These BEST Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are a staple in any cookie jar. Soft and chewy in the middle with a crisp edge, these cookies are the perfect treat!
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Serve these best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies after a dinner of Chicken & Asparagus and Loaded Cauliflower Casserole.
My grandma (& my mom) are not bakers. Coming home from school to cookies is not a memory I have, but I feel like Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were a staple in many houses.
I wanted to make a cookie that was perfectly crisp on the edges while chewy and soft in the middle and it took a few test batches, but I feel like I nailed it.
BEST OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES INGREDIENTS:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Old Fashioned Oats
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Raisins
Some oatmeal raisin cookie recipes call for using shortening, but I used all butter in this recipe because that’s what I prefer. Either fat will work, but I feel like butter adds more flavor and richness.
Using butter in these cookies does mean they will spread, it is to be expected, but to combat that, I roll the cookie dough taller rather than round. It helps them to spread evenly.
If you prefer baking with shortening, you can swap it out in this recipe, your cookies will likely bake up taller, but they might lack a touch of flavor that the butter provides.
CAN YOU USE QUICK OATS IN OATMEAL COOKIES?
You can use quick oats in these cookies, but I prefer old fashioned oats, which will give you that classic chewy texture. Quick oats are ground up so the cookies end up one-note, with less texture. The flavor will be very similar so it really comes down to personal preference.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper & set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and raisins. Stir with a spoon to fully combine.
Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out 8 balls of dough per pan.
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Check at 8 minutes to make sure edges are slightly brown and centers are set. Bake 1-3 more minutes if necessary.
Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.
TIPS & TRICKS:
- Use old fashioned oats in these cookies. Quick oats will work as well, but you’ll end up with a different texture.
- If you want your raisins to be extra soft, soak them in a bowl of boiling water while you’re preparing the rest of the dough.
- Start with room temperature butter and eggs for best results.
- If raisins aren’t your thing, you could use chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or other dried fruit.
- Check these cookies at 8 minutes. You want the edges to be slightly brown and the centers a touch gooey. You’ll leave them on a pan for a few minutes when you remove them from the oven to finish up baking.
- Dough will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. To freeze, scoop out dough balls, leave them on a baking sheet covered in the freezer until they’re frozen through, then move them to a freezer bag. They’ll be good for up to a year in the freezer. You can bake them straight from frozen, just add a couple minutes of baking time. I always have some type of cookie dough in my freezer stash.
NEED MORE OATMEAL RECIPES? TRY THESE:
- Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Ranger Cookies
- Apple Oatmeal Bars
- Oatmeal Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Copycat Oatmeal Cream Pies
TOOLS TO HELP YOU MAKE THESE COOKIES:
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The BEST Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add in the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and raisins and stir until just combined and raisins are evenly distributed.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to place 8 dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, check to make sure edges are slightly brown and centers are set. If not, bake an additional 1-3 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made these today using 1 for 1 gluten free flour and they were perfect! I used all coconut sugar instead of white/brown sugar, and I will probably cut it a bit next time as it was sweet for our tastes. The construction workers at our house loved them as-is, though. Thank you!
Thank you so much for reporting back! I never test with gf flour so these types of comments are so helpful to other people wondering. I’m glad you & the construction workers liked them =)
They came out perfect. I did not make changes to the recipe. baked for 11 mins. Sweet, soft center and crunchy edge.
So happy to hear that! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
This recipe makes no sense. Makes 30 cookies but put 8 balls on cookie sheet?
Repeat until out of dough…
So can you fit 30 cookies on a tray??!
Cause I can’t 🤣🤣🤣🤣
These were great I substituted raisins for cranberries
Love hearing that – thank you!
My dauther and friends just love this cookies.
Yay 🙂 Thanks for reporting back!
Baker beware, these are extremely addicting!! My cookies were a bit bigger so 16 minutes is what it took for mine! Sooo delicious, thank you for the great recipe!
Thank you, Lauren! 🙂
These are so delish, exactly what I was looking for 🙂 thank you!!!
Is the butter unsalted or sweet?
I usually use salted because I like the balance, but unsalted will work.
There were everything they were promised to be. Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle. Best oatmeal cookies I have ever made or eaten.
That makes me so happy! Thanks, Teri 🙂
Added a little nutmeg to my recipe, took longer than 8 min to cook but came out tasty!
I’m glad you liked them!
Delicious! Perfect Cookie!
My bf asked me at 10p to make some Oatmeal raisin cookies. I chose this recipe and glad that I did. They are incredibly delicious!! I made half regular and the other half added some walnuts. He couldn’t stop eating them.
I did have to use quick oats. I followed all the instructions and it seems that they didn’t come out as chewy as I thought. They were a little dry. Is that because of the oats or was there possibly something else I missed.
I will be definitely making again. Thank you.
I used to late-night bake all the time! I miss that lol
Yes, the different oats definitely make a difference in texture. I’m glad you liked them though – try old fashioned oats next time 🙂
So easy and so awesome
Best ever! Third day still delicious!
Love hearing that. Thanks, Lidia!
These were the best l have ever made. Have never heard of softening the raisins. Made a BIG difference. Thanks for the tip.
Made my day. Thanks, Jan!
THese turned out super yummy! The only thing I’ll do differently next time I make these is add more raisins. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for reporting back 🙂