Fresh from the oven, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies have thick, chewy centers, crisp golden edges, and buttery cinnamon flavor from a delicious combination of rolled oats and sweet raisins.
My homemade Levain-style oatmeal raisin cookies are oversized, mildly sweet, and slightly cake-like inside, with a satisfying chew from the oats. They're easy to make and delicious as an afternoon snack or dessert. If you enjoy bakery-style cookies, try my Nutella Cookies or Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Quick Look: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 11 minutes
- ⏲️ Cooling Time: 15 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 56 minutes
- 🍪 Servings: 7 large cookies
- 🍯 Flavor Profile: Buttery, mildly sweet, with cinnamon and raisins
- 🍪 Texture: Thick and chewy, with soft centers and crispy edges
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
- 🎉 Best For: Desserts, snacks, and homemade treats
- ♨️ Cooking Method: Oven-baked
- 🥣 Key Ingredients: Rolled oats, raisins, cold butter, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cake flour, and cinnamon
- Why This Recipe Works: Cold butter and chilled dough help the cookies hold their thick shape, while high oven heat creates golden edges and soft, chewy centers.
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- Quick Look: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- What Makes These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Different?
- Chef's Notes from Valentina
- Ingredients
- Substitutions And Additions
- How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Expert Tips for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- FAQ About Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Storage and Freezing
What Makes These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Different?
Inspired by New York City's Levain Bakery, this homemade oatmeal raisin cookie recipe makes seven oversized cookies weighing about 6 ounces each.
These Levain-style oatmeal raisin cookies have thick, slightly cake-like centers and crisp edges. The rolled oats add a chewy bite, giving them the distinctive texture of bakery-style cookies.
Ingredients
- Cold unsalted butter – 1 cup. Keep it cold and cut it into small cubes. Cold butter limits spreading so the cookies stay thick as they bake.
- Light brown sugar – 1 cup + 2 tablespoons, packed. Brings a rich, slightly caramel-like flavor and moisture for soft, chewy centers.
- Granulated sugar – ½ cup. Adds sweetness and gives the cookies their crisp, golden edges.
- Chilled eggs – 2. Bind the ingredients together and give the oversized cookies structure.
- All-purpose flour – 2 cups, sifted. Provides the structure these thick cookies need, along with their satisfying chewy bite.
- Cake flour – ½ cup, sifted. Its lower protein content produces a softer, more tender crumb with a slightly cake-like texture.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats – 1 ½ cups. Their hearty flakes give oatmeal raisin cookies their signature chew. Quick oats produce a softer texture.
- Cornstarch – 1 teaspoon. Keeps the centers tender rather than overly firm.
- Baking soda – ¾ teaspoon. Allows the cookies to rise and encourages a golden-brown exterior.
- Salt – ½ teaspoon. Balances the sweetness and brings out the buttery flavor.
- Ground cinnamon – ½ teaspoon. Adds a gentle hint of spice that pairs naturally with the raisins.
- Black raisins – 1 ½ cups. Bring fruity sweetness and a soft, chewy contrast to the crisp edges.
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C) for at least 15 minutes before baking.
- Cream the butter and sugars: Place the cold butter cubes, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for at least 4 minutes, until creamy and fluffy. Add the chilled eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. PIC. 1 & 2
- Combine the dry ingredients: Add the cake flour, all-purpose flour, rolled oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix on low speed just until combined, then fold in the raisins. PIC. 3 & 4
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 15 minutes.
- Shape the cookies: Divide the dough into balls weighing 6 ounces each. Arrange them on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between the cookies. Lightly press the tops to smooth them. PIC. 5, 6 & 7
Note: For thicker cookies that spread less, cover the shaped dough balls and freeze them for 1 hour before baking. - Bake: Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. PIC. 8
- Cool: Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack. Leave the cookies on the sheet for 10–15 minutes to cool and set before handling them.
FAQ About Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Yes. Divide the dough into smaller portions instead of the original 6-ounce cookies. Start checking them earlier than the recommended 9–11 minutes, since smaller cookies bake faster. Look for lightly golden tops.
Measure the flour accurately and avoid overbaking. Remove the cookies when their tops are golden, but their centers are still soft. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 10–15 minutes to finish setting.
Try chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch, dried cranberries for a tart contrast, or chocolate chips for a richer flavor. Replace part of the raisins with your chosen mix-ins, keeping the combined amount at 1 ½ cups.
The butter or dough may have become too warm before baking. Start with cold butter, chill the dough as directed, and place the cookies on a cool baking sheet. For especially thick cookies, use the optional one-hour freezer method before baking.
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Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- oven
- 1 Wire rack
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter – cold and cut into small cubes
- 1 cup light brown sugar – packed, plus an additional 2 tablespoons
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs – chilled
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – sifted
- ½ cup cake flour – sifted
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups black raisins
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C) for at least 15 minutes. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2. Cream the butter and sugars. Using an electric mixer, beat the cold, cubed butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for at least 4 minutes, until creamy and fluffy. Add the chilled eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- 3. Add the dry ingredients. Add the cake flour, all-purpose flour, rolled oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix on low speed just until combined. Fold in the raisins.
- 4. Chill the dough. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 15 minutes to help the cookies hold their shape during baking.
- 5. Shape the cookies. Divide the dough into 7 large portions, approximately 6 ounces each. Shape into tall, thick balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them. Lightly press the tops.
- 6. Freeze if desired. For extra-thick cookies, freeze the shaped dough balls for 1 hour before baking.
- 7. Bake and cool. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the tops are golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10–15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. The centers will continue to set as the cookies cool.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Storage and Freezing
Room Temperature: Store completely cooled oatmeal raisin cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag for 2–3 days. Press excess air out of the bag to maintain freshness. Freezing Baked Cookies: You can freeze baked cookies, but their crispy edges will soften after thawing. For the best texture, freeze the raw cookie dough instead. Freezing Cookie Dough: Divide the dough into 6-ounce portions and arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag. Store for up to 2 months. Baking from Frozen: Place the frozen dough portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake directly from frozen, adding approximately 2–3 minutes to the original baking time. Thawing Baked Cookies: To thaw baked cookies quickly, wrap a cookie in a paper towel and microwave for approximately 20 seconds. Check that it is warmed to your liking before serving.Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
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