Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins & Pecans
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Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, these are the end-all-be-all oatmeal cookies.
I love to find end-all-be-all recipes for classic American desserts. This oatmeal cookie recipe is one of them (see also my favorite chocolate chip cookies and my go-to brownie recipe). You bakers out there know that it can take many attempts to get it just right, but once you find that perfect recipe, it’s your go-to forever. These are not your ordinary oatmeal cookies. The recipe calls for way fewer oats than most, which, strangely, makes for much better oatmeal cookies. They are also sweetened entirely with brown sugar, which gives them rich flavor and makes them slightly crispy on the outside and deliciously chewy on the inside. Be careful not to overcook these; oatmeal cookies get very crispy if baked too long and you’ll enjoy them so much more if they are slightly chewy.
If you find that you like the formula of these cookies — using fewer oats and more flour — and you’re drawn to chocolate chip cookies, you’ll likely love these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They strike the perfect balance of soft, chewy, and crisp.
“Bye bye any previous oatmeal cookie recipe I had…these are the winner!”
What You’ll Need To Make Oatmeal Cookies With Raisins & Pecans
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Add texture and a hearty oat flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cookies. Measure it by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Help the cookies rise and spread.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the cookies.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Imparts a deep, caramelized sweetness. When measuring brown sugar, always pack it tightly to eliminate air pockets.
- Egg: Bind the ingredients together.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the cookies with its aromatic richness.
- Coarsely Chopped Pecans: Bring a nutty crunch and rich, buttery flavor to each bite.
- Raisins or Currants: Infuse the cookies with natural sweetness and chewy texture. Either will work equally well.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Whisk well.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar.
Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla.
Beat until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Add the flour/oatmeal mixture.
Mix on low speed until just combined.
Add the pecans and raisins.
Mix until just combined.
Drop the dough into 1-1/2-tablespoon mounds onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until the edges are slightly golden but the centers are still pale, 11 to 13 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then either slide the papers off the pans onto cooling racks or transfer the cookies with a spatula.
Once cool, store the cookies in an air-tight container.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend it. Old-fashioned oats impart a chewy, nutty texture and flavor to oatmeal cookies, offering a thicker and heartier consistency compared to quick-cooking/instant oats. Opting for quick oats may result in cookies lacking the desired texture.
Sure! You can use your favorite dried fruit or what you have on hand, like dried cranberries or diced, dried apricots. Keep in mind they may add a slightly different flavor to the cookies.
Yep – it freezes nicely for up to 3 months. Just scoop the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) If you like to get ahead when baking, check out some helpful tips on how to freeze cookie dough.
Definitely — let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Sure, it’s fine to omit the nuts without any additional modifications.
You May Also Like
Oatmeal Brown Sugar Cookies with Raisins & Pecans
Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, these are the end-all-be-all oatmeal cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use quick cooking or instant oats)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans
- ¾ cup raisins or currants
Instructions
- Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the egg and vanilla and beat again until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and oatmeal mixture and mix on low speed until just combined; add the pecans and raisins and mix again until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Drop the dough into 1½-tablespoon mounds about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, or until the edges are slightly golden but the centers are still pale. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then either slide the papers off the pans onto cooling racks or transfer the cookies with a spatula. Once cool, store the cookies in an air-tight container.
- Note: The recipe can easily be doubled, but keep in mind that oatmeal cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are baked.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Cookie Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Scoop the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 105
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 13 mg
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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The secret to a good raisin cookie is to first soak the raisins and then dry them off before adding to the dough
I also like cinnamon in this type of cookie 😉😋
This is my first time seeing your page. I printed this recipe to try, as well as the pecan shortbread recipe and I really like your printing format!
I have made many of your recipes and loved them all. Sorry, but these oatmeal were ok but not our favorite. I compared three different recipes and realized the cinnamon was missing from yours. I made the recipe from the box and we agreed the cinnamon made the cookies just right. I will continue with all your other 5 star recipes!
Loved the texture , but way to sweet for me.
this recipe is the perfect oatmeal cookie! Made twice now and perfect every time. thanks for sharing!
Made these right after making my ‘famous oatmeal cookie’ recipe. These were better! I love your tip about taking them out when edges are brown but center is pale. It def ensures a softer cookie
Very good
Absolutely the best recipe ever!
Cannot believe how delish… Cheers 🥂
Ok let me start by saying oatmeal raisin cookies are my absolute favorite and I have tried countless recipes and variations….These by far the best and have what’s been missing from other recipes I’ve tried- that chewy perfectly balanced flavor and texture.
They are absolute perfection. Few things, I used walnuts-that to me is classic, I make my own brown sugar which tends to be a bit molasses heavy and for my oven these actually took 18 minutes before they had the golden edges…..which is a long time for a cookie
This is another hit Jenn! Amazing!
I have a #40 and a #20 cookie scoop. I know that the first will yield about a 2.75 cookie diameter. If I use the #40, (which should yield a 3.5″ cookie diameter?) will these bake any differently, time-wise, and/or consistency? Thanks!
Hi Jane, if you use the larger cookie scoop, the cookies will take a little longer to bake, but it shouldn’t impact the consistency. Enjoy!
This is the best oatmeal cookie I have ever made! So easy and perfection every time. The only thing I do different is that I toast my pecans. I have started doing this in any recipe that calls for pecans and it makes these cookies even better!!
This is a terrific cookie recipe. Since my husband is not a huge fan of oatmeal cookies I decided to plump the raisins with 3 TBSP dark rum for one hour. I drained them and added them to the mixture . They came out well and he was very happy to eat several. Thank you for this one. It’s a keeper!
Can I use margarine instead of butter? I expect the flavor to change but will the texture be affected?
Hi Melanie, Yes, you should be able to get away with margarine as long as it’s stick margarine (not from a tub). Please LMK how they turn out!
Hi Jen, Do you mean that I can use margarine instead of butter? And do you think these cookies will work in the air fryer? In this case, at what temperature. Thanks.
Yes! I apologize for the confusion — I fixed my typo. 😊 And I don’t own an air fryer so unfortunately, I can’t tell you confidently whether or not these would work in one. Sorry!
Can I use light brown sugar instead of dark?
Sure – enjoy!
It is a good recipe however, mine did not turn out plump like yours. They were flat 🙁
Hi Theresa, I’m sorry these came out flat for you. are you making any adjustments to the recipe? If not, what brand of flour are you using?
Mine turned out perfectly I used walnuts instead of pecans so very delicious!!!!
Mine came out flat as well. I followed the directions exactly
Jennifer, I have not made the cookies yet but I was wondering if it would be OK to bake them as a bar cookie. If so, what size pan would I need to use? Thank you, Jennifer T.
Hi Jennifer, I think you could make them into bars — I’d recommend a 9-inch square dish. Not sure about the baking time so keep a close eye on them. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
Thanks so much to the other reviewers who noted the sweetness. I cut the sugar in half and still found them plenty sweet. Husband agreed. That said,they’re very tasty. I did plump the raisins,toasted the nuts and added cinnamon and five spice powder. Just on a whim added that five spice powder which gave it a really nice flavor.
I don’t even like oatmeal cookies. BUT….I think these are the berries as my mom would say! I tried these for my husband and now these are the only ones I will make. Thank you!
This is a knock out of the park receipe. I doubled it and froze in packs of 4. So good!!!
Jennifer…the oatmeal, raisin, pecan cookies really are “The be all, end all “ oatmeal cookies. We loved them….and we are very very particular about our oatmeal raisin cookies. Thanks so much…another once upon a chef addition to my recipe binder, and there are many.
I know that leaving a comment if you’ve made changes is kinda like cheating but I really have to share this.
First, it’s an amazing recipe!
So easy to make, your directions are perfect and even with changing things up, the cookies are crazy delicious.
So what did I change?
I wanted it to be a bit healthier so I used whole wheat flour and instead of pecans I added sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
They turned out like granola cookies 😀
Like I said…amazing!
Thanks so much
The best oatmeal raisin cookie Ever!
These are absolutely delicious! Swapped out nuts with chocolate chips and they were perfect!