BEST EVER Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that truly the most delicious you’ve ever tasted! Oatmeal, raisins, pudding mix & spices combine in most incredible, soft & chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Make this oatmeal raisin cookie recipe with basic ingredients that are most likely already in your kitchen. These soft oatmeal cookies are a perfect combination of flavor and texture, they are simply heavenly.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with a TWIST!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are one of those classic cookies that everyone enjoys. I have to admit, I’ve always liked them, but never loved them. That is until I tried this recipe. Seriously! If you doubt me, you just have to make them because I’ve won many, many individuals over with these.
The addition of the pudding mix gives these cookies the most amazing texture. They are not hard and crumbly- they’re soft & chewy with the most amazing flavor from the combination of spices and other simple ingredients. I bake a batch and watch them disappear, they are that good!
How to make the BEST Oatmeal Raisin Cookies every time:
- Juicy raisins. Make sure you start with plump, juicy raisins. I like to add ¼ cup of water to mine, cover and microwave for 1 minute. Drain the water and proceed with the recipe.
- Spices matter! I’m telling you, the spices in this recipe are incredible. If you are concerned, then halve them, but please don’t leave them out. Also, if you don’t have Allspice, you can increase the cinnamon to 1 ¾ tsp and then add ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves.
- Secret ingredient. Don’t leave out the pudding mix either. It helps the cookies have a lovely soft, chewy texture and adds nice flavor.
- Oat choice. Quick cooking or Old Fashioned Oats? I’m a big fan of using whatever you have on hand. I’ve used both and I prefer quick cooking since they yield a softer cookie, but both truly are wonderful.
- Have an aversion to raisins? You’re welcome to use 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips instead. If you still want to use raisins but aren’t thrilled about them, try chopping them up beforehand so that you have smaller pieces in the recipe. They still add flavor and moistness, but aren’t as obvious.
Ingredients for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Butter: Use ½ cup of butter, softened, to give these cookies an amazing rich taste.
Shortening: For more moisture and flavor, use ½ cup of butter flavored shortening. If you don’t have shortening, you can use more butter.
Brown sugar: You need 1 cup of light brown sugar, packed, to give these cookies a wonderful depth of flavor.
Sugar: Adding in ½ cup of white sugar will make these treats sweet and chewy.
Eggs: Help bind the ingredients together by adding in 2 eggs to the dough.
Vanilla extract: Using 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract will enhance all the amazing flavors in this cookie dough.
Pudding: You will need one small box (3.4 oz) of instant vanilla pudding mix for the most amazing cookie texture and added taste.
Flour: The gluten base of this cookie dough is 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
Baking soda: Use 1 teaspoon of baking soda to help these cookies rise nicely as they bake.
Cinnamon: For incredible taste and a warm spice, add in 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
Allspice: Using ½ teaspoon of allspice helps give these cookies even more amazing flavor to these cookies.
Salt: Help balance out the flavors in this cookie recipe by adding in ½ teaspoon of salt.
Oats: The main ingredient in oatmeal cookies, is of course 3 cups of rolled oats.
Raisins: Add in 1 cup of raisins to have a juicy, chewy raisin in every bite.
How to make the BEST Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Prep
Get started by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats and set aside.
Dough
Next, in a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Then add in the pudding mix and stir again.
After that, in a separate small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Continue to stir the flour mixture into the wet sugar mixture.
Now stir in the oats and raisins, just until incorporated.
Bake
Proceed to drop by rounded teaspoonfuls using a cookie scoop, onto the prepared cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 9-11 minutes, until light and golden. Be careful not to over bake the cookies, they will continue to cook on the sheet after they are removed from the oven.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy!
BEST OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup butter flavored shortening
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats and set aside.
- Dough: In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add in pudding mix and stir again.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Stir flour mixture into the wet sugar mixture.
- Stir in the oats and raisins just until incorporated.
- Bake: Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until light and golden. Be careful not to over bake the cookies, they will continue to cook on the sheet after they are removed from the oven.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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HOW LONG ARE THESE COOKIES GOOD FOR?
These cookies will be good for 3-5 days, if stored properly. To keep your treats as fresh as possible they should be kept in an airtight container or a ziplocked bag. A trick I learned to keep them extra fresh and soft is to put a piece of bread in with the cookies. The cookies absorb the moisture from the bread and stay soft and chewy a couple of days longer. Try it, you will be amazed!
HOW DO YOU SOFTEN BUTTER?
I like to soften butter by using the defrost function on my microwave. If you need the full 1/2 cup cube of butter, you can leave it in the paper wrapper, otherwise, place the amount of butter you need in a glass or porcelain bowl. I use the lowest defrost setting on my microwave and just let it run for 20 seconds. Check the butter and see how soft it is by pressing it with a rubber scraper. If it is still not soft to the touch, meaning it doesn’t indent when you press into it, let it warm for another 5-10 seconds. Watch it closely! Butter softens very quickly.
How to You Measure Dry Ingredients?
To understand how to measure dry ingredients, I’ll use the example of measuring flour. This method I’m describing is one most home cooks use. To measure 1 cup of flour, you scoop out flour using a tool that’s NOT your measuring cup and deposit the flour into the 1 cup measuring cup. I gently shake the cup from side to side just to level the flour a bit. Then I use a clean butter knife to level off the flour. If you just need 1 tablespoon of flour, I’d simply scoop up flour using my tablespoon measuring spoon and again, level with a knife.
Check out these other incredible cookie recipes to try:
- Chocolate Orange Cookies
- Banana Cream Cookies
- Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Pudding Cookies
- Cookies & Cream Cookies
- The BEST Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER
- Blueberry Cream Cookies
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA OATMEAL COOKIES
- LEMON ICEBOX COOKIES
- DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES
- FIVE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES
BEST EVER Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are the most amazing version you will ever taste! The combination of oatmeal, raisins, pudding mix & spices create the most soft and delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Trang says
OMG I’m just like you! I’m not a huge fan of oatmeal raisin cookies either, but I’ve always wanted to make them because so many people love them. I’m ready to try these to see if I can be an oatmeal raisin cookie junkie too 🙂
Jessica says
I hope you try them…and I hope you like them! 😉
Jessica says
I hope you try them… and I hope you like them! 😉
Karly says
I feel like pudding mix is the ultimate secret weapon of so many amazing desserts, and I can’t wait to try these cookies!
Jessica says
I agree! It adds such great flavor and texture. I hope you like them!
DeerPark Momma says
Quick question: “Old Fashioned Oats” or the quick 1 minute oats? Can’t wait to try these…thanks!
Jessica says
I’ve used both- I prefer Old Fashioned but I say use what you have on hand! 🙂
Bruce Gestner says
Is there an adjustment for high altitude?
Jessica says
Nope! 🙂
Kassie Miller says
These are so so SO good! My favorite oatmeal raisin recipe for sure! 🙂
Alison says
The pudding mix in these is just genius!! Makes such a difference!
Rebecca Hubbell says
I absolutely adore oatmeal raisin cookies, they’re one of the classics I grew up on! Guess I better test them out real soon! Love the pudding addition!
Erica | The Crumby Kitchen says
I will NEVER turn down an oatmeal cookie that looks like this! I can almost smell them – in love! (Now if there was a little icing on top, I’d probably eat the whole batch myself!)
Ryan Tracy says
These oatmeal cookies are the best! I love cookies that have pudding in them, but had never thought to do this with an oatmeal cookie recipe and the results are fabulous!
aimee @ like mother like daughter says
I love oatmeal cookies! And these are perfection! So soft and delicious!
Kathy Robinson says
Is there a substitute for the butter flavored shortening? I’ve never bought that.
Jessica says
You can use just regular shortening, or you can use all butter!
Debby says
The flavor was good, however they do not spread at all, had to press them down otherwise they would have been a ball. Used the old fashioned oats and it made a very stiff batter, cookie was very “Oatey” dense and chewy.
Jessica says
There are several factors that play into how moist cookies end up being- if mine look a little thick, I just add some milk. Maybe try that next time?
Kari says
These were great! My second batch I added a few butterscotch chips. Perfecto.
Jessica says
So glad you liked them Kari! Great idea with the butterscotch chips- I’m going to try that. 🙂
Norma says
What would be a good substitute for the butter flavored shortening?
Jessica says
Butter or regular shortening!
Brenda Jo Beaugureau says
Norma, if you have never used the butter flavored Crisco for cookies you need to give it a try. It took me forever to try it and now I will use nothing but that! They turn out perfect every time. They never spread or run, beautiful golden edges with moist middles!
Jessica says
I too love the butter flavored Crisco Brenda! It adds a lovely texture to cookies. I like to use half and half most often.
Nancy says
You never say what the quantity is for the recipe. Would help to know ahead of time. Am baking these for a sailor about to deploy from Japan back to US, and hope there’s enough for him to share with his shipmates!
Jessica says
Yes- 3.5 dozen. I hope everyone enjoys them!
Nancy says
Sorry, looked at recipe again and see that it yields 3.5 dozen. Thank you!
Margaret says
I tried the oatmeal raisin cookies with pudding they were wonderful I was wondering if anyone had tried using butterscotch pudding instead of the vanilla?
Jessica says
I haven’t tried using butterscotch pudding Margaret, but it sounds amazing! Let me know how it tastes!
Marisa Franca says
I’ve made cookies using a pudding mix before but I’ve never seen it done with an oatmeal cookie. It sounds delicious. You certainly are wise in hydrating your raisins — it’s horrible biting into a cookie with raisins and they are as hard as pebbles. Love the spices.
Brandi says
Oatmeal raisin are my favorite cookies! I rarely make my own. I want to give it a shot. I can’t wait to try this recipe!