Soft and chewy with that trademark homemade flavor, these are the best soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. Made with brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, chewy oats, sweet raisins, and a secret ingredient, this recipe wins for flavor and texture. Your family will love these easy oatmeal raisin cookies!
There are two types of people in this world. Raisin haters and raisin lovers. I fall into the latter category. Besides homemade apple pie, oatmeal raisin cookies are my favorite dessert. There’s something incredibly magical about the chewy texture, soft centers, plump raisins, and cinnamon flavor. Please tell me I’m not the only raisin lover!!
What Makes These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies The Best
The competition is strong, but here’s why you’ll fall in love with these cookies.
- Moist and tender centers
- Slight crisp on the edges
- Sweetened with brown sugar
- Loaded with oats
- Studded with raisins
- Cinnamon spiced
- Buttery flavor
- 30 minute chill time
It doesn’t get much better than this!
Ingredients in Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Oatmeal raisin cookies are made with very basic ingredients.
- Butter: Butter is the base of any delicious cookie recipe. Make sure you are using room temperature butter.
- Brown Sugar + Granulated Sugar: Sugar is not only used for sweetness, but also for providing structure and tenderness. I like to use more brown sugar than white sugar because (1) brown sugar has incredible flavor and (2) brown sugar contains more moisture than white, which produces a softer cookie.
- Eggs: Eggs help bind everything together. You need 2 eggs in this recipe.
- Pure Vanilla Extract + Salt: Both provide flavor.
- Cinnamon: Raisins, oats, and cinnamon are winning flavor combination.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps the cookies rise.
- Molasses: Molasses is my secret ingredient! 1 scant Tablespoon enhances all the wonderful flavors of these buttery, cinnamon-sweet oatmeal raisin cookies.
- Flour: Flour is the structure of the cookies.
- Oats: There are a ton of oats in this recipe! Oats provide a fabulously chewy texture. I use and recommend old fashioned whole oats here—just like I do for flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
- Raisins: I love to soak the raisins in warm water before using. This step is optional, but it guarantees they are plump and soft. Blot dry before adding to cookie dough. (You can also use this cookie dough to make my white chocolate chip cherry oatmeal cookies.)
I like to add chopped walnuts. Nuts are totally optional but highly recommended. These simple ingredients combine to make the best oatmeal raisin cookies!
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
There’s only a few steps between now and a batch of warm oatmeal cookies. 🙂
- Cream butter + sugars: Use a hand or stand mixer to cream the softened butter with both sugars until smooth, about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Add eggs, vanilla, + molasses: Add eggs, then mix on high for about 1 minute until incorporated. Add vanilla and molasses, mix until combined.
- Dry ingredients: Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a separate bowl. Pour this into the wet ingredients. Combine together on low.
- Add the extras: Beat in the oats and raisins on low speed. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Chill: Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes.
- Roll: Roll cookie dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. I love using these baking mats.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 350°F (177°C) for 12-13 minutes until lightly browned. The cookies might look under-baked, but they will continue to set as they cool. This is the secret to a soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookie!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough is Sticky
This oatmeal raisin cookie dough is sticky, so don’t be alarmed. The cookie dough needs to chill for about 30 minutes before baking. I don’t recommend keeping this cookie dough in the refrigerator for much longer because your cookies won’t spread. The oats will begin to absorb all of the wonderful moisture from the eggs, butter, and sugar and won’t expand as they bake. Sticky dough is good dough!
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
If you love these oatmeal raisin cookies, try any of these SOFT cookie recipes. You’ll wonder why you haven’t baked them sooner!
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Oatmeal Scotchies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft & Thick Monster Cookies
- Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 26-30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft and chewy with that trademark homemade flavor, these are the best soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. Your family will love these easy oatmeal raisin cookies!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
- 1 cup (140g) raisins (see Note below)
- optional: 1/2 cup (64g) chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the eggs and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in the oats, raisins, and walnuts (if using) on low speed. Dough will be thick, yet very sticky. Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator (do the full hour if you’re afraid of the cookies spreading too much). If chilling for longer (up to 2 days), allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Roll balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. I recommend using a cookie scoop since the dough can be sticky. Bake for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft and under-baked. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked cookies freeze well—up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well—up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Here’s how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Oats: For these oatmeal raisin cookies, I use old-fashioned whole oats. They provide the ultimate hearty, chewy, thick texture we love!
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs preferred. Good rule of thumb: always use room temperature eggs when using room temperature butter.
- Raisins: Soak your raisins in warm water for 10 minutes before using (blot very well to dry them) – this makes them nice and plump for your cookies.
- Adapted from Loaded Oatmeal Cookies & Oatmeal Creme Pies. Recipe originally published on Sally’s Baking Addiction in 2014.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Everyone loved these cookies and also the quick peach bread. The cookies even taste healthy. Do you think I could substitute 1/4 cup of applesauce for half of the butter, to make them really healthy? I may also cut down n the sugar a little.
Hi Ellen, we’re so glad you loved these! Applesauce would make the cookies cakey and you’d likely have to reduce the wet ingredients to make up for it. We don’t recommend it.
I tried this myself today. I halved the recipe and substituted 1/4 cup applesauce for half of the butter. I added more toasted walnuts and raisins and a little less sugar. I didn’t even have to roll them. We have been eating them so quickly that I had to do something t lower the calories and fat. They may be a little cakey, but they are delicious. I have convinced myself and my husband that they are healthier.
Hi SALLY! What substitute can be used for the molasses? I do not have any on hand & wondering if there’s something else I can use for similar flavor? Maple syrup? TY!
Hi Sheila, you can simply omit the molasses without any replacement.
These are always a big hit.
I added white chocolate chips into them..fantastic
These are the best oatmeal cookies you’ll ever bake or eat!! I sometimes add dried cherries to the raisins and walnut mixture. If I’m looking for a new recipe I always check your site first-best recipes ever. Thank you
Made these by using the weight measurement and let the dough rest for a day before baking. I made this without the molasses and they still turned out great!
I have made these in the past and they were perfect!!
I only have extra large eggs on hand. Will the recipe still work?
Hi Katie, you can use extra large eggs here without any changes.
These cookies are outstanding! They are the chewiest oatmeal cookies I’ve ever made. My husband wanted oatmeal cream pies for his birthday and these were perfect. I made mine into a vegan version by substituting vegan butter and flax eggs and it worked beautifully. I will definitely be making these again!
This recipe is fantastic! I have soft chewy cookies. I did use more raisins than called for and I used Quaker Large Flake oatmeal… being time crunched, as always, I did not put in the fridge but put some of it in the freezer while waiting for a tray to cook.
My oven is hot so for a while cooked for 13 min, then 12, then 10 and finally turned the oven down to 345 for the last two sheets.
Than you Sally for a great recipe.
I know you have a pumpkin cookie recipe that I more cakey, but I really want to make a pumpkin oatmeal cookie with icing…so I may experiment with combining the two (minus the raisins but adding the pumpkin ingredients and maple icing!)…would you have any suggestions for making this into a pumpkin oatmeal cookie? Do you think the molasses will be okay in there? And would the maple icing still be a good addition? THANK YOU in advance 🙂
Hi Marie! Have you tried our brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies? That’s where we’d start!
I followed the recipe except I only had quick oats and dried cherries. I chilled in a metal bowl for an hour. Used a small ice cream scoop and baked for 14 minutes. They were soft and chewy. The only thing I would change is use a little less molasses. The flavor was a little strong for me. I also used a little of the icing in the other oatmeal recipe on half the cookies. Next time I will buy the rolled oats for this recipe. I think they would have been a 5 star with it. Thank you for the great recipe.
Made them last night. They were delicious. Gave some to my neighbor who said “yummy”. Will give them to the expert,my grandson. I like the molasses.
Thank you .
Best Oatmeal Raisin cookie ever. This is a keeper. So chewy & moist.
I normally don’t like oatmeal raisin cookies. My attitude is, “if it doesn’t contain chocolate, it doesn’t count”. Anyway, I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand, but I did have oatmeal and raisins. I have always had good luck with Sally’s Baking Addiction recipes, so I gave it a try. I’ve been converted to a oatmeal raisin cookie fan! These were perfect! I didn’t have time to refrigerate them so I baked them right away and they still turned out beautiful. They were full-bodied and chewy. I did make them on the smaller side so maybe that helped with the spreading. Thanks for another great recipe!
I need to ask a question of the Rolled Oats. Are they the Old Fashion quick cook or the Old Fashion 100% Whole Grain Oats ?
Hi Sally, you do not want quick cook or instant oats — the old fashion 100% whole grain oats work best here.
Can Gluten free flour be used in the recipe without any modification.
Hi Zoe, we haven’t tested that substitution so we can’t say for sure. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. Let us know what you try!
I must have made this exact recipe about a dozen times now in about 2 years, but have since been modifying it to my own tastes. My favorite version so far is a little bit of nutmeg added in with a little bit of extra cinnamon, using only dark brown sugar, replacing the molasses with honey, and adding in about half a cup of golden raisins in addition to the regular raisins. The original recipe, though, is definitely a crowd pleaser that I have gotten requests to make again and again. Just know that as long as your technique is good and your intentions aren’t outrageous, this recipe is solid and can handle quite a few adaptions.
Yum. Yum. And. Yum. Thank you! I had to stop myself after eating 3 cookies fresh out of the oven. I could have eaten the entire batch. Even though a couple of cookies near the end spread into little puddles (as the dough warmed up), I didn’t mind, because I love that crunchy lace around the edges. I call the flat ones Florentine Oatmeal Cookies.
First time ever baking oatmeal raisin cookies and this recipe is perfection. They’re soft, chewy, and just sweet enough!
Made these for the first time today. I left the dough overnight in the fridge. Turned out excellent. Nice soft and chewy. Will definitely make them again.
Followed recipe exactly as written and the outcome was the absolute best oatmeal raisin cookie we have ever had, (trust me I’ve tried many recipes over the past 50+ years.) Have raved about and shatrd this recipe countless times!!
I love this recipe. I used Splenda brown sugar instead of regular, that is very sweet so I added a touch of sea salt on the top. Medium ice cream scoop, 7 minutes then turned the pan and another 7 minutes, came out perfectly golden brown and delicious!! (Only baked one pan at a time middle oven) makes a big difference.
Holy smokes, these were fabulous! We had a big family gathering this summer and I doubled the recipe but split it before adding raisins. I added chocolate chips to half the dough and raisins to the other half. Such a hit!
Add me to the 5-star crowd! Made as written with an hour chill, and they turned out perfectly.
I loved this recipe it was so yummy! I recommend cooking them for 16 minutes because if you don’t they don’t cook all the way through. But these cookies were so good and I can’t wait to try more recipes
Wonderful recipe, Sally!
I didn’t have molasses at hand so I made my own date syrup as a replacement. I also added chopped dates, cranberries, and a teaspoon of cardamom, as well as the suggested walnuts. These cookies came out perfect. I’ll definitely make them again.
Sally! I made these cookies last night and they are by far the best oatmeal raisin cookie EVER! I plumped the raisins and chilled the dough about 45 minutes. I used a cookie scoop and then rolled the dough into a ball. I baked them for 12 minutes and let them cool quite a while on the cookies sheets. Really such a tasty cookie. I can’t wait to give them to my father for his birthday today.
My whole family loved this recipe including me they tasted amazing perfect cookie! Was worried at first because of the bad turn outs for some but they worked out great for me.
I’d like to omit the molasses since it isn’t easily available where I am- what else would i need to modify to balance everything?
Hi Lisa, you can simply omit the molasses without any replacements.
Great Recipe! I just finished my first batch and they came out perfect. I followed the 1 hour in the fridge recommendation. The first batch I over baked just a smidge leaving it in for 12 min so for my area of 2400 above sea level 10-11 min created a perfect batch. These are not an overly sweet cookie which is perfect by me. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
For a follow up:
I only used a mixer to cream the butter and sugar. I don’t know if it made a difference mixing the rest by hand.
As a follow up this morning, even the cookies I over baked are soft and chewy this morning. I cooled them completely on wire rack and stored in a Tupperware container. I am sold on these! My favorite chewy oatmeal cookie so far. I will make them next time with some cranberries.
Thank you again Sally!
These cookies are delicious. I do soak the raisins and I believe that makes a big difference in the flavor of the cookies. I like the flavor of the vanilla and the molasses, and the cookies are the perfect texture for oatmeal raisin cookies. I like to bake them, eat a few, then freeze some to have available to take with me when I visit friends.
Followed this recipe exactly as it was written and these cookies were the best my friends had ever had. They were the hit of the gathering. Made about 4-1/2 dozen medium sized cookies. The secret ingredient added that special pop. Now my question, if I were to use this recipe and make bars instead of cookies, would any of the measurements change and what temp and time. Thank you very much!
Hi Lynne, we haven’t tried these as bars, but they should work! So glad these were a hit for you!
I made this recipe twice and they still came out crumbly and dry. . I don’t know what keeps happening because I followed the recipe perfectly. Please let me know. Thanks
Hi Lupe, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. How are you measuring your flour? Be sure to spoon and level or use a kitchen scale for accuracy — adding too much flour can cause the cookies to dry out. Over can cause dry and crumbly cookies, too. This post on 5 cookie baking tips to improve your next batch will also be helpful. Thanks so much for giving these cookies a try!
Followed recipe, especially measuring flour, and really dry.
Help! What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe and put the dough in the fridge overnight. Let it sit out for about 30 minutes before rolling and baking. They still turned into thin puddles! Any way to fix it before I bake the rest?
Hi Barbara, there are quite a few different factors that can cause cookies to spread. This post on how to prevent cookies from over spreading should be helpful to review — let us know if we can help to troubleshoot further!
Could I use a cupcake tin to bake them in instead of a cookie sheet? Would that modify the texture and/or need a different baking time?
Hi Lisa! We haven’t tested that but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hi Barbara, I’ve had this issue as well with Sally’s oatmeal recipes. I realized that it was the oats I was using. I used to use Bobs Red Mill whole oats. They’re thicker than other oats which is what was creating the issue. I hope this helps.
Sally, tried this recipe and it came out really well! Crispy on the edges after they are cooled and chewy. I will try your other recipes soon. Thanks for sharing!