Oatmeal raisin is the ugly cousin of chocolate chip cookies. Regardless, this chewy classic is still loved and adored by many. I know quite a few people who are very fond of oatmeal raisin cookies and say it’s their top pick. If you’re an oatmeal raisin lover, then this recipe is dedicated to you!
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All recipes are displayed first. Any tips, tricks, variations, and other nonsense will follow the recipe for you to scroll at your heart’s content. View our other recipes here.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½-1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional) If you prefer a stronger flavour, use 1 teaspoon.
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup raisins You can also do 1 ½ cups of raisins if you'd like.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (if using).
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture. Keep mixing until everything is well combined.
- Stir in the oats and raisins. If you're using any other mix-ins, such as nuts, chocolate chips, or other dried fruits, you can add them in this step as well.
- Scoop out rounded portions using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon and place them on the baking sheet. Keep your balls at least an inch apart from each other.
- Bake at 350 ºF for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- NOTE: Don't remove the cookies right away. They may seem underbaked at first, but give them about 5–10 minutes to cool on the cookie sheet. They will harden with time.
Notes
Tips, Tricks, and Nonsense – How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Wait for the Cookies to Get Firm
I mentioned this in the recipe notes, but I’ll say it again just in case anyone missed it.
Once the cookies are done baking, they might seem a bit too soft. This is completely normal. They will harden with time. I usually remove mine after 5–10 minutes of them sitting on the baking sheet. Then, you can transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
If you’re really unsure, carefully remove one cookie with a spatula and see what the bottom of the cookie looks like. They should be golden brown. If they’re golden, you’re golden.
Experiment With Different Raisins
If you’re like me and you love experimenting with different flavours and ingredients, I highly recommend checking out different types of raisins.
The Kitchen Wizards encourage you to turn your kitchen into a science lab. Try adding 1/2 cup of one type of raisin and 1/2 cup of a different type. If you’re feeling extra sinister, you can even throw all the different types of raisins in there at once.
Check out these 6 different types of raisins you can find at most grocery stores.
Always Bake at 350ºF
I’ve seen a few recipes that call for baking cookies at 375°F. I tried this before out of sheer curiosity, and I either ended up with overbaked or underbaked cookies.
I understand that each oven is a bit different. In my experience, baking at 350°F for 10 minutes has always resulted in the perfect cookie.
Use Different Oats
In my experience, old-fashioned oats are the best to use and produce an awesome oatmeal cookie. You can also use steel-cut or quick oats.
Don’t Use Cold Butter
Bring your butter to room temperature before you use it. If you try to cream together cold, hard butter with sugar, you’ll end up with a clumpy mess.
Tools of the Trade – How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
I did mention this briefly in my cake mix cookie recipe, but I’ll repost it in case you haven’t seen it. These tools aren’t necessary, but they’re nice to have because they can take your creations to the next level.
Cookie Scoop
This looks pretty similar to an ice cream scoop, and they’re awesome if you hate washing your hands 1000 times during baking. This is a mess-free way to get perfectly round and uniform cookies.
They also come in different sizes and are available pretty much anywhere that sells kitchen tools.
Silicone Baking Mats
Another great buy that you can find virtually anywhere that retails kitchen gadgets, silicone mats are ideal if you hate having to scrape your cookies off a baking sheet. Use them in place of parchment paper. They’re washable and reuseable, so they’re a great eco-friendly addition to your kitchen.
Note: For anyone who’s on a budget, I have seen these items at dollar stores.
The Side Pieces
What recipe would be complete without some sides? Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling:
- A nice, hot cup of coffee or tea
- Staring at your neighbours and laughing at them shovelling snow while you sit in your warm, comfy house eating cookies
- A tall glass of milk
- Snuggles with your favourite furry friend
- Some delicious breakfast
- If you’re feeling extra sweet, pair it with some hot chocolate
Cookie Variations
As with most recipes, the world is your oyster. I personally think oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are incredible! Here’s a list of other mix-ins you can try to add some extra flavour to your already awesome oatmeal cookies. Mix and match to your heart’s content.
- Assorted nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, etc.)
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Chocolate Chips (milk, semisweet, or dark)
- Cranberries
- Lemon juice or lemon zest
- M&Ms or Smarties
- Nutmeg
- Pineapple
- Shredded carrot
- White chocolate chips
Related Posts & Ingredient Substitutions
Here are a few related Canuck Kitchen posts that are similar to this topic.
An Extra Helpful Guide For Amazing Egg Replacements – Canuck Kitchen
Really Remarkable Substitutions for Butter – Canuck Kitchen
How to Store Baked Goods – An Essential Guide – Canuck Kitchen
Not a huge fan of raisins but these cookies were actually really good. Loved the cinnamon touch in them. Now I have to try the pumpkin pie spice. What a great idea!
Very tasty!
Oh my gosh yumm! This is a great recipe!
These are my favorite cookies. And with this amazing and easy recipe I can finally make them myself. All thanks to the hilarious and talented kitchen wizard.