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
Any adjustments for high altitude? I live in Colorado.
I’m not familiar with high altitude baking, but some readers have found this guide helpful for adjusting my recipes.
Love this recipe. I did change out the raisins for chopped dates. My husband doesn’t like raisins. Soft and chewy as promised
Rather cakey, not a chewy cookie like I was expecting
Only thing I changed was adding 1/4 tsp ginger and a sprinkle of nutmeg, which made for a well flavoured cakey cookie.
Great recipe. I soaked raisins in Bourbon infused Maple Syrup, added combination of chopped cashews, almonds and pecans and chopped dehydrated mango. Didn’t refrigerate dough prior to baking and they turned out just fine. Recipe is a keeper.
Made exactly as recipe was posted. SO GOOD! They are perfect. Making 2nd batch today. My husband loves these oatmeal cookies!
Followed the recipe to a T and they came out flay as pancakes:(
Sorry to hear that, Christina. If you followed the recipe exactly they should not have turned out flat. Did you double check all of your measurements? And did you make sure to only use 1 stick of butter?
Great, almost fluffy cookies. Very tasty and not too sweet.
We can’t get enough of these cookies. They turn out perfectly soft and chewy every time (I use the metric measurements). I freeze them as they only take a few minutes to defrost. Absolutely delicious.
I absolutely intend on trying this recipe, looks and sounds amazing! Just one quick comment, I note you mention about soaking the raisins in water, quite commonly here in the UK we plump raisins up in tea, it works really well and it stops the hard/chewy raisin complaints! Or have it my mother’s way and soak them in brandy overnight! Looking forward to giving this a go!
My cookie dough seemed a bit dry, and the cookies did not flatten at all. They don’t look like the ones in your pictures, but are thick, chewy and delicious! Exactly the texture I was looking for!
Hi
the main reason i love this recipe is you have it in grams here in england i get so annoyed when looking for a recipe and its just cups
But the main reason i love this recipe is it keeps the 162 children i cook for a real treat they love
These are by far the best oatmeal raisin cookies i have ever tried.
These cookies were divine! I only had 1/2 cup of raisins on-hand so I supplemented with 1/2 cup of dried apricots. Also added 1 tsp of cinnamon instead of 1/2 tsp and added some nutmeg and it came out amazing!
This is a wonderful recipe. I made them for the first time. These soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are moist and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as written and they were absolutely perfect. Thanks for a great recipe.
Look just like picture and delish. I used slightly less sugar and put in some maple syrup. Also used smaller currants instead of raisins. And about 1/2 cup walnut pieces A definite keeper of a recipe. Thank you!
Sorry. Left off the rating stars.
Brilliant! Made twice in 2 weeks now. Anyone know the calories, fat, protein etc. For inputting to my fitness pal please?
Mine came out great. I did add chocolate chips. Wife loved them and she’s a tough critic.
These cookies are delicious! I made them with the exact ingredients and measurements as directed. I used a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and baked for 8 minutes and yielded 36 cookies. I definitely will be making these again!
The cookie dough tasted amazing, sweet. I enjoyed making the cookie dough. After freezing the dough for 30 mins, the dough rolled pretty well but after it sat out it started to stick and become harder to roll. I managed to place the dough evenly on the pan and plopped them into the oven. After 10 mins the cookies weren’t flattened nicely nor did they brown at the bottom. It could’ve been my method but that’s how it turned out for me. Overall, it was a nice recipe.
Great recipe! My husband is not a fan or raisins, so the second time I made these I substituted dried cranberries and added some white chocolate chips. He said these were the best cookies I’ve ever made. 😂
Awesome cookies. I don’t know how anyone could screw up making these! My husband loves them!
I loved this easy cookie recipe which at my first try I did not follow the 30 minute refrigerator instruction but everything turned out ok.
I was happy to learn about getting the egg to room temperature with your tip. this is something I was always not doing when I baked.
I’ve been on a Raisin Oatmeal Cookie hunt, looking for the best recipe, of the dozen or so I’ve tried, this is the best one. Easy to replicate (THANK YOU! for posting weights in grams as well, makes baking so much easier) and the perfect texture.
Am considering soaking raisins in rum next time, for a slightly boozy adult cookie treat 😛
Never made oatmeal and raisin cookies before but we had a craving for them and could not find them in shops. A quick Google and I found this recipe. It was simple to follow (I LOVE that the recipe has both cups and grams as I use both…) and turned out amazingly! Very impressed and will be making again very soon!
I put everything in together and mixed with my mismaster except the egg and vanilla, I whipped up the egg and added vanilla , turned out great !
I haven’t tried this recipe yet. With the directions and tip’s being so informative I can’t wait to make these tomorrow!
These were excellent Thank you
This is probably the first cookie recipe that has ever turned out how I wanted them to, and even exceeded expectations. They turned out amazing, I’ve since made them multiple times and I add in chocolate chips as well. They are such a hit with everyone who has tried them. (I use kitchen scales to weigh the ingredients and I mix by hand with a wooden spoon.)
Would love to have tried this recipe but couldn’t move the ads out of the way, despite reporting it
Sorry you’re having trouble viewing the recipe. I’ve checked it on a few different devices and I’m not seeing any ads covering it. If you can let me know what the ad was for, I can try to get that fixed. In the meantime, if you click print recipe it will pull up the recipe with no ads.
I love this recipe! I’m temporarily without an oven and the baked in my Ninja Foodie on 300 degrees for 9 min and came out perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Great. Disregard cooling time. Best straight out of the oven with milk.