Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe we’ve ever made! Soft and chewy on the outside, crispy around the edges, packed with raisins and spice… You’ve got to try them.
Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal cookies are one of the simplest cookies to make well. Even grocery stores can do it.
If I ever grab a cookie off of a pre-made cookie platter, I always go for the oatmeal raisin cookies because they are the most likely to taste somewhat homemade.
Even so, there are definite standouts in the oatmeal cookie category. Today I’m sharing The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies I’ve ever made or tasted.
Although the ingredients are humble pantry staples, the cookies are ridiculously divine. I’ve been tweaking this recipe for a long time, so I’m very excited to share it with you!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are crispy on the outside, and moist on the inside. The oat-to-raisin ratio is perfectly balanced.
A little hint of baking spices accentuates the comforting oat flavor, making them taste the way your very best childhood memory feels.
So here’s what you’ll need to make these fabulous cookies:
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour, or you can actually use Gluten Free Baking Mix in this recipe!
- Baking Powder – To help the cookies rise.
- Salt – This enhances and balances all the flavors mingling together.
- Apple Pie Spice – You can also use a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg to achieve the same taste.
- Unsalted Butter – Softened. Use three sticks (1 1/2 cups) which sounds like a lot, but trust me on this one.
- Granulated Sugar – To sweeten.
- Brown Sugar – To sweeten with a molasses taste. The darker the brown sugar the more molasses flavor.
- Eggs – For structure.
- Vanilla Extract – A simple yet important ingredient to add depth.
- Old Fashioned Oats – These are the flat and flaky oats. Also called Rolled Oats.
- Raisins – You can also use other dried fruits here!
How To Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice.
- In another bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on high until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat in the vanilla and eggs. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl again then turn the mixer on low and mix in the oats and raisins.
- Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough into equal portions and spread the balls out two inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving.
Get The Printable How To Make The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe + Video. Enjoy!
A Perfect Make-Ahead
And best of all, unlike most cookies that dry out over time, The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies seem to improve over time!
Honestly, my whole family agrees they are even better day-old.
Oats have a distinct ability to hold in moisture. When combined with just the right amount of sugar and butter, oats keep cookies from drying out.
That means The Best Oatmeal Cookies are crisp when they first come out of the oven, but soften after several hours.
This also makes this Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe a marvelous treat to make-ahead for school or work events and weekend gatherings!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Best Oats For Oatmeal Cookies?
Old-Fashioned Oats are the best choice to create the right flavor and texture in oatmeal cookies. However, in a pinch, you can use Quick Oats.
Can I Make Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies?
Yes! Make sure your oats are fully gluten-free, and processed in a gluten-free facility. Then swap the wheat flour for Gluten-Free Baking Flour Mix.
Why Are My Oatmeal Cookies Dry?
There are three possibilities… There’s a chance you mismeasured the flour, or you did not add enough butter, or you might have baked the cookies too long. Be extra careful when you measure your ingredients to ensure soft cookies.
Also, try this super-moist recipe for Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies!
Why Do My Cookies Always Flatten Out In The Oven?
The two most common causes of flat cookies are A) Skipping the parchment paper and putting the cookies straight on the baking sheet. B) Using an oven with a faulty thermostat. It is common for thermostats to wear out over time. You can check your oven temperature accuracy by hanging a small oven thermometer off the rack.
Do Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Freeze Well?
Yes! Freeze them flat on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Then once frozen, move the cookies to an airtight freezer bag or container. You can freeze these cookies for up to 6 months.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
- Best Ever Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Best Chocolate Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
- Soft Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies Recipe
- Gluten Free Monster Cookies Recipe
- Chewy Molasses Cookies Recipe
- Snickerdoodle Whoopie Pies Recipe
- Caramel Shortbread Recipe
- Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies Recipe
- Chai Latte Cookies Recipe
Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cups raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice.
- In another bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on high until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat in the vanilla and eggs. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl again then turn the mixer on low and mix in the oats and raisins.
- Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough into equal portions and spread the balls out two inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving.
I love the recipe so I’m making them right now. I have my butter softening, and there alot of butter. I will chill my cookie dough for a while to overnight even. You must chill cookie dough. I will then let you know how they turn out. I think I’m gonna love them……
I needed to make a batch of great Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for a gift. This recipe hit the spot. They were a Beautiful cookie, a nice size, not flat at all, they were just perfect for me. Thank you for this great recipe.
😋 Delicious
Oh…my…wow. These are stupid good. Out of control good. Best cookies ever.
This is my all time favorite oatmeal cookie recipe. They are so delicious, it’s very hard to keep from eating too many. Everyone I give these to raves about them. I must have made 1000 oatmeal cookies in my life, these are the ALL TIME BEST!
Made this exactly as recipe called for despite being skeptical about how.much butter it called for. The cookies spread out all over the baking sheet. I basically ended up with a flat bar cookie. At the price of butter this was a huge disappointment.I’ll go back to using the quaker oats recipe.
Hi Pat,
Sorry to hear that! It sounds like there might have been a mismeasurement on the dry ingredients, or your oven runs a bit too hot. You can place a cheap hanging oven thermometer off the rack to determine how far you need to recalibrate your oven. This is a very VERY common problem for home bakers.
Can you use salted butter
Sure! Just reduce the salt a little bit. :)
Please chill you cookie dough before baking any cookie. It really helps the cookie hold its shape. I always chill all my cookie dough.
Cookies was to sweet,and when baking them they turn out flat.
Family request these often and they disappear!!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe and I’m not a cookie Baker, but thanks to you, I’m official!!!!
I spent years doctoring a recipe I found on the back of my oats box, I gradually added in the spices and the extra butter and oats with brown sugar components to get them just the way I liked. When my son moved out, I gave him my old recipe book not realizing my hand scribbled notes were tucked inside and he didn’t know how special it was.
Since then I’ve been trying to re create them without success. That is, until yesterday when I made these. They are awesome, with enough salt, no too much flour and the caramel flavor of the brown sugar. I love the spiciness of the nutmeg. The only thing I added was a glug of backstrap molasses because I love it. Thank you! It’s a great recipe that I will be using from now on.
Hi Barbara,
I also have cookie recipes I’ve tweaked for years, so totally understand the pain of losing one. So glad to be of service! :)
They were wonderful, just like my mother baked. I wouldn’t change a thing, well, maybe the calories!
I don’t think there is enough moisture for the oats + flour, and I love butter so no skimping there. Fortunately my raisins were really moist and stuck together so I used 2 oz. of water to loosen them up and then added the water to the mix. I made a half batch but did not cut back on the cinnamon or nutmeg but I still would not call these spicy. I also only used about 3/8 cup sugar total (instead of 1) between the 2 sugars and loved the sweetness level since the raisins were contributing as well.
Use three eggs. Beat the eggs and vanilla together and then soak your raisins in this for 1 hour. Huge difference. Also – use allspice instead of apple pie spice.
Did you add all three eggs to the batter, did you make liquid adjustments if you added all three eggs. I like your suggestion. My neighbor brings in my trash bin for me. I return the favor when I get there first but he’s quicker. I’m going to make these for him so they have to be awesome good.
I made these cookies and was not happy with the result. Presuming I had done something wrong I made another batch and had the same result. Flat cookies which were overcooked on the edges. I tried adjusting the oven temp and time of baking but nothing worked. I won’t use this recipe again. Sorry
Hi Donna,
Sorry you had this issue. It sounds like your oven is running hot. You can buy a cheap hanging oven thermometer to hang off the center rack. Then you will know how much you need to adjust the temperature in calibration mode.
crispy, chewy, perfection! my 5 and 7 year old told me they’re the best cookie sin the universe! because of a mix up when grocery shopping, i accidentally bought quick oats when i needed old fashioned, but my cookies still came out great regardless. i also tossed in some leftover chocolate chips i had in my cupboard.. they would be great without them, but they’re good with them as well! thanks for sharing!
Cookies came out perfectly! Second batch replaced 1 cup oatmeal with walnuts
Delicious!
I make this recipe over and over I have customers that buys my cookie I’ve made it with cinnamon and nutmeg and they love them so I looked in my pantry and I did have the apple spice pie so I use that in my oatmeal cookies and it is awesome they love the people love them thank you so much for your recipe look forward to more great cookie recipe thank you so much
Tonight my 2yr old and I will be making these. Last time I made these it was a different recipe and I wasn’t really happy texture wise. So, we stumbled across this and will be trying tonight. i can’t wait.
Ok so I just made these cookies and oh my goodness they are the best recipe I have ever found 🥰. Thank you for sharing and I’ll be making other recipes from you soon!!!
This recipe is a keeper! It’s better than my mother’s recipe. I wouldn’t ever tell her that. Amazing and they are better days after! Nice, moist, chewy and more flavorful!
I’ve been looking for the best recipe for a long time….this is it.