These are the best oatmeal raisin cookies you’ll ever make! Perfectly sweet, perfectly chewy, and perfectly delicious!
I’m certain there’s not a bake sale that‘s gone by that I don’t scour the table for oatmeal raisin cookies. There’s just something about that sweet raisin and oatmeal chewy crunch that is tough to resist. My mom, an incredible baker, taught me how to make these cookies. If you’re wondering what makes these “the best,” well let me tell ya! Everything!
These cookies have the perfect amount of spices. Unlike most oatmeal raisin cookie recipes, these have the addition of nutmeg and ground cloves. Along with the cinnamon, these give them that instant cozy, holiday cookie feel! They also have the perfect slightly crispy edge and chewy texture that cannot be beaten. The addition of molasses also lends a richer sweetness and adds to the chewy texture.
There’s something magical about these cookies! They’re loaded with goodness and irresistible. They are sure to be a hit with your family and friends!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon
- Ground Cloves
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Whole Rolled Oats
- Salted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Molasses
- Raisins
Tools You’ll Need
- Hand Mixer
- Cookie Scoop
- Sheet Pan
How to Make the Best Ever Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- First, mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed with both the brown and granulated sugars until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla, and molasses, and beat again until smooth.
- Transfer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the raisins (and any additions as noted in Tips and Substitutions).
- Chill the dough 20 minutes before baking. This step is important for the perfect chewy texture and cookie spread.
- Scoop out 3 tablespoon dough balls and place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes, until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown and the center is slightly soft. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Tips and Substitutions
- If you’re not a fan of raisins, they can be substituted with dried cranberries, dried cherries, currants, or golden raisins.
- Adding extra goodies to this dough can take them to the next level! Some yummy options are:
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup milk, white or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts
Frequently Asked Questions
Whole rolled oats contribute to the ideal chewy texture of these cookies, but you can substitute them with quick oats if needed. Just use the same amount. They’ll be slightly less chewy but still super delicious!
Make sure to use fresh raisins. Old raisins can be hard and lump together in the cookie dough. If they’re not too dry, you might be able to plump the raisins. Soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, drain them, then dry them with a paper towel before adding them to the dough.
You can adjust the size of the cookies and simply lower the bake time. For 2-tablespoon size cookies, bake 11-13 minutes. For 1 tablespoon size cookies, bake 8-10 minutes.
Storage
- These cookies will stay fresh in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked cookies can be frozen and pulled from the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Unbaked cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Either thaw the dough in the refrigerator and bake per recipe directions or bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra 1-2 minutes.
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Best Ever Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoon molasses
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and oatmeal. Set aside
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat butter brown and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla and molasses, and beat again until smooth.
- On low speed, mix the dry mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined. Stir in the raisins.
- Chill the dough 20 minutes before baking. If not baking after 20 minutes, freeze the dough until ready to bake.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out 3 tablespoon dough balls and place at least 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes. Centers will still be slightly soft, but they will firm up as the cookies cool. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Linda Sanchez
Omg, these cookies are to died for. Great recipe! 🥰 Thank you Laura. 🍪🍪🍪🍪
Laura Ashley
YAY!!! I’m so happy you made them and liked them so much! They never last long at my house LOL! Hope you have a fantastic weekend!