Gwynedd Stuart
The best oatmeal raisin cookies are nostalgic, chewy, and packed with sweet dried fruit and wholesome oats. I mean, two of the main ingredients are oats and raisins—these things are basically health food, right? Okay, maybe not, but I love snacks that allow me to pretend I’m eating something semi good for me. I’m very amenable to that sort of self-deception!
Sadly, I think most people look at oatmeal raisin cookies as the outcasts of the cookie tray. Put a variety pack of cookies from the grocery store bakery in the office break room and watch the chocolate chip, sugar, and peanut butter cookies disappear while the oatmeal raisins languish. I know that raisins are a controversial ingredient (although, I personally do not understand what there isn’t to like about sun-dried grapes), but you’re missing out if you aren’t giving these substantial, sweet, and wholesome cookies a shot.
When we set out to find the best store bought oatmeal raisin cookies, we were looking for that classic, home-baked taste. Store bought cookies can be a letdown, especially cookies that are intended to have chew. We also wanted the appropriate amount of spice—they should taste like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg without tasting like pumpkin spice—and lots of chewy raisins, although we included a cookie on this list that’s made with an alternative dried fruit if you truly cannot abide raisins. We even found gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies that you’ll love.
- Enjoy Life Oatmeal Raisin Soft Baked Cookies
-
Food allergies are a major issue and they can really ruin a person’s ability to eat and enjoy things like cookies. These Enjoy Life Oatmeal Raisin Soft Baked Cookies are free from 14 allergens—but they don’t skimp on flavor. In my notes, I wrote that these “school-safe” and gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies are like “nice little blobs.” They look homemade, and they’re soft without being too soft. They have chew and spice. I’d absolutely send my non-existent child to school with these, even though I personally think they could use more raisins. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling agreed that they could be more indulgent, saying, “If I really want a cookie, this isn’t going to do it, but it’s a great school lunch cookie.”
Related: The 8 Best Gluten Free Foods from Our Taste Test
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Bake Shop Bakery Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
-
Okay, okay. You don’t like raisins. Can you get behind craisins, aka sweet dried cranberries? If so, give these Bake Shop Bakery Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies a shot. Personally, I don’t think dried cranberries contribute as much sweetness as raisins do, but they have a little bit of a tartness that’s pleasant. The cookies themselves are very thin, chewy, and lovely. If these hadn’t been named the best oatmeal raisin cookies for raisin-haters, they would have been in the running for best chew. Plus, these are from Aldi, so they’re cheap. (But also leave it to Aldi to call their cookies something as generic as “Bake Shop Bakery.”)
Related: What Is Aldi?
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Marketside Decadent Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
-
If you really love raisins (like me), these Walmart cookies are the best oatmeal raisin cookies. There’s practically more raisin than cookie! These are big and buttery and although they don’t quite nail that freshly baked flavor, they come close. This is a massively flavorful cookie and a real stunner if you love dried fruit.
Related: Best Great Value Foods to Buy at Walmart
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Christie Cookie Co. Oatmeal Raisin Gourmet Cookies
-
If I wasn’t aware that we purchased this little cardboard box of oatmeal raisin cookies from our local Ralphs, I would have sworn they came from some twee local bakery. These taste so fresh, buttery, and rich; they were the first cookies I tried in this taste test and they really crushed the competition. Store bought cookies—especially soft-baked ones—have a terrible tendency to taste like preservatives; these do not! They taste like real ingredients. The raisin distribution is great and they have just the right amount of spice. I didn’t heat these, but I imagine ten seconds in the ol’ microwave would make them even better. Christie Cookie Co. makes the best oatmeal raisin cookies. They’re worth seeking out.
Credit: Merc / Kroger
Best Gluten Free
Best if You Hate Raisins
Best if You Love Raisins
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Simple Truth Thin & Crispy Oatmeal Cookies, Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked Santa Cruz Oatmeal Raisin, Amazon Fresh Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Danny Palumbo
Justine Sterling
Jordan Myrick
