This super-thick Oatmeal Craisin Cookie is a one-bowl cookie recipe that’s practically perfect in every way. These gigantic cookies are soft and chewy in the center with crispy edges, and filled with wholesome rolled oats, chewy craisins, and decadent dark chocolate. You can even make the dough ahead of time, so you can bake them whenever you’re in the mood for a big, fat oatmeal craisin cookie.
You’re going to love these
Big, fat, thick cookies. This oatmeal craisin cookie is gigantic and super thick. Like, about an inch and a half thick and four and a half inches in diameter. Not kidding. The recipe was partially inspired by the famous NYC Levain Bakery cookies, which weigh in at a whopping 6 ounces each. These cookies are a bit smaller than that, but are still plenty impressive.
Chewy and crispy. You don’t have to choose between team chewy or team crispy. This oatmeal craisin cookie is a winner for both. The center is soft and chewy, while the outside is crispy. And when you dig into these straight from the oven, prepare for some serious ooze — in the best possible way!
Craisins. Ruby red craisins add pretty color, chewy texture, and bright little bursts of flavor to this craisin oatmeal cookie.
Super chocolatey. Yes, these are oatmeal craisin cookies. And while lots of people like to add in nuts, I opted for chocolate chips. And I wasn’t sorry. The pairing of bittersweet chocolate with sweet cranberries is a match made in heaven.
Choose your stir-ins. If you like nuts in your cookies, you can add them! Or if white chocolate is more your jam, that would taste amazing with the craisins. M&Ms? Sure! Pretzel pieces? Why not!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Butter. Use room temperature butter for this oatmeal craisin cookie recipe. Not melted. If the butter is melted, it can make the dough — and the end result— greasy. To get your butter to the right temperature, leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes. You can also cut the butter into cubes to help it along.
Another trick to get room temperature butter quickly is to warm up a cup of water in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Place a plate with cubed butter inside the nice, warm microwave for about ten minutes and you'll end up with perfectly softened butter.
Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds richness, flavor, moisture, and chewiness to this oatmeal craisin cookie. I always use dark brown sugar because I like the deeper molasses flavor. If you’re fresh out of brown sugar, you can make your own by adding one tablespoon of molasses to one cup of white sugar.
White sugar. White sugar helps cookies brown and become crispy. So that’s why you’re seeing both white sugar and brown sugar in this recipe.
Eggs. Use room temperature eggs in this recipe. When you’re baking, using room temperature ingredients ensures that everything blends together thoroughly. If you forget to bring your eggs to room temperature, just place them in a bowl of warm water for about ten minutes. I do this every. single. time.
Cornstarch. Maybe this is a new one for you — cornstarch in a cookie recipe. Cornstarch helps keep this oatmeal craisin cookie nice and tender. It also helps keep the dough from spreading so you can make your cookies big and thick. If you don’t have cornstarch, it’s not a big deal to leave it out. But do use it if you can.
Oatmeal. I used old fashioned rolled oats for this oatmeal craisin cookie to give it as much texture and chewiness as possible. Quick oats will work just fine, you just won’t have as much texture in your cookies.
Craisins. I’ve never been a fan of oatmeal raisin cookies. But give me an oatmeal craisin cookie, and that’s a whole different story. Craisins add sweetness, chewiness, and pretty red jewels of color throughout the cookie. But if you like a different kind of dried fruit, like raisins, dried cherries, or dried blueberries, you can use whatever you love.
Bittersweet chocolate chips. I like nuts in some cookies, but not in all cookies. And since oatmeal cookies already have a lot of chewy texture, I like to add an element of gooeyness. So I used bittersweet chocolate chips. But if you prefer nuts instead, you can do that! Or if you like milk chocolate or white chocolate — which, of course, is a classic combo with craisins! — you can switch it up however you like.
420-degree oven. One of the secrets to making such a big, fat, thick oatmeal craisin cookie that’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside is a hot oven. I know, you’re probably used to baking all your cookies at 350. But this really works.
Tips for Making Big, Thick Cookies
Cold dough. Chill your dough for at least one hour before baking. You can even make the dough 1 to 4 days ahead of time and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to start baking. When you're baking, place the dough in the refrigerator between batches, to keep the dough nice and cold for each batch.
Big scoops of dough. Scooping your cookie dough into big, round balls will help keep the cookies tall and thick as they bake.
Cold baking sheets. A warm pan can cause your cookies to spread. Use a cool pan for each batch of cookies.
Room temperature butter. Melted butter is another culprit that can cause the dough to spread into flat, thin cookies. If your butter is warm or extremely soft, pop it into the refrigerator for a few minutes. One way to check is to press your finger onto the butter. Your finger should make an indentation, but not go all the way through.
Overmixing the dough. If you overmix cookie dough, it can add too much air and cause the cookies to puff up and then fall into flat cookies. Be careful to mix just until everything is fully incorporated.
Not enough flour. Your cookies need enough flour to absorb the liquid in the dough. If there isn’t enough flour, well, you can end up with flat cookies. Be sure to measure your flour by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off with the flat edge of a knife.
Big, Fat Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Mix in the eggs until fully incorporated, then the vanilla.
Sift in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. If you don’t have a large strainer or sifter, you can also whisk them together in another bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix.
Mix in the oatmeal, craisins, and chocolate chips until just combined.
Chill your dough for at least one hour.
With an ice cream scoop or measuring cup, portion your dough into very large balls. About the size of a baseball, actually. These are big cookies. If you have a kitchen scale and feel like using it, go with portions that are about 4.5 ounces. Don’t flatten the dough or press them down. Keep the dough in round ball-shaped scoops.
Here's my hand for reference, so you can see how big these cookie dough scoops are.
Place 4 scoops on a baking sheet.
Bake at 420 for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
Let the cookies rest for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. For gooey, oozy cookies, let them sit for about 15 minutes before digging in. For thick, dense cookies, let them cool all the way, or about an hour.
This recipe makes 12 gigantic oatmeal craisin cookies.
Big, Fat Oatmeal Craisin Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup craisins
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Mix in the eggs until fully incorporated, then the vanilla.
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. If you don’t have a large strainer or sifter, you can also whisk them together in another bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Mix in the oatmeal, craisins, and chocolate chips until just combined.
- Chill your dough for at least one hour.
- With an ice cream scoop or measuring cup, portion your dough into very large balls. About the size of a baseball, actually. These are big cookies. If you have a kitchen scale and feel like using it, go with portions that are about 4.5 ounces. Don’t flatten the dough or press them down. Keep the dough in round ball-shaped scoops.
- Place 4 scoops on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 420 for 9-11 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Let the cookies rest for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. For gooey, oozy cookies, let them sit for about 15 minutes. For thick, dense cookies, let them cool all the way.
- This recipe makes 12 gigantic oatmeal craisin cookies.
- Store your oatmeal craisin cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag for a couple of weeks, or even a couple of months in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
How to store oatmeal cookies
Store your oatmeal craisin cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag for a couple of weeks, or even a couple of months in the refrigerator.
Oatmeal Craisin Cookie FAQs
Old fashioned rolled oats or quick cooking oats will both work just fine in oatmeal cookies. Old fashioned oats will add more texture and chewiness to your cookie. Quick oats, because they are cut into smaller pieces, will create a smoother textured cookie — and you might not really know there’s oatmeal in there.
Yes, you can freeze baked oatmeal cookies. Just wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap then place them in a zip-top bag. You can store them in the freezer for 8-12 months.
You bet! You can keep your cookie dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days before baking.
Yes! Just scoop out the cookie dough portions, place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze them. Then, place the frozen balls in a zip-top freezer bag. Be sure to label the bag with the date and cooking instructions. Freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.
No. Just preheat the oven as usual and bake them for a few extra minutes.
Hungry for more easy dessert recipes?
Recipe Essentials
NordicWare Baking Sheets
A half sheet pan is the right size for four of these gigantic oatmeal craisin cookies. NordicWare baking sheets are awesome because they're heavy gauge, so they'll brown your cookies more evenly.
KitchenAid Hand Mixer
Oatmeal craisin cookie dough is pretty thick and it gets really stiff once you add in all the oatmeal, craisins, and chocolate chips. And this little hand mixer stands up just fine to all of it. Plus, it has a handy whisk attachment for making whipped cream or this super yummy whipped yogurt chocolate fruit dip.
Cara, this recipe is fantastic. Will share for others to enjoy a taste of your tantalizing recipes, culinary expertise and tips that make life in the kitchen easier, along with inviting photos and your gifted writing style that informs with a personal touch of home, humor, heart and mind. Love watching your journey blossom and shine. Cheers, Miss Vickie🎶
Thank you, Miss Vickie, I hope you will have fun making and sharing these cookies. Your generous words and support mean the world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Love, Cara
hi! how are you? can we get this recipe in grams? i'm from argentina and we don't use cups, thank you for reading and for share your recipes❤️
Hi! Thank you for your request, I'm so glad you asked. I have enabled the functionality on the recipe card that automatically converts the ingredients. Please take a look and let me know if this is helpful? If you see anything that looks off to you or doesn't make sense, please let me know. This is the first recipe I've done this way :).