Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I know… I say this about every cookie recipe I post, but these oatmeal raisin cookies just might be my favorite cookies ever. Can you tell I’m a major cookie monster? Seriously, though, these buttery, cinnamon-spiced oatmeal cookies have the best flavor and texture. They’re a MUST try!

These cookies bake up perfectly every time and stay soft and chewy for days. They are incredibly thick, loaded with raisins, but completely customizable too. Feel free to use this as a base oatmeal cookie recipe for adding in your favorite mix-ins! Load up the cookie jar, these are a hit for family gatherings, after school snacks or holiday cookie trays!

ingredients needed

The ingredient list is very simple and includes all of the ingredients that you’d expect to find in oatmeal raisin cookies. It’s the ratio of ingredients that’s important! Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Butter. I always use unsalted butter, so I can control the amount of salt going into a recipe. Be sure your butter is softened to room temperature, so that it combines properly with the sugars. Room temperature butter is still a bit cool to the touch and it should indent slightly when you press on it with your finger. Take butter out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before beginning your recipe.
• Sugars. We’re using an equal amount of brown and granulated sugar in this recipe. The brown sugar makes these cookies soft and flavorful. And the granulated sugar is necessary to help the cookies spread. Using both sugars will yield a cookie with a slightly crisp exterior and a soft and chewy center. Perfection!
• Eggs. Two eggs will add structure, stability, and richness.
• Vanilla. Do NOT forget the vanilla. And use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. It’s worth it!
• Flour. All-purpose flour is what we’re using to give these cookies a tenderness that you just won’t find when using other types of flour.
• Baking powder + baking soda. To give your cookies the perfect rise and chewy texture.
• Cinnamon. For warm, cozy flavor!
• Salt. A small amount of salt is VERY important to balance the sweetness of baked goods.
• Old-fashioned rolled oats. Oats provide a fabulously chewy texture and we’re using 3 whole cups here. Use rolled oats (not quick oats) for best results in this cookie recipe.
• Raisins. The combination of raisins with cinnamon and oats is SO good. However, I know desserts with raisins aren’t everyone’s favorite, so feel free to substitute the raisins with another mix-in, like chocolate chips.

how to make this recipe

1. Cream together the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or a hand mixer and beat the softened butter and sugars on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs and vanilla extract; mix on high until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
3. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Add in the flour. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the flour mixture to the dough.
5. Stir in the oats and raisins. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed and mix in the oats and raisins until they are evenly combined. At this point, you can chill the dough for about 30 minutes to an hour, so it isn’t so sticky.
6. Scoop dough balls. Use a large spoon or cookie scoop to make dough balls. Place the cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. The cookies, pictured, are about 2 tablespoons of dough. This will make approximately 30 medium-sized cookies.
7. Bake. Cookies will need to bake for about 11-13 minutes. Remove from the oven right when edges start looking set and golden. The centers may look slightly undercooked, but they will continue to cook even after they are removed from the oven.
8. Cool cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to continue to cool.
9. Enjoy! Serve while still warm and gooey. Or enjoy them after they’ve completely cooled. I personally love them even more after they’ve cooled a bit. This is when the edges get a little crispy and the inside is super soft and chewy. Either way… yum!

variations

This oatmeal cookie recipe is the perfect base for any fun add-in ingredient that you’re craving. Honestly, these cookies are absolutely perfect as-is, but feel free to get creative and experiment with your favorite ingredients! You can add any combination of mix-ins, up to about 1 1/2 cups.

• Baking chips. Try using chocolate or white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toffee chips, mint chips, caramel bits, or any other fun baking add-ins.
• Nuts. I think adding in about 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans with the raisins would be amazing in these oatmeal cookies. You can also try adding walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, and/or macadamia nuts.
• Dried fruit. Instead of raisins, try dried cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots, or chopped dates for an extra pizzaz of flavor. Golden raisins would make a great choice too!
• Sprinkles or M&M’s. Add in a handful of colored sprinkles or about 1 cup miniature or regular M&M’s, if you’d like to make these cookies extra colorful!

tips for recipe perfection

There are tons of tips and tricks for baking homemade cookies, but follow the suggestions below and you’re sure to have the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies of your life!

• Bake time + temp. Baking at 350ºF will guarantee your cookies melt at the perfect speed to get those crispy edges with a soft and chewy center – the MOST epic cookie. Bake for 11-13 minutes, depending how gooey you like the centers. Keep in mind, cookies continue to bake even after they are removed from the oven. Also, your bake time will vary depending on the size of your cookie.
• Room temperature ingredients. When baking cookies, it’s best to use room temperature ingredients, so they combine properly. Room temperature butter is still a bit cool to the touch and it should indent slightly when you press on it with your finger. Take butter and eggs out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before beginning your recipe.
• Don’t over mix. If you over mix the ingredients in this cookie recipe you may end up with flat cookies that don’t have the optimal tender crumb.
• Don’t over bake. I recommend experimenting with a couple of cookies before baking the entire recipe. This will help you find that sweet spot when it comes to bake time in your oven and your preferred gooeyness level. My daughter really liked the cookies baked for only 10 minutes because she likes a cookie that has a more doughy center. I like a soft, but more set center, so 12 minutes was perfect for me.
• Chill the dough. This cookie dough is sticky, so I recommend chilling the dough for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. I wouldn’t chill the dough for any longer than that because the oats will absorb all of the moisture and they won’t spread as well when baking.
• Bake on parchment or silicone. Parchment or, better yet, a silicone baking mat makes for the most perfect cookies. Greasing the baking pan creates an overly greasy foundation, which will cause the cookies to spread too much. Silicone baking mats will grip onto the bottom of your cookies to prevent them from spreading too much. The mats also promote even browning.

storage tips

Freezing oatmeal cookie dough. This oatmeal cookie dough recipe freezes beautifully. I love having cookie dough already mixed up, so I can bake a special treat whenever the craving hits or we host an impromptu get together.

Scoop out balls of cookie dough. Place the cookie dough in a freezer bag and freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.

Bake from frozen. Baking from frozen will work just fine. The tops of your cookies may darken a bit more, but they will still be fabulous. Follow all of the cooking instructions but add a minute or two onto the bake time.

Freezing baked cookies. These already-baked chewy oatmeal cookies freeze very well. Store in a freezer-safe container or baggie and freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.

Storing baked cookies. Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container or zip-top baggie at room temperature for about 1 week, but I can’t imagine them lasting that long!

Beware, it’s really easy to eat about a dozen of these oatmeal raisin cookies before you even realize what you just did. You only live once, though, so indulge and enjoy!

If you try this oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.