Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a baking mat. While the oven heats, measure out all your ingredients into separate bowls—this makes the mixing process smooth and prevents scrambling for ingredients mid-stream. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature; they'll incorporate more evenly into the butter mixture and create a lighter, fluffier dough. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl to combine the leavening agents evenly throughout.

Cut the butter into small cubes and add it to a large mixing bowl with the sweetener. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, and creamy. This creaming process incorporates air into the dough, which helps create cookies with a better texture. I like to use Kerrygold butter here because its higher fat content gives the cookies a richer, more indulgent flavor that makes the lack of sugar less noticeable.

Add the room-temperature eggs to the creamed butter mixture one at a time, beating on low speed for about 30 seconds after the first egg, then switch to medium speed. Once both eggs are incorporated, add the vanilla extract and lemon juice, mixing until the mixture is fluffy and well combined, about 1-2 minutes total. The lemon juice adds a subtle brightness that helps balance the sweetness of the monk fruit or erythritol, making the cookie taste more natural.

Pour the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 into the wet mixture from Step 3, folding and stirring gently with a spatula or wooden spoon for about 45 seconds until just combined. Don't overmix at this point—overmixing can develop gluten and create tough cookies. The dough should come together but still look slightly rough; any streaks of flour will fully incorporate as you work.

Stir in the rolled oats using a sturdy spoon or spatula until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Then fold in the raisins gently, being careful not to crush them. The oats add texture and heartiness while the raisins provide natural sweetness and chewiness. I always make sure my raisins are plump and moist before using them; if they seem dried out, I'll plump them up in a little warm water for a few minutes first.

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon measure, drop portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten the tops of each ball with your palm or the bottom of a glass to create uniform thickness—this helps them bake evenly. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked; they'll continue to firm up as they cool.

Let the cookies rest on the baking mat for 5 minutes—this allows them to set without becoming too brittle. Then transfer them to a wire cooling rack for an additional 10 minutes before serving or storing. This two-stage cooling process ensures the cookies develop the right texture: crispy edges with a chewy center.