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
I forgot to add the eggs and they came out lovely. They didn’t flatten and came out almost round. I toasted pecans and added chocolate chips. So yummy.
I used regular syurp. Came out great.
This recipe was so fun and easy to follow and make, and the cookies are delicious! I substituted honey for the molasses, in case anyone is wondering about substitutions. I also did all the mixing (creaming the butter and sugar, beating in the eggs, vanilla, etc.) by hand with a fork and whisk, and when it came time to mix in the oats I just put on gloves and used my hands 🙂
Hello. I’d like to try this recipe today, but don’t have molasses on hand. Is there anything I can use to substitute?
Hi KNG, you can simply omit the molasses. The cookies will still have plenty of flavor!
I only use this recipe for oatmeal cookies!!!!
Bomb. Delicious and moist. So so good.
I made this recipe one night, (messed up and burned them) then doubled the recipe the next night and they came out perfect!! My husband isn’t a fan of oatmeal so they’re all going to my work family. Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
Mine did not spread at all. They came out exactly as I put them in but I love the recipe! I did put less sugar though
I would like to try your oatmeal raisin cookie. If I were not to put the nuts in should I sub more raisins. I was thinking they could go flat without the extra bulk. I also have someone who is allergic to chocolate. So I cant add chocolate chips.
These are fabulous!! Followed directions exactly how they were written, they are fantastic!!
Good recipe. Next time I think I will add some honey and more cinnamon. Maybe a bit more sugar. They could be a bit sweeter and more spice. I didn’t use walnuts so might add those next time too. Loved the tip on softened butter and soaking the raisins.
My last batch spread way more than first 3 batches so will refrigerate the dough for a few minutes between batches. I refrigerated over night then let the dough warm some before baking as suggested.
Do you cook to oat before add to the mixture ?
Hi DJ, you do not cook the oats before adding to the dough.
I just made these and I used whole wheat flour because my husband can’t have white flour. They came out great. He absolutely loved them. I will be making theses all the time.
Cookies are real good
I made some with raisins and some with Craisins. Great recipe! My husband kept getting out of bed to have “just one more.”
These turned out excellent!! I followed the recipe exactly other than doubling the amount of cinnamon. I chilled them for an hour and a half and baked them for 11 minutes. I will definitely be making again.
Mine are just out of the oven and wow, my house smells divine! I make a chocolate chocolate chip recipe with one Tbsp of vanilla, so I knew that was the secret (along with the molasses). I used some locally made vanilla with hints of bourbon, and, along with using kosher salt instead of regular, these beauties are absolutely scrumptious! My new go-to for oatmeal cookies.
I love these! I’m not even a huge fan of oatmeal cookies but these were amazing. My husband requested oatmeal raisin and won’t be disappointed. Any ideas on calories per cookie?
Hi Desiree, we’re so glad you enjoyed the cookies! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
These turned out fantastic, the tip about soaking raisins made a huge difference for me. Go-to oatmeal cookie recipe from now on.
Cookies were good and recipe worked well but they are extremely sweet. If I reduce the sugar will it affect the consistency of the cookies?
Hi Louise, sugar plays an important role in the texture and structure of cookies, too, so while you can experiment with reducing it a bit, the outcome of the cookies will be different. We’re glad you enjoyed them!
This is one of the best recipes I ever seen. Just put my dough in the fridge to chill. A co-worker gave me a ton of walnuts and raisins and this is the recipe I chose. Hope everyone loves these. I’m sure they will
I think this is the best oatmeal raisin cookie recipe out! I’m making it again for the second time.
I think this is the absolute best cookie recipe of any variety! I am making a batch now…
probably my 10th time baking these! I love to share them with my friends! I recommend your blog to everyone I know who likes to bake! Thanks!!
Wow! Best ones yet. Thanks for another good bake!
Tried your oatmeal raisin cookies they were great going to bake them for a church bake sale
These came out perfect used craisins
LOVED the texture of these cookies. The flavors mingled perfectly!
These are by far the best oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever made.
The taste of these cookies is great, but I’ve made these twice now and even though I’ve chilled tbe dough, then formed the cookies and chilled them again, they spread way too much and get too dark. I love all of the many Sally recipes I’ve tried (and that’s a lot!), but this one just isn’t a keeper for me.
I used this recipe twice. First time I screwed up and used baking powder instead of soda…and used quick oats instead of the others….that batch was amazing. The second time I followed the recipe exactly…they spread too thin and looked like they were gonna burn. I pulled them out early (11min). They’re still pretty darn good but my first batch was a game changer.
I’ve had the same problem, Becky. Quit now- I’ve made this more than half a dozen times always with the same results. They usually flatten out horribly. If they manage to stay on the thicker side, the bottom and edges get way too browned and the middle is a gooey mess. I just can’t get this one to work.
My go-to for oatmeal cookies. There used to be a note in this recipe to kind of form the cookies into a tall shape, kind of like a corncob pipe, instead of a ball, and then chill them for a bit and bake. They spread less when they start “tall” and this method always works for me.
I make these for my elderly neighbors this is the second batch I’ve made, an easy recipe with great results, thanks for sharing