Upon the vibrant shelves and shelves of snacks at your local grocery store, there’s an endless variety of the sweet dessert everyone loves: cookies. From Oreos to Chips Ahoy, crunchy to chewy, sugary to a subtle sweetness, the choice is yours. Will you stick with the classics, or will you bet on the ultimate underdog, the oatmeal raisin cookie?

   Behind the negative stigma around oatmeal raisin cookies lies a taste and feeling only some are lucky to have discovered. After all, the real gem is usually hidden under all the gold.

   Of course, you could never go wrong with the classic chocolate chip cookie. The combination of butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips provides a feeling so nostalgic and satisfactory, you could practically smell it in the oven from here. But if oatmeal raisin cookies can do the exact same thing (and maybe even do it better), then why hate them?

   It may not sound as appetizing, but nothing truly compares to the unique flavor of oatmeal raisin. There’s a perfect balance of sugar, sweet surprises of raisin, and that special quality the oats give that makes the cookie not too hard, not too soft, but just right. Sophomore Natalie Tsung dives into the cookie’s individual ingredients, explaining how “the oatmeal gives the cookie the best chewy texture, especially when it’s fresh. The raisins are also the perfect level of sweet that’s unique from other things, like chocolate chips.”

   You may not even realize it, but oatmeal raisin cookies are healthier than most others. There’s no regret in choosing to eat this snack because at the end of the day, you stopped yourself from having more sugar than necessary. For the ones with a big sweet tooth, like me, this helps draw the line between what makes a dessert a guilty pleasure and what makes it something I can find comfort in eating 24/7.

   Take a look at Crumbl Cookies, for example. While they have a variety of uncommon flavors for their gourmet cookies, they tend to deliver an overwhelming sweetness that quickly makes you feel like you’ve had enough. With oatmeal raisin cookies, however, this is never the case.

   Soft pillowy goodness and healthy components aside, oatmeal raisin cookies hold much more in a bite than you think. For freshman Annabelle Acevedo, it’s not just about the taste but the fact that “they hold a lot of sentimental value, as they remind [her] of [her] Grandma.” 

   Whether it be its taste that never gets old or the warm feeling it fires up, it can safely be said that oatmeal raisin cookies hit the spot. Seeing how most people ignore the cookies before giving them a chance is both a blessing and a curse — as sophomore Mia Olmedo puts it, “They are always the ones no one eats, so more for me!” 

   To each their own, I say, but you’ve really only gotten a tiny glimpse of the sweet life if you’ve never stuck with the oatmeal raisin cookie.

   If you want to ruin my day, ask me if I’d like a cookie and then hand me an oatmeal raisin cookie. Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh: I would appreciate any and all sweets that come my way. But seriously, there’s nothing more disappointing than sinking your teeth into a supposed chocolate chip cookie, only to be met with the grainy texture and oat-cinnamon flavor of an oatmeal raisin cookie.

   Although it’s understandably hard to compete with a perfect, classic chocolate chip cookie, specifically one with a crispy exterior speckled with browned butter bits and a gooey, chocolate-filled interior, an oatmeal-raisin cookie is mediocre even without considering its out of league competitor.

   To start, there’s no variation when it comes to oatmeal raisin cookies; you know what you’re getting every time you bite into one. Well, first of all, I’d argue that if you’re willingly biting into an oatmeal raisin cookie, you deserve to be disappointed, but anyways… it’s always that same chalky, grainy texture that’s hard to get down and that odd, not-quite-nutty flavor from the oatmeal, with those wrinkly raisins that just add to its overall mediocracy. Even junior Katherine Omole admits that “Oatmeal cookies are okay, but the raisins are the worst part; they completely ruin it.”

   Not to mention, when it comes to visual appeal, the oatmeal raisin cookie places last. The lumpy cookies are depressing to look at and, well, unappealing; the sprinkling of raisins throughout is a futile attempt at making them seem as warm and inviting as a chocolate chip cookie. Any other cookie pales in comparison to a chocolate chip cookie, with its golden brown texture and gooey pockets of chocolate completely nailing the visual appeal factor. 

   If you’re seriously telling me that an oatmeal raisin cookie can even come close to being as good as a chocolate chip cookie in any way, I’m just gonna assume you’re lying. The words “oatmeal” and “raisin” do not sound appetizing in any way. And put together? Don’t even get me started… Even the worst chocolate chip cookie would be infinitely better than a “good” (if that’s even possible…) oatmeal raisin cookie. 

   I know some people may think this is a simple argument: if you don’t like oatmeal raisin cookies, don’t eat them. Easy, right? But this goes farther than that. I don’t think anyone deserves to be stuck with a mediocre cookie. 

   Please, don’t feel the need to settle… If you’re craving a sweet treat, have a cookie, and a good one at that. Don’t risk messing up the classic cookie experience by betting on an oatmeal raisin cookie: you’re sure to be disappointed. As junior Saraie Andujar puts it, “Chocolate chip cookies are a classic. They’re always the safe, go-to choice.”