Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

Oatmeal raisin cookies are delightful, comforting, and timeless. And this recipe is the best of the best!

These cookies have a chewy texture, hearty oat base, and bursts of sweet tanginess from plump raisins. They offer a nostalgic indulgence transcending generations. 

While there are many oatmeal raisin cookies, this one is top-notch.

It’s easy enough for beginners, but everyone will think you’re a pro baker after trying them!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

There’s no denying oatmeal raisin cookies are a classic. They’re comforting, wholesome, and remind you of being a kid.

There’s just something about their chewy, buttery texture and sweet and tangy taste that’s hard to beat. Having a good oatmeal raisin cookie recipe in your repertoire is essential. 

And this recipe makes the softest, chewiest, most delicious oatmeal raisin cookies I’ve ever had. I can’t stop making them! I guarantee you’ll put them on repeat, too.

Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make these tempting cookies: 

• Flour. Use all-purpose flour measured using the “spoon and level” method for accurate measurements. Fluff up the flour, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife’s flat edge.

• Baking soda & salt. These ingredients are crucial to any baking recipe. The baking soda helps the cookies rise, while the salt enhances all the other flavors.

• Ground cinnamon. Cinnamon provides a rich warmth to the cookies. It makes them irresistible. Use more or less of it, depending on your taste. 

• Butter. Unsalted butter is best, as it lets you control the amount of salt in the recipe. Make sure it’s softened, not melted, before adding it. 

• Sugars. Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and a whole cup of light brown sugar. The larger amount of brown sugar will ensure the cookies have a soft, chewy texture. 

• Eggs. Eggs act as the binding agent for the recipe. They hold everything together and add a little moisture, too. 

• Vanilla extract. Like salt and baking soda, vanilla extract is in most baking recipes. It provides a delicious flavor and enhances the other ingredients. 

• Old-fashioned rolled oats. Avoid using quick-cooking oats unless you have no other choice. They don’t provide the same chewiness as rolled oats. 

• Raisins. Raisins and oatmeal cookies go hand in hand. If you’re not a fan, you can leave them out. 

You can also add some chopped walnuts to the batter if you like. It all depends on your preference.

How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 

You won’t need any special equipment to make these cookies. Bowls, a whisk, and two parchment-lined baking sheets get the job done. Here’s how to make them:

1. Do your prep work. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gather your materials and measure out the ingredients beforehand if you want. 

2. Make the batter. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in one bowl. If you have a sifter, sift the ingredients together. 

Use a second bowl to combine the softened butter and sugars. Vigorously mix them until the mixture is fluffy and light. Then, add one egg at a time. Finally, stir in the vanilla. 

Combine the two bowls of ingredients, adding the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until everything is barely combined, then add the oats, raisins, and walnuts. 

3. Bake. Scoop mounds of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. The edges should be lightly browned, while the centers should remain soft. 

4. Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. Then, move them to wire racks to finish cooling. Serve them and enjoy! 

Tips for the Best Cookies

Again, this oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is the best. But here are a few pro tips to take them over the top: 

• Chill the dough. Scoop the dough into balls and chill it in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before baking. This helps prevent it from spreading too much.

• Soak the raisins. For extra plump raisins, soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes before using them. Drain them and pat them dry before adding them to the dough.

• Make them extra chewy. For chewier cookies, slightly underbake them. They’ll firm up as they cool. Don’t overbake! Even if you don’t want extra chewy cookies, underbaking them a little is far preferable to overbaking. Over-baked cookies are dry and tough, not soft, moist, and chewy. 

• Use room-temperature ingredients. Particularly the egg and the butter. Don’t use melted butter, just softened butter. 

• Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the dough. Doing so yields perfectly shaped, uniformly sized mounds of cookie dough. This results in more evenly baked cookies. 

• Let the cookies cool before eating them. It’s tempting to eat them straight from the oven. However, letting them cool first makes the taste and texture better. 

Variations 

Feel free to try these variations as well for extra special treats:

• Vary the mix-ins. Try chocolate chips, dried fruit, toasted nuts, coconut, toffee chips, etc.

• Vary the nuts. Besides walnuts, you can also use pecans or even almonds. Chop them up into small, bite-sized pieces.

• Make them colorful. Use festively colored M&Ms to make the cookies holiday-appropriate. Use orange and brown ones for Halloween or red and green for Christmas. 

• Add extra spices. Cinnamon is wonderful, but so are cardamom and ginger. Nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice also make good additions.

Make Ahead and Storage

To Store:

Store these cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. They’ll last for 5 to 7 days on the counter.

To Freeze: You can also freeze them in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Eat them frozen, at room temp, or warmed in the microwave for a “fresh-from-the-oven” feel.

To Make Ahead:

1. Follow the instructions on the recipe card below through step 4. 
2. Scoop mounds of cookie dough onto a baking sheet. 
3. Freeze the dough on the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours. 
4. Transfer the frozen dough balls to an air-tight container or freezer-safe bag. 
5. Date, label, and freeze the dough balls.

Be sure to bake the cookies within a month for the best results. You can bake them straight from the oven, but add 1 to 2 minutes of extra baking time.