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Get 6 Easy Cookie Recipes from The Cookie Elf
Each one uses six ingredients or less – and you can make each one in 10 minutes or less!
Raisin Bar Cookies are one of those feel-good, easy cookierecipes … all the warmth of an oatmeal raisin cookie, but in a bar cookierecipe.
The bars are simple because they are layered, with the crustand the topping one in the same mixture.
And don’t let the idea of making a stove topfilling intimidate you. Cornstarch means thickening is nearly foolproof and themixture takes just 6-7 minutes to blend together.
Raisin Bar Cookies are a crossover cookie recipe. Three layers – one afilling – make this recipe a filled cookie. Yet they are baked in a pan andcut, so they are also bar cookies.
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Bake time: 32-38 minutes
Makes about 3 dozen bars, depending upon how you slice them
Ingredients
Crust and Topping
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups rolled oats plus 2-3 tablespoons extra (forsprinkling)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons cinnamon
Filling
2 cups raisins
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup cold apple cider or cold water
Directions for Raisin Bar Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Line a 13 x 9 baking pan or a 15 x 10 baking pan withparchment paper. (The smaller pan makes thicker bars; the bigger pan makesthinner bars.)
- Make the filling:use a food processor with the steel blade attachment. Set the raisins andgranulated sugar in the food processor bowl. Pulse until raisins are almostpureed. Transfer raisin mixture to a large saucepan. Whisk together cold waterand cornstarch. Pour liquid into raisin mixture and combine thoroughly. Simmerraisin mixture on medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until sugar dissolvesand mixture thickens, about 6-7 minutes. Set aside raisin mixture to cool.
- Make the crust andtopping: in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Setaside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and brownsugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Switch to lowspeed. Add the flour mixture gradually until well blended. Mix in oats.
- Press half of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan.Pour raisin mixture over crust; spread it evenly. Crumble remaining dough overraisin mixture. Sprinkle an extra 2-3 tablespoons oats to cover raisinscompletely.
- Bake bars 35-38 minutes (13 x 9 pan) or 32-35 minutes (15 x10 pan) until set. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completelyon a wire rack. Set pan in refrigerator to chill bars before cutting.
- Grasp ends of parchment paper and lift bars out of pan. Setthe bars on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut Raisin Bar Cookies.
- Store bars loosely covered at room temperature (up to 3days) or in the refrigerator (up to 5 days).
Special Baking Tipsfor Raisin Bar Cookies from The Elf
- Choose the baking pan size depending upon how thick you’dlike the bars to be. The bars pictured here are very thick, about 1 inch to 1 ½inches high, and were made in a 13 x 9 pan.
- Be sure to whisk cornstarch into cold liquid, whether it’sapple cider or water, so it dissolves. Cornstarch will lump when dissolved inwarm or hot liquid. Once dissolved, add it to the mixture.
Get more easy bar cookie ideas on our Bar Cookies Pinterest board.
Easy Bar Cookies from The Elf
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