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
is there a high altitude adjustment?
Hi Rosemary, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I made these cookies they turned out perfectly. Thank you again Sally.
I made these yesterday and they flatten alot. They taste good but not my favorite.
I followed this recipe to a T, but my cookies have come out flat and have spread too much . Chilled my dough for about an hour and rolled. Do you know what could have caused this.
Hi Noelia, This post on how to prevent cookies from spreading will be a helpful resource. If all else fails, you can try adding a couple extra Tbs flour to your dough should you wish to try these cookies again. Thank you so much for giving these cookies a try!
Dear Sally, have been doing oatmeal cookie recipe for a few years now. The very best.
They almost taste like they are good for you. yummy
Very bland
Thank you for the detailed tips (measuring the flour, room temp eggs, what to expect re. consistency, and especially taking the cookies out of the oven when the edges are brown but the center looks undone! That was a magic trick watching them continue to bake on the stovetop!) I added salted peanuts so they taste like trail mix cookies. Too yummy. I need to share with neighbors to mind the waistline!
Can I mix by hand?
Hi Sherry, You can certainly mix it by hand if necessary, but it will take quite a bit of arm muscle! Particularly when it comes to properly creaming the butter and sugars. We find a sturdy wooden spoon works best. Let us know how it turn out for you.
Me and my family love this recipe, we have it in our top list of cookies, and we have already made it twice in the past month! (except I accidentally burned the first batch and had to make another for my mom.) I tried putting in some chocolate chips in with it to experiment with it, but I think it was better without
What do you do if you want to make these at a high elevation? I’m new to baking at high altitude and any help would be appreciated! Thanks
Hi DJ! I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I liked the taste of this cooked but found them to have way too much oatmeal and not enough cookie if that makes sense I’m going to try to make them again with less oatmeal and see what happens
These are amazing and my go to recipe for healthy cookies. I use just half a cup of brown sugar and it’s enough for us! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Can I use golden raisins and light brown sugar? Thats just what I have on hand.
You bet! Happy baking.
I have made this cookie a number of times and they are a hit.
This one is for keeps! The cookies turned out lovely!
Just wanted to know if I can use whole wheat flour instead of AP flour, and can I substitute butter with coconut oil? If so, do the measurements change?
Hi Sudipta, we recommend sticking with AP flour here, as whole wheat flour could leave the cookies tasting a bit dry and heavy. We haven’t tried it, but you can try solid coconut oil in place of the butter. Taste will be different, of course. We’re glad you enjoyed them!
I made this exact to the recipe and included the walnuts, although I did not toast them and instead used them straight from the bag. The cookies are delicious and I’m thrilled that they are not too sweet. If you are a walnut fan, I would suggest doubling the amount. I didn’t really get the walnut taste and I think think a full cup would make a difference. I’ll make these again.
To get a little more walnut flavor without overwhelming the cookie with nuts one might substitute walnut oil for a little of the butter.
This is the best oatmeal cookie recipe! I have to send a batch to school with my daughter every time she comes home for a visit. The note about soaking the raisins was very helpful. I use 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cups dried cranberries, as well as a cup of chopped walnuts. The cranberries add a perfect touch to a great recipe!
I made a double batch of these today. I had to keep the dough in the refrigerator all day and bake them this evening. I set the bowl on the counter for 30 minutes, but the dough must’ve been too cold. The cookies spread and they were so fragile, any more spreading and they would be lace cookies. Was it because the dough was too cold? They taste fantastic!
Hi Sprocket, This post on how to prevent cookies from spreading will also be a helpful resource. If all else fails, you can try adding a couple extra Tbs flour to your dough should you wish to try these cookies again. Thank you so much for giving these cookies a try!
These cookies were great! Not too spicy.
My new favorite with our family!
Was very yummy, only downside is the bottom got a little crispy. Would recommend for thanksgiving
Can I use quick cooking oats in oatmeal cookies
Hi Bonnie, quick oats will work in a pinch, but for best taste and texture we recommend waiting until you can get whole oats.
Great cookie. These are my dad’s favorite so I made these for his upcoming visit. They looked a little dark when I took them out of the oven but they tasted wonderful.
Followed to a T but baked at 350 as a bar cookie for 27 mins. Good texture. Imo the flavor was a little lacking. Maybe it will bloom as they set. I think next time I’d use a little ground ginger, or maybe a pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon to oomph up the flavor. Maybe brown the butter as well but a good starting recipe, texture was just what I was looking for.
Can you make this recipe without the molasses?
Hi Carol, yes, you can omit the molasses if needed.
I loved this recipe! I didn’t have any molasses but they were delicious anyway. Thanks!
This was a very easy recipe to follow and the cookies came out just perfect. This is a keeper.
Hello, the cookie tastes delicious. I follow the recipe, but it has been coming out cakey and not like a normal oatmeal cookie. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. The only thing I omit is the nuts.
Hi Diamond, how are you measuring your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over measured, which can make cookies dry and cakey. Glad you enjoyed the cookies!
What could I substitute for the molasses?
For your chewy oatmeal cookies; What caould I substitute for the molasses?
I have blackstrap. Maybe cut it with some Golden Syrup?
Hi Linda! You could definitely try that, or you can just leave it out.
Good quality maple syrup is a great replacement for the molasses
I made this recipe with steel-cut oats and the cookies turned out very chewy and delightful. I always love your recipes, Sally, and this is yet another winner!
My third different recipe and like it the best. I pressed some with a fork and they flattened too much. Made them want to fall apart if I didn’t let them cool longer. Very tasty