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 just backed a batch and they are delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
These oatmeal raisin cookies are so delicious in my book I been cooking cookies my oatmeal cookies always turn out like hard rocks
great taste but a little too soft for me. followed directions, cookie does not hold up by itself. Not baked long enough? or a stiffer cookie desired, use the 1 minute oats?
I made the recipe I didn’t use molasses but the recipe was the best I had ever made . My grand daughter always ask me to make more I can safely give the recipe a rating of 5 stars ⭐️
Hi Sally,
1st, I’d like to thank you for sharing your recipes with us non-bakers! I really like my oatmeal cookies with a hint of ginger, so I was wondering if, and how much, ginger I can add to this recipe? Thank you so much
You can definitely add ginger to these. I’d start with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, and you can adjust to suit your taste. Enjoy!
Favourite oatmeal raisin cookies in our house now. No more store bought cookies.
I made these cookies for a special friend of mine. They are awesome
Best oatmeal cookies I have made. I didn’t use raisins as he doesn’t like raisins
Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
Hi Caroline, We recommend sticking to all butter as you need a solid ingredient to cream with the sugar. Solid coconut oil could work instead.
This is an excellent recipe and I send you my sincere thanks.
This is the best cookie ever….
Followed all instructions, cookies came out flat.
Just made this cookies and the smell and taste amazing! Only issue I had was that the cookies fell flat. I chilled them for 40 minutes.
Im not sure if substituting honey for molasses changed the structure that much.
Hi Marc, Starting with butter that’s too warm is the most common mistake. These tips on how to prevent cookies from spreading will be helpful to review for next time. Thank you for giving these a try!
Can I use 1 minutes oats. I don’t usually buy whole oats
Hi Joann, quick oats will work in a pinch (same amount), but your cookies won’t be as chewy since they absorb more liquid.
I made the oatmeal raisin cookies wonderful will make again and went by your recipe.
These are by far the best oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever eaten! I love this recipe so much! Thank you Sally!
My family adored these cookies, they said they were the best oatmeal cookies they ever had! There was one issue though: the cookies were very crumbly and often would fall apart. Is there any reason for this that isnt related to cook time? I’ve tried to experiment with the time but it seems like no matter what the structure falls apart. It’s still delicious so I’m not bothered! But it concerns me with raisins as my dogs are hoover vacuums.
Hi Lyndsey, we’re so glad the cookies were a hit! How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to measure your flour. This ensures it isn’t over measured, which can cause the cookies to taste a bit dry and crumbly. An easy fix for next time!
Fabulous cookies. I substituted honey for molasses and added an 1/8 teaspoon of all spice and only one teaspoon of cinnamon. They came out light, crispy on the edges and bottom, and moist and chewy in the center. I added the all spice because I’d just made Sally’s Peach muffins recipe two days running and it uses a tad of allspice, which added a little je ne sais quoi. I added the suggested walnuts which I roasted in the air fryer inside a parchment liner with a misting of avocado oil. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. I’ll be making these again.
It’s awesome
I used raisins ground up with some water and ground up rais
Had no molasses
Used grnd raisins, great!!
Can I make oatmeal cookies without the raisins
Hi Jennifer, You can simply omit the raisins, knowing that the cookies will be just a bit thinner without any add-ins. Or, here are our iced oatmeal cookies—you could leave the icing off if desired.
Thank you, love all your recipes.
This is the best recipe, easy to follow, clear instructions, very very nice.
Thanks. Really appreciate.
Everything seem to be going great, it all looked like it should, but at the end the primary flavor was baking soda!
Hi Katie, how strange! Was the baking soda over measured by chance? The recipe as written shouldn’t have a detectable baking soda taste at all.
Best oatmeal raisin cookies by far!
I really really loved these cookies but not as much as my husband and friend. This recipe is a Winner
I’ve used quick a few recipes from Sally’s and loved them however I wasn’t impressed with the oatmeal cookies. Followed recipe as written. Cookies fell flat and crunchy. However good flavor.
Hi Deb, we’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy these cookies. these tips on how to prevent cookies from spreading will be helpful to review for next time. Thank you for giving these a try!
These are just perfect! I didn’t have molasses so used honey as some people suggested in the comments.
It’s a great base recipe as well to experiment with other flavors, I’m gonna try white chocolate chips and sub the raisins for cranberries next time!
Also very easy to freeze some scoops of dough.
do your recipes have nutritional info anywhere??
Hi Eva, 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
I LOVED THIS! probably one of the best cookies I’ve ever made! Before baking I sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon on each and it worked out really well
Oooo that cinnamon on the top is a good idea! I think my ancient cinnamon has lost its’ flavour because I added extra and still didn’t taste it.
Tried this recipe because Sally’s is my go to source for special treats. I very carefully followed all directions, baked for the minimum time, but they fell flat. I have to agree with Chris, below, that the quantities seemed off. There wasn’t enough oats. I used the 255g quantity for the oats, but remember thinking it didn’t look like 3 cups (but proceeded anyway). The cookies baked up flat. So I measured out 3 cups of oats and weighed them, which came out to 321g. I added the difference (an extra 66g) to my batter, baked according to the directions, and it made a world of difference. I’m at sea level, so I don’t think elevation was an issue, but I will adjust this recipe for future use. Thank you!
Various types of oats are going to weigh different. My flour weighs way differently, 1 cup weighs 160g.
I always weigh and measure cups when using a recipe for the first time.
I made a double batch in Mid-May and frozen 1/2 the dough. I followed your directions for freezing with one exception. I chiiled for 1hr in the freezer before putting in the freezer bag.
The fresh batch was delicious and I’d swear the frozen batch, I baked this week are even better. My partner asked me to bake them again before finishing this batch.
Are you sure the quantities are right? Did not hold shape, just melted into one continuous sheet, that had no body even after cooling. Very greasy to touch. I did wonder at the amount of butter called for. I won’t bother wasting ingredients trying again.
Hi Chris, Starting with butter that’s too warm is the most common mistake. This dough should chill for 30-60 minutes before baking. These tips on how to prevent cookies from spreading will be helpful to review for next time. Thank you for giving these a try!
I’d definitely check if the quantity of oats, mine weighed way more than 225g for 3 cups. I’d rely on the cups quantity, different varieties of oats and even brands will weigh vastly different.
My flour also weighs way more than Sally’s, I don’t know if it’s Canadian flour or what but mine is way more dense.
I only have blackstrap molasses. Can I opt out of using molasses altogether for this recipe or would the blackstrap molasses ruin the recipe?
Hi Tamara, blackstrap molasses can be quite strong and overpowering. If you do enjoy it, though, feel free to use it!
I’ve made them ,they turned out great just made a new batch every cookie melted into a melted mess,I followed everything as directed, ANY IDEAS ON HOW TO SAVE the other 1/2 of the batch thank you! I was sooo upset.
Hi Jody, Starting with butter that’s too warm is the most common mistake. These tips on how to prevent cookies from spreading will be helpful to review for next time. Thank you for giving these a try!