What's better than a perfectly chewy cookie full of delicious mix-ins? Nothing's better than that in my book. Here's how to make the best oatmeal cookies.
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To me, there a few cookies that I like to classify as after-school cookies. They’re the kind of cookies that you can make any time—think chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles or gingersnaps. These treats are always welcome but always seemed to taste best when I found them on a table when I came home from school (especially because my mom is a phenomenal baker).
I’d also add oatmeal cookies to that list of perfect after-school cookies. They’re chewy, a little crispy at the edge and full of chocolate, nuts and raisins. It hits the spot after a long day—even now after a full day of writing and editing here at Taste of Home.
And just like these other everyday cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies are super simple to make. Here’s how to do it yourself (you know, for when Mom’s kitchen is closed).
How to Make Oatmeal Cookies at Home
Lisa Kaminski/Taste of Home
This chewy oatmeal cookie recipe comes to Taste of Home from reader Janis Plageman of Lynden, Washington. It’s highly rated, and you can count on a five-star rating from me. Here’s what you need to make them:
Cookie scoop: This KitchenAid cookie scoop is one of my best baking purchases. It portions out just the right size cookies and the silicone grips keep my hands from hurting (important with this recipe that makes almost five dozen cookies!).
Cookie sheets: This recipe makes a lot of cookies. Make sure you have a few sheet pans ready!
Mixer:Whether you prefer a hand mixer or stand mixer, you’re going to want a little power behind this recipe (hand mixing is not recommended with all this cookie dough).
Directions
Step 1: Cream Ingredients
Lisa Kaminski/Taste of Home
Like with most drop cookies, you’re going to start by creaming together the softened butter and sugars. Once well combined, add in the two eggs, molasses and vanilla and beat, beat, beat. This should take about five minutes. You really want it light and fluffy!
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Lisa Kaminski/Taste of Home
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Just a quick stir to combine these ingredients will ensure they are evenly distributed in the cookie dough.
Editor’s note: Any type of cinnamon can be used in this recipe. If you’re a big fan of spicy cinnamon, look for Indonesian or Korintje cinnamon—it packs the most punch. If you prefer a more mild flavor, stick with Ceylon cinnamon.
Step 3: Combine
Lisa Kaminski/Taste of Home
Next, add the dry ingredients to your creamed mixture in a few batches. Beat until just combined—and don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. This is a pretty big batch of cookie dough, so have patience. It will take a bit of time to get all the oats, flour, butter and more fully incorporated.
This being said, be careful not to overmix at this stage. Too much mixing here can lead to tough cookies (and not the good kind).
Step 4: Add the Mix-Ins
Finally, it’s time to add in all the tasty mix-ins; this recipe has a whopping three cups! Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir the chocolate chips, raisins and chopped pecans in by hand.
Editor’s note: I like to toast the nuts before adding them to the cookie dough. This helps develop the flavor of the pecans. And if you don’t have pecans on hand, walnuts, almonds (OK, any type of nut) work well as a substitute.
Step 5: Bake
Lisa Kaminski/Taste of Home
Use a cookie scoop to portion out cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Be sure to leave about two inches between each cookie since they do spread a good bit in the oven.
Bake at 350º F for eight to ten minutes—until the edges start to turn golden brown. Once baked, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. After they’ve cooled, you’ll find these cookies are crisp around the edges and perfectly chewy in the middle. And rest assured, every bit will be positively full of pecans, raisins, chocolate or all three.
How to Keep Oatmeal Cookies Fresh
Lisa Kaminski/Taste of Home
When the cookies are totally cool (and after you’ve sampled a few) store them in an airtight container or cookie jar. They should keep no problem for a week. If you find the cookies are getting a bit too crisp for your liking, using this trick I learned from my mom: pop a slice of white bread into your cookie container. This will make hard cookies soft again.
How to Customize Oatmeal Cookies
I get it, oatmeal cookies with raisins aren’t for everyone. Luckily, though, this oatmeal cookie recipe is pretty darn versatile. As long as you keep the mix-in volume at three cups or less, you should be good to go. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
Chocolate-cherry: Everyone knows that chocolate and cherry is a dessert match made in heaven. Use dried cherries in place of the raisins and try toasted walnuts in lieu of pecans.
Coconut-almond: We all know that chocolate, coconut and almond are a great trio. So keep the chocolate chips in this recipe and substitute in toasted almonds and shredded, toasted coconut.
Cranberry-pistachio: This is a classic flavor combination. Skip the raisins and pecans in this recipe and include dried cranberries and chopped pistachios in their place.
Monster-style: You know monster cookies—the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookies. You can twist this classic oatmeal cookie recipe into a monster cookie by adding M&M’s, peanuts, butterscotch chips and chocolate chips. Just don’t go over three total cups of all those add-ins.
Snickerdoodle-style: For some, the sprinkling of cinnamon in these cookies isn’t quite enough. To make them snickerdoodle-style (one of my favorite twists on this recipe), toss the warm cookies in cinnamon sugar.
Triple-chocolate: Love chocolate? Use a cup each of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe instead of the called for additions.
Try More Tasty Oatmeal Cookies
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Wyoming Cowboy Cookies
These cookies are very popular here. They're great for munching anytime. —Patsy Steenbock, Shoshoni, Wyoming
Chewy Oatmeal CookiesI packed chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and cinnamon into my oatmeal cookie recipe. These soft cookies are easy to make. Best of all, our kids love them! —Janis Plageman, Lynden, Washington
Cranberry Oatmeal CookiesDotted with cranberries, orange zest and vanilla chips, these cookies are so colorful and fun to eat. They look lovely on a dessert tray and would be a great addition to your Christmas cookie lineup.
—Pat Habiger, Spearville, Kansas
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal CookiesCrazy about chocolate chips? This chewy, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie has plenty, not to mention lots of heart-healthy oatmeal. The gang’ll come back for seconds so this big batch recipe is perfect. This is the best 'oat choc chip cookies recipe' you'll ever taste! —Diane Neth, Menno, South Dakota
Salted Cashew Oatmeal CookiesMy son absolutely loves cashews, so I loaded my oatmeal cookies with them at Christmas—he loved them! The mix makes a great gift for friends, co-workers and teachers; all they have to do is add butter, vanilla and eggs. —Richard Hatch, Glen Burnie, Maryland
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip CookiesI'm one of the cooking project leaders for my daughter's 4-H club, where these soft, delicious cookies were a huge hit with the kids. —Marietta Slater, Augusta, Kansas
Cinnamon Oatmeal CookiesMy family loves these big old-fashioned cinnamon oatmeal cookies. They’re crisp, yet still chewy in the center, and the cinnamon makes them a little different from typical oatmeal cookies.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter CookiesHere's a different version of a traditional recipe. I love these soft peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. — Clarice Schweitzer, Sun City, Arizona
Oatmeal Sandwich CookiesThese fun treats put a sweet, fluffy filling between two chewy oatmeal cookies. The old-fashioned flavor is deliciously homey—always perfect for holiday trays. —Jan Woodall, Indianapolis, Indiana
Chewy Good Oatmeal CookiesThese are the best oatmeal cookies with all my favorite extras: dried cherries, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. —Sandy Harz, Spring Lake, Michigan
Grandma Krause's Coconut CookiesWhen my two daughters were young, their great-grandma made them coconut cookies with oats. Thankfully, she shared the recipe. —Debra Dorn, Dunnellon, Florida
Aunt Myrtle's Coconut Oat CookiesThese oatmeal coconut cookies are the stuff of happy memories. They have such a rich flavor and texture. Store them in your best cookie jar. —Catherine Cassidy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Peanut Butter Oatmeal CookiesMy husband loves homemade treats, and these easy peanut butter oatmeal cookies
are probably his favorite. The wheat flour and oats give these cookies a distinctive flavor.
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin CookiesI've been making these cookies for nearly 30 years. The spice cake mix provides a delicious backdrop to the oats and raisins. The treats are an all-time favorite with my family. —Nancy Horton, Greenbrier, Tennessee
Rolled Oat CookiesI like to keep some of this dough in the freezer at all times since it's so handy to slice, bake and serve at a moment's notice. These wholesome cookies are super with a cup of coffee - in fact, we occasionally grab a few for breakfast when we're in a hurry.
-Kathi Peters, Chilliwack, British Columbia
Oatmeal CrispiesMy husband, who normally isn't fond of oatmeal, thinks these old-fashioned cookies are great. With a hint of nutmeg, their aroma is wonderful as they bake...and they taste even better! —Karen Henson, St. Louis, Missouri
Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal CookiesI needed a new holiday cookie, so I tweaked an old 4-H recipe. This updated oatmeal cookie with cranberries and nuts is my family’s all-time favorite. —Tammy Hoggatt, Omaha, Nebraska
Wyoming Whopper CookiesThese big country cookies are made to travel—in fact, I came up with this recipe while trying to match a commercial cookie that was good, but too crumbly to carry. —Jamie Hirsch, Powell, Wyoming
Gingerbread Oatmeal CookiesCookie butter and ground ginger add a new layer of flavor. The recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies, and they go fast. You may want to make a double batch. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio
Great-Grandma's Oatmeal CookiesThis yummy cookie—a favorite of my husband's—goes back to my great-grandmother. At Christmastime, we use colored sugar for a festive touch. —Mary Ann Konechne, Kimball, South Dakota
Rhubarb Cranberry CookiesI like the sudden hit of sweetness when you bite into the white chips. It really complements the tart flavor from the rhubarb and cranberries. —Elaine Scott, Lafayette, Indiana
Breakfast CookiesI like to give my family a hearty start in the morning, especially when they have to eat in a hurry. These easy-to-make "cookies" are perfect for a breakfast on the run and really appeal to the kid in all of us. —Wanda Cox, Roscommon, Michigan
Easy Oatmeal Cream PiesThese easy cookies use only five ingredients and taste very similar to a store-bought cookie. Of course, everything's better from your own kitchen! —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
Oatmeal Molasses CrispsWhen I found this recipe in an Amish cookbook, I had to try it. It’s traditional in regions with Amish populations—Pennsylvania, Ohio and the Upper Midwest. Now it’s a staple for our family and the folks at our church fellowship, too. —Jori Schellenberger, Everett, Washington
Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal CookiesThese chewy chocolate cookies get a cozy kick from cinnamon and nutmeg. Oh, and the touch of rum in the batter adds some serious fun factor, too. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
Frosted Oatmeal CookiesA woman in my small Iowa hometown sold these cookies. When my grandmother asked her for the recipe, the woman agreed to give it to her if she promised not to make them until the woman was too old to sell them. Grandmother kept her promise, and this special recipe has been a family favorite for years. —B. Capper-Eckstein, Osseo, Minnesota
Oatmeal Rollout CookiesFor special events, my mother would bring these cookies to the rural school I attended. She decorated each cookie with a student's name written in frosting. —Sally Gores, Almena, Wisconsin
Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream SandwichesIf you’re tight on time, you can use store-bought cookies, but I highly recommend making these oatmeal chocolate cookies from scratch. The dessert sandwiches are pure fun. Sometimes I decorate the sides of the sandwiches with colorful jimmies, too. —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
Oat & Coconut Icebox CookiesThis recipe was passed down through my family from Grandma Irene and is a favorite of my dad and cousin Dennis. It's a true cookie lover's cookie: crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and perfectly dunkable. —Lori Rowe, Tigerton, Wisconsin
Lisa is an editor at Taste of Home where she gets to embrace her passion for baking. She pours this love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. Lisa is also dedicated to finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products for our Test Kitchen-Preferred program. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts.
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Updated: Jul. 27, 2023
