Duff Goldman's Trick for Making Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Everyone Will Actually Want To Eat

Ah, the oatmeal raisin cookie. Everyone has likely tried an oatmeal raisin cookie before, but only a small handful of the population actually like an oatmeal raisin cookie.

I'm proud to admit that I am one of those people — and I'm even prouder to know that I'm in the cookie-loving company of the beloved Duff Goldman. That's right folks, pastry chef and Food Network star Duff Goldman likes oatmeal raisin cookies.

"Most people haven't had very good experiences with oatmeal raisin cookies because there's a lot of bad ones out there," Goldman said in an interview with Allrecipes. "If you get one that is deliciously chewy [and] that really takes the raisins, takes the oatmeal, takes the butter, takes everything, it reaches its potential. The thing about oats and cookies is that they really do have the potential to be delicious."

It's no secret that oatmeal raisin cookies may have a bad rap in certain households, but Goldman has a few incredibly easy tips to take your cookies to the next level so you (and everyone who tries them) can join team oatmeal raisin.

From adding extra ingredients to changing your method for making and baking, these tips will have your family fighting over the final cookie.

Duff Goldman's Tips for the Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Add Extra Ingredients

This one is a no-brainer. Dip your toe into the oatmeal raisin pool by adding other ingredients and flavors to sweeten the deal.

Chocolate chips are a great addition — Goldman even developed a recipe in partnership with Sun-Maid that is a mixture between oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies. His Truce Cookie is half chocolate chip and half oatmeal raisin, so you can enjoy the half you like and share the other half with your loved one (they are literally split in half).

However, adding chocolate chips to a full batch of oatmeal raisin cookies is sure to be a winner too.

While Goldman uses chocolate chips in his Truce Cookie, his typical go-to to spruce up oatmeal raisin cookies is toasted nuts — especially pecans or walnuts.

"If you toast the nut a little bit, one of the coolest things is that it will become such a perfect foil for the raisins," Goldman says. "Raisins, when they're in the batter, take up some of the moisture … and they plump up a little bit — they get sort of soft. Then you get a really crunchy, snappy nut right next to it. Those two things together, that's what dreams are made of."

Keep the Cookies Moist

"The problem is [oats] are really, really dry," Goldman explains.

No one wants a dry cookie, so Goldman likes to soak the oats in water for a little while before he adds them to the batter.

"They have to loosen up. They've been sitting in a bag for who knows how long, and then you give them a little bit of moisture and they get delicious."

Don't Overbake Them

You're probably thinking, duh, but cookies are actually really easy to overbake. Even just a minute too long and you could have cookies as dry and crunchy as those crumbly granola bars, Goldman says.

"Cookies are not forgiving at all. If you don't pull those cookies out exactly when you're supposed to, they're just going to be ruined," he says.

The second you start to see color on the cookie, you should pull them out of the oven, Goldman says. We know babysitting cookies isn't on the top of anyone's favorite things list, but it's the key to the perfect gooey texture in the middle.

"When you start baking them too long, then they get crunchy and it's like 'Well, why don't I just eat a granola bar?'" Goldman says with a laugh.

Bonus Tip to Save You Time

This final tip doesn't just apply to oatmeal raisin cookies, but any cookie in general — especially when you're baking big batches around the holidays. Goldman recommends making your cookie dough ahead of time and freezing it for easy baking later.

"When it comes time to baking, you're not mixing, you're not getting out ingredients, you're not doing all that stuff. If you can just focus on your mixing and you put it away, man, baking cookies is a breeze for Christmas," he says.

Freezing dough isn't just for drop cookies either, you can freeze rolled dough too.

"Roll it out while it's warm and it just came out of the mixer. Put it between two pieces of parchment and then freeze it in layers," Goldman explains. "Then you just pull it out, let it come up to temp, and cut out all your cookies."

I know I said I liked oatmeal raisin cookies before, but after following these tips I'll never again meet an oatmeal raisin cookie I don't like — and neither will you.