Potato Flake Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

There’s just something about these potato flake oatmeal raisin cookies that feels like home. They’re simple, wholesome, and a little nostalgic. 

The funny thing is I never really liked raisins in my oatmeal cookies growing up, but there is just something perfect about the raisins in these cookies that makes them even more delicious. So even if you aren’t a huge raisin fan, you shouldn’t knock it until you try it at least once!

The edges are just the right amount of crisp, giving way to a soft, chewy center that’s packed with hearty oats and bursts of sweet, plump raisins. You get a warm hit of cinnamon in every bite, and the potato flake starter gives it a depth of flavor you can’t get without it. The butter brings a richness that melts on your tongue, and the oats add that perfect texture that keeps you reaching for another. 

These aren’t dry or cakey—just perfectly chewy, soft, and full of nostalgic goodness.

This is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket if you’re like me and hate wasting sourdough starter. Use your discard and make these chewy, buttery cookies full of oats, warm cinnamon, and plenty of raisins.

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Tools You Need:

You don’t need anything fancy to make these cookies—just a few basic kitchen tools you probably already have on hand:

• Stand mixer or electric mixer – For creaming the butter and sugar. A stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes it extra easy, but a hand mixer works just fine.
• Mixing bowls – One large bowl for your wet ingredients and one medium bowl for the dry.
• Measuring cups and spoons – Or a kitchen scale if you prefer using grams (I included both!).
• Rubber spatula or wooden spoon – For scraping the bowl and folding in those raisins.
• Cookie scoop or spoon – To portion out the dough evenly.
• Cookie Sheet – Line them with parchment paper to keep cleanup easy and the bottoms of your cookies golden.
• Cooling rack – Not a must, but helpful if you want your cookies to cool evenly and not steam on the pan.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar (160 grams)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup potato flake sourdough discard (or active starter) 
• 3 cups rolled oats (355 grams)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

Tip: If your raisins feel a little dried out, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes, then drain before adding them to your dough. It helps them plump up and stay nice and soft in the cookie.

How to Make the Best Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies:

Cream the Butter and Sugars

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the softened butter with both sugars for a few minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed so everything gets well incorporated.

Add Eggs, Vanilla, and Sourdough Discard

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Then pour in the vanilla and your sourdough discard, and mix just until everything comes together.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet about ⅓ at a time. Mix until just combined—you don’t want to overwork the dough. 

Fold in the Raisins

Then, fold in the raisins by hand to make sure they’re evenly distributed.

Chill for Long Fermentation (Optional)

Cover the the dough and pop it in the fridge for up to 3 days. This longer ferment gives the cookies more depth of flavor and easier digestibility.

Preheat the Oven and Prep the Pan

After the fermentation process, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop the Dough

Scoop the dough onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between each cookie. I usually go with heaping tablespoon-sized scoops. Use a cookie scoop for perfectly portioned cookies. 

Bake

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges start turning golden brown. (baking time can vary from oven to oven, so it’s best to keep an eye on them until you find the perfect bake time for your oven.) They’ll continue to firm up a bit as they cool.

Store for Freshness

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days for optimal freshness.

No Fermentation Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cookies

If you need to bake these cookies right away instead of waiting on the fermentation time, you absolutely can. Or if you only have a little time to ferment, that’s better than nothing.

Just skip the fermenting step and bake as directed. While this isn’t the ideal option, since you skip the fermenting, you also miss out on the benefits. However, I know what it’s like to need to whip up something quickly and don’t have the time to wait, so I love that this option is available. 

A Few Notes

• This is a delicious way to use up some discard starter. I love that this recipe works great with either discard or active potato flake sourdough starter. I usually use discard since I’m always trying to use it up, but if your starter is active, go ahead—it will work great! Just note, it might give you a slightly puffier cookie. 
• The cinnamon adds that classic oatmeal raisin warmth, but you could easily switch it up with a pinch of nutmeg or even some chopped walnuts if you like a little crunch.
• Make huge batch at once and pop the balls of dough into the freezer for later use. Just bake when you want a quick dessert or snack. You’ll be so glad you have them in the freezer the next time you have a last minute guest and want to make a little treat to serve up. 
• Feel free to swap out the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour. It’s a great way to make a tad bit healthier cookie. 

Other Potato Flake Sourdough Cookies

​Potato Flake sourdough chocolate chip cookies

Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies

Potato Flake Sourdough Sugar Cookie

These cookies are everything I want in a homemade treat—just sweet enough, a little chewy in the middle, and made with real pantry ingredients. Plus, it’s always a win when I can use up a bit of sourdough discard without it feeling like waste. 

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Potato Flake Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Magen Jones – littletennesseehome.com

The edges are just the right amount of crisp, giving way to a soft, chewy center that’s packed with hearty oats and bursts of sweet, plump raisins. You get a warm hit of cinnamon in every bite, and the potato flake starter gives it a depth of flavor you can’t get without it. The butter brings a richness that melts on your tongue, and the oats add that perfect texture that keeps you reaching for another. 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Fermentation time 10 hours hrs

Total Time 10 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 50 small cookies

Equipment

• Stand mixer or electric mixer
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons/kitchen scale
• Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
• Cookie scoop or spoon
• Cookie sheet
• Cooling Rack

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar 160 grams
• ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup potato flake sourdough discard or active starter
• 3 cups rolled oats 355 grams
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 grams
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins

Instructions

 

• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the softened butter with both sugars for a few minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed so everything gets well incorporated.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Then pour in the vanilla and your sourdough discard, and mix just until everything comes together.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet about ⅓ at a time. Mix until just combined—you don’t want to overwork the dough.
• Then, fold in the raisins by hand with a silicone spatula to make sure they’re evenly distributed.
• Cover the the dough and pop it in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but up to 3 days. This longer ferment gives the cookies more depth of flavor and easier digestibility.
• After the fermentation process, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Scoop the dough onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between each cookie. I usually go with heaping tablespoon-sized scoops. Use a cookie scoop for perfectly portioned cookies.
• Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges start turning golden brown. (baking time can vary from oven to oven, so it’s best to keep an eye on them until you find the perfect bake time for your oven.) They’ll continue to firm up a bit as they cool.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days for optimal freshness.

Notes

Tip: If your raisins feel a little dried out, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes, then drain before adding them to your dough. It helps them plump up and stay nice and soft in the cookie.

If you need to bake these cookies right away instead of waiting on the fermentation time, you absolutely can. Or if you only have a little time to ferment, that’s better than nothing. Just skip the fermenting step and bake as directed. While this isn’t the ideal option, since you skip the fermenting, you also miss out on the benefits. However, I know what it’s like to need to whip up something quickly and don’t have the time to wait, so I love that this option is available.