Few cookies feel as nostalgic as a good oatmeal raisin cookie, and this recipe delivers the real thing: soft centers, chewy edges, warm cinnamon, and that unmistakable homemade flavor. The combination of two sugars, a touch of molasses, and hearty rolled oats produces a batch your whole family will want again and again.
Quick facts
- Prep time: 45 minutes
- Chill time: 30 to 60 minutes
- Cook time: 13 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour
- Makes: 26 to 30 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon (21g/15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 cup (140g) raisins
- optional: 1/2 cup (64g) chopped toasted walnuts
A Note on the Molasses
This small addition makes a real difference in flavor. Molasses adds a deep, slightly caramelized note that gives these cookies their distinctive homemade taste, something a basic oatmeal cookie without it just won’t have. Stick with unsulphured or dark molasses rather than blackstrap, which has a much stronger, more bitter flavor that would overpower the rest of the cookie.
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Part 1: Mix the Dough
1. Cream the butter and sugars. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with both sugars on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the eggs. Mix them in on high speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Add the vanilla and molasses. Mix these in on high speed until fully combined. Set the bowl aside.
4. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Bring the dough together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
6. Fold in the oats and raisins. Beat in the oats, raisins, and walnuts if using, on low speed. The finished dough will be thick but quite sticky.
Part 2: Chill
7. Refrigerate. Chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes. Go the full hour if you’re worried about the cookies spreading too much in the oven. If you chill the dough longer, up to 2 days, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before shaping and baking.
Part 3: Shape and Bake
8. Preheat and prep. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
9. Roll the dough. Portion the dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons each, spacing them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. A cookie scoop is helpful here, since the dough is sticky to handle by hand.
10. Bake. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the sides are lightly browned. The centers will look very soft and underbaked at this point.
11. Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, during which they’ll continue to set, before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for the Best Cookies
Don’t skip the chilling step. Even the shorter 30-minute chill helps control spreading, and the full hour gives even more insurance if your kitchen runs warm.
Measure the flour carefully. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping straight from the bag, which can pack in extra flour and dry out the dough.
Use the right molasses. Unsulphured or dark molasses gives the right balance of flavor. Blackstrap is too strong for this recipe.
Let very cold dough rest before baking. If the dough has chilled for more than an hour, give it time at room temperature so it’s easier to scoop and shapes more evenly.
Trust the soft centers. The cookies are meant to look underdone when they come out of the oven. They finish setting as they cool on the pan.
Add walnuts for texture. Toasted walnuts are optional but bring a nice contrast to the soft, chewy cookie.