Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are super soft, thick, and loaded with oats and raisins. These cookies are easy to make and so delicious!
Is there anything better than a soft, thick, and chewy cookie? I’ve always been a huge fan of oatmeal cookies because there’s so many different things you can mix into them and they’re always delicious.
I originally published this oatmeal raisin cookie recipe back in 2017 and they’ve been a huge reader favorite! I decided it was finally time to update this recipe with more instructions and pictures so you can see just how easy they are to make.
If you love raisins, I guarantee this is the best oatmeal raisin cookie recipe you will ever try. And don’t worry, if you don’t like raisins you can easily leave them out or replace them with something else!
Recipe Ingredients
These easy oatmeal raisin cookies use simple ingredients that you may already have on hand! Let’s discuss each ingredient and why it’s crucial to this recipe:
- All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for your cookies so that they maintain their shape and hold up once they’re baked. When it comes to measuring your flour, make sure to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can lead to cookies that won’t spread in the oven.
- Ground Cinnamon: I use ground cinnamon in all of my oatmeal cookies. Feel free to increase the amount if you love cinnamon!
- Baking Soda & Salt: The baking soda lifts the cookies and the salt enhances all of the flavors.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Rolled oats are best in oatmeal cookies because they provide a chewier texture.
- Butter: As always, I used unsalted butter in these cookies. If you only have salted butter on hand, just reduce the salt to a tiny pinch. Your butter should also be softened to a cool room temperature.
- Sugar: I use a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar in all of my oatmeal cookies. The brown sugar adds moisture and flavor to the cookies and also makes them chewier. The granulated sugar helps the cookies spread as they bake in the oven.
- Egg: The egg helps bind everything together. I suggest using a room temperature egg for best results.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: For a little extra flavor.
- Raisins: There’s one cup of raisins in these cookies so that you get some in every single bite. If you’re not a fan of raisins, you can omit them or replace them with something else.
How To Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
To make the cookie dough, you’ll start by whisking together the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Then, stir in your rolled oats and set the mixture aside.
Next, mix up the wet ingredients. To start, beat your softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until they’re well combined. The amount of time will depend on whether you’re using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, but it should take about 1 to 2 minutes.
Next, beat in your egg and vanilla extract. I suggest stopping to scrape down the sides of your bowl and then mixing one more time. At this point, your mixture should look like the picture above on the left.
Once the wet ingredients are well combined, add the dry ingredients and mix them in until just combined. Then, toss in your raisins and mix them in on low-speed or gently fold them in with a rubber spatula until they’re fully incorporated. The finished cookie dough will look like the picture above on the right.
I also suggest covering the cookie dough with some plastic wrap and chilling it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This extra step will allow the oats time to absorb some of the moisture so the cookies don’t spread too much when they bake.
Once the dough has chilled, line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and scoop 1.5 tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough onto the baking sheets. Then, gently press down each ball of cookie dough just slightly.
These oatmeal raisin cookies will take about 10 to 12 minutes in the oven. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are lightly browned and the tops of your cookies are set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use quick oats?
I recommend using old-fashioned rolled oats because they will make the cookies chewier. However, you can replace them with the same amount of quick oats.
Why are my cookies not spreading in the oven?
There are a couple of things that could prevent your cookies from not spreading in the oven. First, it’s crucial to measure your flour correctly with the spoon and level method. Too much flour can lead to cookies that don’t spread.
It’s also important to slightly flatten each ball of cookie dough before baking them in the oven. This will help them spread some as they are baking!
Can I freeze this cookie dough?
Yes, this cookie dough freezes really well! I recommend lining a baking sheet with parchment paper, scooping the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, and slightly flattening each ball of cookie dough. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours, then transfer the frozen cookie dough to a large freezer bag. You can bake the cookie dough from frozen, just add an additional 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
Baking Tips
- You may prepare the cookie dough, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. If the cookie dough is too hard to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes and that should make it easier.
- If you want to make more cookies, you can easily double this recipe to make about 4 dozen.
- Want to soak your raisins? I personally skip this step, but if you want the raisins to be more plump in the cookies, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. Once they’re ready, drain them and blot them really well with a paper towel before mixing them into the cookie dough.
- If you want your cookies to spread a bit more, you can press them down more like in the video below!
More Classic Cookie Recipes To Try!
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Classic No-Bake Cookies
Video Tutorial
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups (150 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150 grams) raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the old-fashioned rolled oats and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing on low speed until just combined, then mix in the raisins.
- Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Once the dough is chilled, remove it from the refrigerator. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets. Roll the cookie dough into balls and very gently press down with your hand to flatten each ball of cookie dough slightly. Make sure to leave a little room between each ball of cookie dough as they will spread a little while they bake.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown and the tops are set. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack cool completely.
Notes
These cookies turned out absolutely amazing. Followed the recipe to the ‘T’ as it was my first attempt at making cookies. Thank you.
I made the version using chocolate covered raisins. Best cookies in the history of the world. Absolutely WOW!!!
I found the flavor of these cookies to be good. However, not sure why but they turned out very dry for me. I’m not sure if it was the amount of oatmeal to flour ratio. However, I tried to under bake them and still had the same result. I didn’t have this issue at all with the small batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and these were very chewy and delicious. So I think I will stick to using that one for my oatmeal raisin cookies as well. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Sorry you had trouble with the recipe. Did you make sure to spoon and level your flour? Too much flour could be the reason that they were dry.
I did spoon the flour but maybe I didn’t level it well. This could have been the problem. Thanks
These cookies were amazing! I tried them yesterday and they were delicious, the ratio was perfect.
Overall great cookie deffiantly recomend!
Super! Since I’m using these as hi protein breakfast cookies, I’ve made some changes….
1. Instead of 1/2 cup butter, I used 1/4 butter + 1/4 peanut butter
2. Lowered sugar content slightly and used only brown sugar; 1/2 c + c 1/8 c
3. Substituted trail mix of mixed nuts plus raisins + dried cranberries instead of just raisins4.
4. Added 2 Tablespoons whey protein, vanilla flavor, plus 2 Tablespoons water.
I formed entire batch into just seven balls (before flattening)…one for each day of the week. Delicious!
Hi Judy H, my name is Shannon and wanted to thank you for posting your version. These oatmeal cookies are spot on delicious and my family absolutely loves them…maybe a little too much lol. I recommend the original version to anyone who is an oatmeal cookie lover! However, I intend to try your version today. Sounds like an amazing easy and delicious way to get some protein going in your system first thing in the morning. Especially easy when you can literally grab it and go. As a Mom of 3 I often miss eating breakfast because after getting the kids ready and off for their day, there’s no time for me. Now there will be thanks to you! I wholeheartedly appreciate you posting your version, Shannon
These cookies are delicious and so easy to make. I seem to always have the ingredients on hand which makes them even easier. No trips to the store! Even people that say they don’t like oatmeal cookies think these are wonderful. Making a batch now to mail to my son as these are his favorite.
Love this recipe! My mum doesn’t like raisins and would prefer nuts, if I substitute raisins for nuts, the same amount will the recipe still work? X
Yes! You can use 1 cup of chopped nuts instead.
This was a terrible outcome. I followed the recipe exactly and was left with extremely dry balls that did not flatten even slightly. I even left them in an additional minute. They were the same shape as when I put them into the oven, and crumbled into dust when I took them out.
Sorry you had trouble with the recipe, Lisa. Did you make sure to spoon and level your flour? These cookies should spread in the oven, but if there was too much flour in your dough, that may be why they didn’t spread very well.
I’ve made these a few times and they are HEAVEN! Even my raisin-hating partner loves them. Best oatmeal raisin cookie I’ve ever had!
Randomly had a craving for soft chewy oatmeal raisin cookies and Google led me here, to the best most delicious, simplest oatmeal raisin cookies of all time! I LOVE this recipe and it’s now my go to. They came out perfectly. Only changes I made were vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract and I added a little nutmeg because I love it. Thank you!
All I can say is WoW!!. Love these cookies a recipie that’s tryef and tested and always turn out great, it’s so easy to follow thumbs up
Thank-you
Twice making his recipe and I love it.
Hello can you use oat flour instead of all purpose
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. Oat flour absorbs more liquid and would dry out the cookies.
Can this dough be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can refrigerate it for two to three days or freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.
My dad loves these cookies. I keep making it for him. Love it!
Heavenly! I used a MUG as a cup measure, quick oats rather than old-fashioned, and half-oil half-butter, and they still turned out super-soft and retained the thickness as in your photos. Thanks for a no-fail recipe!
I’m trying to make this recipe and for some reason my cookies are not flattening or cooking all the way and I’m not sure why! I’ve tried smaller scoops and I’m not sure if it’s something wrong with the batter? It’s too bad because the batter is delicious!! Any advice?!
Hi, Tara! Did you make sure to spoon and level your flour and are you slightly flattening each ball of cookie dough too? Those are two reasons that the cookies may not be spreading.
I made these and they were delicious! I added a little more sugar to the second batch.I love a good soft cookie.They taste even better the second day.I’m going to try the apple oatmeal cookies and the oatmeal chocolate chip ones as well.Thanks so much for this recipe.
Yum! Everything i want my cookie to be! Soft snd chewy. Thanks!
Hi there! I made this recipe a while back and now I’m making it again. The first time, I 1/4’ed it and got 4 thick cookies out of it. I halved it this time and got 7 cookies out of it. I’m not sure if the full recipe gives 22 cookies. Are you sure?
Yes, as long as you use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop.
if choose to froze the dough how long will be the baking time?
If you bake them from frozen, you can add an extra 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time. Just be sure to slightly flatten each ball of cookie dough before freezing, so that they spread as they bake.
Completely perfect! Thank you so much for your great educational backstories. Chilling is the way to go!
I make these every single week. I alternate chocolate chip (husband’s fave) and raisins (my fave). I also made them substituting cinnamon with 2 tsps. of ground ginger and adding chopped candied ginger. Very versatile recipe. Thank you.
Hi . These cookies are such a blast. Loved it. Just wondering if l could add a handful of chopped almobds and choc chips . Thank you so much for sharing your recipes
Yes, that would be fine! I would reduce the raisins down to 1/2 to 3/4 cup if you do though.
These are THE BEST oatmeal cookies! Thank you so much for sharing this AMAZING recipe! You know they’re a hit when everyone asks for the recipe!
WOW. This recipe was so easy to follow and the cookies turned out amazing! Thank you so much! I am going to try making them again with chocolate covered raisins. Going into the freezer for Christmas! Only if there are any left LOL
I made these. I used dry cranberries and the flavor was really good and they’re so easy to make, not dry at all but my cookies spread to almost flat. Any advice?
Cookies typically spread if the butter in the dough is too warm. You can try refrigerating it longer and see if that helps!
Hi, how many days can I leave the dough in the fridge?
Up to 3 days, if it’s too cold to scoop let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
How many calories and grams of sugar per cookie?
I’m not sure about the nutritional information, but you can plug everything into an online calculator to get an estimate.
Just finished making 3 batches of these cookies. They look awesome! Absolutely delectable! Even better warm out of the oven! First time doing cookies and I believe they came out so well because of your guidance. Thank you.