Have you seen the joke that says, “Oatmeal cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the reason I have trust issues”? We couldn’t disagree more! To us, oatmeal cookies are the homey yet mature sibling to chocolate chip cookies: a little deeper in flavor, a little more texture, and always demolished! Here are some of the best recipes we’ve rounded up — yours!

Jumbo Pecan Date Oatmeal Cookies

Submitted by G. Strauss
Yerushalayim

I got this recipe from my sister, who got it from my mother’s cousin Jeanne, who’s a fantastic cook. In addition to the fact that these cookies are delicious, I love them because they feel really healthy!

YIELDS 2 DOZEN JUMBO COOKIES

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1½ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2 cups (10 oz) pitted dates, chopped
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In the bowl of your mixer, beat margarine and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add flour, baking soda, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and eggs. Beat until just blended, occasionally scraping the bowl. With a spoon, stir in oats, dates, and pecans.

Place balls of dough on baking sheets, well spaced apart. Bake for 20–25 minutes, rotating racks halfway through the baking time.

Note: The recipe calls for dates and pecans, but you can substitute any dried fruit and nut combination that you like. My favorite is slivered almonds and chopped dried apricots, with some chocolate chips too.