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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Brown sugar, rolled oats, and plump raisins make a familiar chewy cookie, while a short chill helps each portion bake up with a soft center and golden edge.

A stack of chewy oatmeal raisin cookies shows golden edges and oats across the tops.

These cookies lean on a simple home-style dough: butter and sugars are creamed until smooth, then oats and raisins are folded through for a hearty, chewy bite. A brief chill steadies the dough so the edges can brown before the centers dry out.

Give dry raisins a quick soak

Raisins that feel leathery can take up a little warm water before they go into the dough. Drain them well and pat them dry so their moisture plumps the fruit without thinning the cookie mixture; soft raisins can go straight into the bowl.

Cream for an even dough

Softened butter blends with brown and granulated sugar into a cohesive base that helps the cookies spread evenly. Add the eggs one at a time, and scrape the bowl before folding so dense butter or sugar does not stay hidden underneath.

Rolled oats and raisins are folded through thick cookie dough in a mixing bowl. — Oats and raisins are folded through a thick cookie dough before its short chill.

Fold rather than overmix

Once the flour mixture is nearly incorporated, the oats and raisins finish the mixing by hand. This keeps the dough from becoming tough and makes it easier to see that the fruit is spread throughout rather than collected in a few bites.

Use the edges as the doneness cue

The centers should still look a little soft when the golden edges are ready. They continue to set on the hot baking sheet, so leaving them in until the whole top looks firm can turn a chewy cookie dry.

A broken oatmeal raisin cookie reveals a soft center with oats and plump raisins. — A broken cookie shows its tender center, visible oats, and plump raisins.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

24 cookies

62 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Method

Prepare the raisins
If the raisins feel dry and firm, cover them with warm water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat them thoroughly dry; plump raisins can be used as they are.
Look for: The raisins are plump and no water remains on their surfaces.
Heat the oven
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment so the chilled portions can go straight onto the pans.
Look for: The oven is fully preheated and the parchment lies flat on both sheets.
Whisk the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until the leavener and spice are evenly distributed through the flour.
Look for: No streaks of baking soda or concentrated cinnamon remain.
Cream butter and sugars
Beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy and slightly lighter, scraping the bowl so no firm butter remains at the bottom.
Look for: The mixture looks cohesive and creamy rather than greasy or grainy.
Add eggs and vanilla
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is absorbed, then mix in the vanilla; scrape the bowl to bring the mixture back together.
Look for: The batter is smooth and no streaks of egg remain.
Fold in oats and raisins
Add the flour mixture and mix on low only until a few flour streaks remain. Fold in the rolled oats and prepared raisins with a sturdy spatula until the dough is evenly studded and no dry flour shows.
Look for: Oats and raisins are distributed throughout the thick dough without a pocket of flour.
Chill the dough
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes, until it feels firmer and can be portioned without spreading immediately; this brief rest helps the cookies hold their shape.
Look for: The dough is cool and firm enough to scoop into distinct mounds.
Portion and bake
Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and space the portions well apart on the prepared sheets. Bake at 350 F for 11 to 13 minutes, switching the sheets top to bottom halfway through, until the edges are golden and the centers still look soft.
Look for: Edges are golden while the centers remain pale, soft, and slightly puffed.
Set and cool
Leave the cookies on the hot sheets for 5 minutes so their centers set without overbaking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Look for: The cookies lift cleanly from the parchment and stay chewy as they cool.