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
Good cookies, I just found 150grams of raisins to be quite a lot! Otherwise delicious though!
They came out more cakey, Could it be that I didn’t chill them in the fridge?
No, that wouldn’t have caused them to be cakey. Measuring out too much flour or using baking powder instead of baking soda could cause them to be cakey.
That’s what I did I put in a little baking powder. My mistake but they were still good. First time I made oatmeal cookies from scratch without following any recipe. They almost came out perfect. I just threw stuff together close as I could to having a delicious cookies. Thank you for the recipe now I can try again using some substution.
I followed the recipe faithfully and these cookies came out perfect in flavour and chewiness.
does using less sugar cause them to be more ball-like? I pressed mine slightly firmer and still they’re ball-shaped. hm….delicious though!
Yes, sugar is one of the ingredients that helps cookies spread as they’re baking in the oven.
The best ever, have made them 3 times this week for my kids, my parents, my husband, easy to make ( Im a lousy baker)
Delicious. I doubled the recipe and added some red and green M&Ms for the holidays. Made exactly 4 dozen cookies.
Excellent recipe will double it next time. Didn’t use as many raisins though. C
I love your recipe. I chose to soak the raisins in warm water and added a extra 1/4 teaspoon. Yum! Chewy with slightly crisp edges. So good. Thank you.
my cookies didn’t seem to spread. what could i have done wrong?
Did you spoon and level your flour? Did you slightly flatten them before baking?
I used a scale to measure the flour and i did flatten them. this is my second time using your recipe and i’m wondering if i used quick oats the first time. would that make a difference? this time around i used regular rolled oats.
Quick oats can sometimes be little more powdery, but they should still spread in the oven. If you made them again and they’re not spreading much for you, you can reduce the flour by a couple tablespoons (15 grams) and see if that helps.
These are very tasty but I’m not sure if it’s me or what I did but I find they are much darker in colour than in your pics ,not that it changes the taste just wondering what would cause that if you might know and I also found mine are nice and soft but not holding together the best. Any tips?
Hi, Karen! It kind of sounds like they may have been over baked. If you used a dark cookie sheet, than can cause them to brown a lot faster too. If you happened to use too much baking soda, that can happen as well.
Silly question what if you don’t have parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. I live kind of out in the middle of nowhere. And I’m coming to the conclusion that parchment paper is a luxury in these here parts. LOL. And I’ve never even heard of a silicone baking mat. I feel like I’m stuck on stupid.
I’d recommend either very lightly greasing the cookie sheet or sliding a thin spatula under the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven so they don’t stick.
Im considering making these. Can I use wax paper to lined the cookie sheet ?
No, you can’t use wax paper in the oven. You can very lightly grease the cookie sheet and slide a thin spatula under the cookies right after they come out of the oven.
Great recipe. I also made a vegan batch by substituting the butter for coconut oil and the egg for a ‘chia egg’ they came out great.
Has anyone baked these cookies at elevation above 4,000 feet?
I’m not sure, but some readers have found this guide helpful for adjusting my recipes for high altitude.
These turned out very good! Great flavor and soft and chewy. Definitely recommend making these. They are going to be my go to recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies!
They turned out great and tasty. I also added a cup of chopped walnuts.
Excellent! Graphics and directions amazing.
Very good! I used quick oats because I had them and they turned out great. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Followed the recipe with delicious results, just the right amount of soft and chewy, love them!
So I’m making these for a birthday, can I simply just cut this recipe in half for half with raisins and the other half with no raisins?
You can make the cookie dough, then divide it in half and add raisins to one half.
The only 2 changes I made was doubling the recipe and using mini choc chips(not a raisin fan), could that have caused them to be more cakey? I used all the same exact ingredients it called for other wise
No, that wouldn’t cause them to be cakey. There’s several reasons they could have turned out cakey though – like using too much flour, over mixing the butter and sugar, accidentally using baking powder instead of baking soda, or using a larger egg.
Long overdue review: I’ve made this recipe countless times and it does not disappoint! Thought it finally deserved a review after years of making them lol.
This recipe is so good. I am not a baker but I own a digital scale and I believe measuring in grams makes a big difference. Also, I thought there might be too many raisins but that’s not the case. Thank you
This is the perfect soft oatmeal cookie that I was craving. I did soak my raisins as suggested, and happy that I did. Other than that I made no changes. This is keeper. I also liked that this recipe it did not make 48 cookies, 24 is just right.
I made these for a coworkers birthday, because I didn’t have a recipe for it myself, and they turned out amazing! My stepfather asked me to make another batch the next day, and they were gone by the next morning.
Have made this recipe several times now and it is truly easy to make and delicious. Thank you.
Absolutely delicious. I have two very ‘picky’ grandchildren, but, these were a hit for their school lunch boxes. Thankyiu!
Tried this today and the cookies turned out delicious. Would definitely recommend the recipe 🙂
I love these cookies!
Was wondering if anyone used the same recipe but added choco chips instead of raisins?? I can’t imagine having to tweak anything to make that sub.
Yes! You can substitute the raisins with an equal amount of chocolate chips.
These cookies turned out to be kind of crispy.
I kind of like them crispy too.
19 to 21 minutes is too long.
I took mine out of the oven at 16 minutes and they are already crispy.
If you baked them for 16 minutes, that’s why they turned out crispy. The recipe says to only bake them for 10 to 12 minutes.. I’m not sure where you got 19 to 21 minutes?
Sorry, huge disappointment for me on these. Saw they had 5 stars and made them. Stick to the pan even with cooking spray, need parchment. Flat and gooey…going to have a hard time to store. Lesson learned
I did state in the recipe to use parchment paper. If you grease the pan too much the cookies will spread and turn out flat and if you over bake them they can stick. I’ve suggested to some readers who don’t have parchment paper that they may lightly grease the baking sheet and slide a thin spatula under them as soon as they come out of the oven (so they don’t stick to the pan). This is just a suggestion though, if you want the cookies to turn out correctly I always recommend following my recipe exactly as written.