your show is such a delight to watch. Thank you for all the great recipes!
These are my husband’s new favorite cookies! So flavorful; a grown-up cookie recipe reminiscent of a childhood lunchbox treat.
Question?? Are you to drain off the rum BEFORE adding the raisins? They spread a little more than I thought they would but they’re still delicious:)
Hi there, Zoë does add the remaining rum to the cookie dough, but if the raisins aren’t plumping up long enough and there is a lot of excess rum, (more than a couple tablespoons), the dough may be too soft. It could also be how you measure the flour or other things making them spread. I also make these cookies often (they’re so delicious!) and I always add the remaining rum. I measure my flour using a kitchen scale and never have a problem with them spreading too much. I often bake them from frozen, which helps prevent spreading as well. Happy baking!
I loved the cookies but they were just a wee bit too sweet for me. How would I go about making them less sweet? If I cut the brown sugar and granulated sugar by half would I need to up the flour or oats to balance out the ratio of dry to wet ingredients?
I rate recipes based on the reactions of my many picky, elder-folk, neighbors who prefer their baked goods don’t come from the grocery store. This recipe is a five star wonder that my neighbors twice demanded after the initial bake. Batches 2 and 3 used Meyer’s dark rum for the soak, which pushed the rating to a high 5. Something about the way it infused the cookie dough.
Hi Kate, this is an amazing review! Thank you so much for coming back to tell us about your experience.
I loved the cookies but they were just a wee bit too sweet for me. How would I go about making them less sweet? If I cut the brown sugar and granulated sugar by half would I need to up the flour or oats to balance out the ratio of dry to wet ingredients?