Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Why you’ll love it

• Soft, chewy centers with golden, buttery edges.
• Plump raisins that never turn dry or hard.
• Freezer-friendly dough for fresh cookies any day.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the raisins

• 1 cup (150 g) raisins
• Hot water, to cover

For the cookie dough

• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups (270 g) old-fashioned rolled oats

Step-by-step method

1. Plump the raisins. Place the raisins in a bowl, cover with hot water and let stand 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

3. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the brown and granulated sugars on medium speed 2–3 minutes, until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.

4. Finish the dough. On low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the oats and raisins with a spatula.

5. Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

6. Bake. Scoop the dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers still look slightly soft.

7. Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

How to know it is done

The cookies are done when the edges are light golden brown and set, while the centers look puffy and just slightly underbaked. They firm up as they cool. If the centers look wet and shiny, bake 1 more minute; if the edges are dark brown, the next batch needs 1–2 minutes less.

Tips for the best result

• Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oats, for the best chewy texture.
• Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it; too much flour makes dry, cakey cookies.
• Don’t skip the chill: cold dough spreads less and the cookies stay thick and chewy.

Variations and substitutions

• Nutty: add 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans with the oats.
• Chocolate chip: replace the raisins with 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips.
• Cranberry orange: use dried cranberries and add 1 tsp grated orange zest.
• Brown butter: brown the butter, chill it until soft-set, then use as directed.
• Gluten-free: use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats.

Storage and reheating

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months, or freeze scooped dough balls on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes. Warm a cookie in the microwave for 8–10 seconds for that fresh-baked feel.