I was browsing Instagram the other day and I saw a recipe for vegan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. They looked good and I realized that I had most of the ingredients to make them, but then I thought, why would I make a vegan cookie when I want a regular one?

Which brings me to these oatmeal raisin cookies. For many, oatmeal raisin cookies are an abomination of the genre. I see countless posts on social media decrying the “fake out,” or raisins that are supposed to be chocolate chips.

I’d encourage you to let go of your expectations and embrace the raisin. The last part of that sentence kind of sounds like a marketing slogan for raisin lobbyists, but I’m serious. An oatmeal raisin will never be a chocolate chip cookie, and you really can’t compare them. Would you compare an apple to an orange? No. So don’t do the same for two very different kinds of cookies.

Admittedly, I like a healthy amount of chocolate in my cookies but sometimes, I want something semi-healthy, warming, and not so rich. That’s where these oatmeal raisin cookies come in. They’re soft and chewy, full of oats, plump, juicy raisins, cinnamon spices, and brown sugar. They don’t have white sugar, but that’s okay. They don’t need it. They’re sweet enough without it.

These cookies make a great weekday snack or a gift for when you ask someone in your office to help you figure out the wireless printer. I really like them with a cup of herbal tea because they’re perfect for dipping.

A word to the wise: You’ll need to refrigerate the dough before you make the cookies. DO NOT skip this step. It might seem unnecessary but it’s what will make your cookies soft and chewy after they bake. If you don’t, you run the risk of them turning out flat.

Here’s a song to get you started on your oatmeal cookie journey.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Directions

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar for a couple minutes on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until completely combined.

Add the flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer and combine on a slow speed (otherwise flour will go everywhere). Fold in the rolled oats and raisins. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough out of the bowl and roll them around in your hands to form a ball. Place the dough balls about one inch apart on the baking sheet (they will spread as they bake). Flatten each ball slightly with your hand. Be gentle and don’t flatten them too much.

Bake the cookies in separate batches for about 10-15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top and set in the middle. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a baking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!