Bake, one sheet at a time, until the edges are golden brown and the tops look dry, about 10 minutes.They should still be about 1/3-inch thick, but no longer mounded. Gently flatten each dough ball with the bottom of a drinking glass or just use your impeccably clean hands.Scoop the dough into walnut-sized balls and place at least an inch apart on the baking sheet.Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.Preheat oven to 350☏ and remove the dough from the refrigerator to warm up a little while the oven is heating.Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressing it right up on the dough so no air gets through, and refrigerate overnight.Add the raisins and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds.Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.Add the honey, egg, and vanilla and mix until incorporated.Cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture looks pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.There’s a generous amount of cinnamon, a flurry of nutmeg, and a splash of vanilla extract to give them flavor.ĭon’t overlook the nutmeg. Otherwise, these are pretty straightforward and classic in the world oatmeal raisin cookies.
(Feel free to do a side-by-side taste test if you don’t believe me.) If you bake these right after mixing them, you’ll still have good cookies, but the they won’t be as soft and wonderful as they could be. It also lets the flavor develop and makes the cookies brown better. (Okay, well, tomorrow, too, but…)īut the thing is, the long rest lets the oats hydrate and soften. The last trick to the best texture is the hardest: letting the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator. They have a high ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar, which adds more moisture to the cookies and brings in some lovely toffee-like flavor notes.Īnother important trick to keeping these cookies soft is the addition of a little bit of honey to the dough.Īs anyone who’s ever eaten Honey Nut Cheerios, honey and oats have a natural flavor affinity.Īnd honey helps keep baked goods moist, which is why I it’s so important here. The real pleasure in these cookies is in their soft, nubbly, chewy texture.Īnd there are a few tricks for getting them there. (And if you want chocolate, you should try these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.) The raisins’ gentle flavor and softness work beautifully with the toasty oats and chewy texture of these cookies.
Oatmeal raisin cookies are a classic for a reason. But if you’re not deeply raisin-averse, maybe just a little raisin-skeptical, I encourage you to stick with them here. Raisins are controversial.Īnd you could, of course, swap in chocolate chips or dried cherries or any number of other mix-ins. When you’re looking for food that delivers on pure comfort, it’s tough to beat a soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookie.