There’s just something about baking cookies in the fall on a slow Sunday afternoon, that makes home feel extra cozy.
This past Sunday, we had plans to get together with some friends for a game night, and naturally my first thought was: I should make cookies.
I decided to try a new recipe of my SIL's—Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. And before you immediately write them off because I said raisins, hear me out. These are actually GOOD.
Soft, chewy, cinnamon-y, packed with oats and raisins…and because I apparently can’t leave well enough alone, I threw in mini M&M’s too (saw my SIL do it once and she's like the queen of baking so...).
Are mini M&M’s technically part of a traditional oatmeal raisin cookie? Absolutely not.
Do I care? Also absolutely not. 😂
And judging by how quickly my kids started hovering around the kitchen—and how Kevin also needed to “try one” before I put them away for game night—I’d say the M&M’s can stay.
The Kind of Sunday I Love
I love a Sunday afternoon when we don’t have anywhere we need to rush off to. Those days are the BEST.
Church clothes are changed. The kitchen is a little messy. Someone is lounging on the couch. The kids are wandering in and out asking what smells good. And there’s something baking in the oven.
Those ordinary little moments are some of my favorites.
Aaaand I know this sounds silly coming from someone who sells kitchen towels, but I really do think the little details in our homes make a difference in how they feel.
A cute seasonal towel hanging by the sink. Music playing in the background. The smell of cinnamon and vanilla coming from the oven. A bowl full of cookie dough on the counter.
None of it is particularly important on its own.
But somehow, together, it makes an ordinary Sunday afternoon feel a little happier.
And that is basically the whole idea behind Hello Happy Towels anyway.
I don't think our homes need to be perfect or spotless or beautifully styled all the time. (Mine definitely isn't. 😂) But I do think we can find little ways to make the everyday things feel special.
Even if it's just a cute towel hanging by the sink while you make cookies for people you love.
Okay, Let's Make the Cookies
These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies have been a favorite around our house, and they're perfect when you want something cozy and homemade without making anything complicated.
They're soft, chewy, warmly spiced, and packed with all the good stuff.
(And yes, I highly recommend adding the mini M&M's!)
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
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1 cup butter, softened
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1 cup brown sugar
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1/2 cup sugar
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2 eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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1 1/2 cups flour
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1 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
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3 cups oats
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1 cup raisins
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1 cup mini M&M's, optional*
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1 cup nuts, optional (honestly never have added nuts)
*Full disclosure: I have literally never measured the M&M's. 😂 I just eyeball them and make sure the dough—and eventually every cookie—has plenty. Sooo…take that one cup measurement as you will. Hah!
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
Add the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg. Mix together, then add the oats, raisins, mini M&M's, and nuts if you're using them.
Mix everything well.
Drop the cookie dough by heaping spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. I usually make mine about the size of a large golf ball because we like a good-sized cookie around here.
Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool, then store them in an airtight container.
Or, realistically, eat several while they're still warm because your husband and children have already discovered them. 😂
A Little Cookie Tip
Don't overbake these!
I love them when they're still nice and soft in the middle. Remember that they'll continue to set up a bit as they cool on the pan, so I would much rather pull them out when they look almost done than leave them in too long.
That soft, chewy middle is where it's at.
Especially when they're still warm and you get a bite with oatmeal, cinnamon, raisins AND a slightly melty mini M&M.
So good.
Cookies + Game Night = A Pretty Great Sunday
So I set these out for game night, although admittedly, the amount that actually made it out of our kitchen was already dwindling before we even started.
I can't even blame the kids because Kevin was right there with them. 😂
But honestly, that's part of what I love about baking.
It's not really about making the perfect cookie.
It's the kids coming into the kitchen because they smelled something baking.
It's letting someone sneak one off the cooling rack.
It's bringing a container of cookies to your friends' house and sitting around a table laughing over games.
It's the kitchen getting messy and wiping flour or melted butter off the counter afterward.
It's all of those tiny, ordinary pieces of life that don't seem like much at the time—but somehow become the things you remember.
Make the Ordinary a Little Happier
That's what I want Hello Happy Towels to be about too.
Yes, they're cute kitchen towels. Yes, they're absorbent and quick-drying and actually really useful when you're cleaning up the aftermath of Sunday baking. 😂
But I also love that something as simple as changing the towel hanging over your sink can make your kitchen feel a little more festive, seasonal, cozy, or just…happy.
You don't need a brand-new kitchen.
You don't need perfectly styled countertops.
You don't need to have your life together.
Sometimes you just need cookies in the oven, people you love nearby, and a cute towel hanging by the sink.
And maybe a few extra mini M&M's.
Actually, definitely the extra M&M's.
Happy baking, friends! 🫶🏽
—Audrey
P.S. If you make these, let me know what you think! And if you're firmly in the “raisins don't belong in cookies” camp…I still think the mini M&M's might convince you. 😂
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Towel is "Pumpkins and Bows" found HERE!
View more of our fall collection HERE!
