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
These are the best oatmeal cookies ever! I substituted chopped dates for the raisins.
They have an awesome flavor but I can’t stop them from spreading so much they are totally flat cookies. That happens even after I refrigerate them for a period of time
Hi Joan, here are our best tips to prevent cookies from spreading. Hope it helps for next time!
Hi Sally! I have made these once so far:
1. Toasted the oats; not sure I would do again.
2. Didn’t have walnuts so used pecans: no pecans for me…I’m a walnut kind of girl!
3. Each cookie weighed 43 grams and next time will make smaller at 40 grams.
4. Would it work if I reduced the oats by 1/4th to 1/2 cup?
Thank you Sally!
How do you toast the oats and does it make the cookies less chewy.?
Hi Ida, we haven’t tested these cookies with toasted oats, but a few readers have reported success doing so. Let us know if you try it!
Can I use salted butter and reduced the actual salt in this recipe?
Hi Ida, you can use salted butter and then reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
Must I use rolled oats or can I use Quacker old fashioned oats?
If I don’t have parchement paper can I bake right on the cookie sheet or will that ruin my cookies?
Hi Ida, old fashioned oats work perfectly here. We highly recommend using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to ensure the cookies don’t stick to the baking pan.
Just made these, AMAZING! But I have to ask, was the recipe updated? I saved it in my cookbook a long time ago and I have the flour listed as 1.5cup (188g), I just shared the recipe to a friend and noticed the discrepancy. Is there any particular reason it was changed? I have to say, the recipe works great even with less flour!
Hi Terry, the recipe was updated to include a little more flour after several readers were having trouble with the cookies over-spreading. If the old recipe with less flour works well for you, please do continue to use it!
Looking forward to trying these! Would you mind sharing what the previous flour amount was? I’d love to compare, if able. TYIA!
Hi Rosi, the previous amount of flour was 1 and 1/2 cups (188g).
I made these cookies today. They are wonderfully, incredibly flavorful and delicious. I liked the idea of toasting the oats, so I did toast them along with the walnuts. Thanks for another great recipe.
Hi sally! I was wondering if I can use quick one minute whole oats instead of old fashioned whole oats.
Hi Amanda, quick oats will work in a pinch (same amount), but your cookies won’t be as chewy since they absorb more liquid.
Hi Sally! Can I 1/2 this recipe and still turn out great? Thanks!
Hi Erin, yes, you can halve this recipe.
Can I substitute chocolate chips for the raisins? If yes, what quantity of chocolate chips would you recommend? Thank you
Hi Karen, absolutely! Or here’s our oatmeal chocolate chip cookies recipe.
I love your recipes. You are one of my favorites to go to for easy baking recipes. I love that you give simple instructions using measures that are ,easy to use in our American homes, and not just METRIC like so many. Thank you.
Can I substitute white sugar with applesauce instead for a healthier alternative or just remove white sugar altogether and add chopped apples?
Hi Steven, no, we don’t recommend replacing the sugar here with applesauce or any liquid sweetener. We don’t recommend omitting it completely, either. It will change the overall taste, texture, and structure of the cookie as well as impact its ability to spread. For a healthier alternative with similar flavors and ingredients, you might enjoy these apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups instead.
These cookies turned out very well with a vegan twist. I used vegan butter (Earth Balance) and chia seed egg substitute. I reduced the salt to 1/4 teaspoon since the vegan butter was salted. They exceeded my expectations! I love the addition of the molasses.
This recipe is my go to for sure! Perfectly soft and chewy, my hubby loves them. Thank you
Fabulous! I think the molasses makes the difference. I read a comment about toasting the oats first so I did that. I used dark chocolate chips and dried cherries instead of raisins, and baked for only 8-10 mins in oven then left on hot baking tray to finish out of the oven. I also melted the butter rather than just softened it — I had read this would help promote chewiness. They are, indeed, chewy and delicious!
I was wondering why you say NOT to use blackstrap molasses? What is the difference between blackstrap and the other.
I have made this recipe with blackstrap molasses , which is what I had at home, and it is a delicious recipe. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks and Kind Regards,
Lizzy
Hi Lizzy, we find the flavor of blackstrap molasses can be too intense for some people’s taste, but you can use it if you prefer!
What is the nutritional value?
Hi Amy, 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
This is an excellent recipe, easy to follow and turned out as expected.
Please let me know if I can use harvest crunch granola instead of oat and maple instead of molasses.
Hi Sarah! You really need oats for this recipe, not granola. You can leave the molasses out if you don’t have any.
Easy ingredient list and tasted great. Thank you.
Are these able to be made as bars? What modifications would be needed?
Hi Mary, We haven’t made this exact recipe as bars but we’d recommend making them in a 9×13 pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time. Let us know if you give it a try.
I tried these cookies even though I have an old tried and true I usually use. Ilove the taste. Was surprised they took so many oats! My old recipe called for toasting the oats and I wish I had with yours. They seem to taste to raw oatey. I will try again with toasted oats.
there only two of us! can i freeze the cookies
Hi Karen, absolutely! You can freeze either the baked cookies or the unbaked cookie dough balls and bake them a few at a time when you want them. See this post on how to freeze cookie dough for more info.
I have a huge craving for soft, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies.
While I was gathering all of the required ingredients, I realized I do not have molasses.
Is there way to substitute molasses for this recipe?
Thank you.
Hi Elizabeth, you can leave the molasses out if needed.
I love all of your recipes! You make them really easy to follow and love the helpful tips you include. These cookies were super yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve made thousands of oatmeal raisin cookies over the years always searching the ultimate cookie. This is it! I’ve probably made 6 batches of these this past month alone as everyone is always asking me for more!
Thank you!
Can these cookies be as good with GF flour or substitute flour such as oat flour or almond flour?
Hi Ann, we haven’t tested these cookies with any gluten free flours, but we don’t recommend oat flour or almond flour as they have very different baking properties and aren’t always a 1:1 swap. A 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour may be your best bet, but again, we haven’t tested it to know the results. Let us know if you do any experimenting!
Honestly I’m not a huge fan of oatmeal raisin cookies but the family likes them so I gave this recipe a shot. I am so pleasantly surprise, they are delicious!!! This recipe is definitely going in the permanent recipe book!
Is pulsing the oats in a blender for a smoother texture acceptable?
Hi John, We leave them whole for the ultimate hearty, chewy, thick texture, but if you prefer another texture, you can try that!