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 were very tasty, soft and chewy cookies
. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I made these for my niece as she loves this type of cookies.
This recipe is very easy to follow and is very tasty. 😘👍🏾😋
Great recipe, my husband and I love the flavour and texture. Thank you
These cookies were excellent. I did , however, make a few adjustments as my husband is diabetic. I substituted white slenda and brown sugar splenda. i also used 1/2 butter and 1/2 sunflower butter. I also used dried cranberries for 1/2 the raisins. My husband loved them
The BEST oatmeal raisin cookies EVER!!!! The first time I made these, I made half the recipe, which was a big mistake because they were gone in 2 days. I just finished baking some and once again they came out perfectly! Make these cookies, you won’t regret it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Danielle.
My boyfriend loves these cookies (so do i)! He jokes about me mak8ng a giant one for his birthday. Do you have any recommendations on how to adjust the cooking times for one or two giant cookies? Thanks
I haven’t tried to make it into one or two large cookies, so it’s hard to say. I would recommend either pressing the cookie dough into a springform pan and making one large cookie cake or scooping 1/3 cup of cookie dough (for larger cookies) and baking them for 15 to 18 minutes.
Just wanna say this is THE BEST RECIPE for oatmeal cookies!!! the perfect mix of chewy and dry!!!
So easy to make and delicious! The raisins give these cookies the right amount of natural sweetener. Love making these cookies from scratch. I don’t think I’ll go back to making them from a conventional store bought mix—they’re just too artificially sweet compared to these! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Easy basic recipe. I used quick oats because it was what I had. I didn’t chill my dough and I portioned the cookies slightly bigger (16 cookies). I pushed slightly down when putting on the baking sheet and they spread perfectly and I think were perfect sized. I’ll add more cinnamon next time, but otherwise a great old fashioned beginner recipe. I soaked my raisins which I had never done before and I do think it is worth the effort.
I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve never had success with an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe before. Finally a recipe that actually feels and tastes bakery-quality!!! I used 75% of the sugar indicated and I still found it too sweet so I will use 50% next time. Everything else was spot-on. Thank you very much!
Recipe met the expectation of chewy and soft.
Tried two batches with different baking temps to test outcome:
375 degrees vs 350 degrees for 10 – 12 min. Higher temp produced slightly crispier outside with good chew on inside.
Increased salt to 1/2 t.
Beautiful recipe!
Thank you for the great recipe, the best oatmeal raisin cookies ever.
Excellent recipe!
Sooooo good
Thank you for your great recipe. Everyone loves it !!!
The best cookie I have ever made. ❤️
First time making this recipe. Easy to follow. Cookies are delicious !
What temperature should you cook them at?
350°F – It’s in step 5 of the recipe 🙂
Delicious! This is my new go-to recipe. I advise checking on them at 9-10 mins.
do you have the nutritional breakdown of this recipe? Have enjoyed many of your recipes so thank you.
Hi, Eileen! I don’t include nutrition information because it would only be an estimate and can vary based on the number of servings you get, the ingredients you use, etc. I recommend using an online calculator (like My Fitness Pal) with your exact ingredients, servings, etc, so that you can get a more accurate estimate.
You missed adding the raisins in the recipe directions.
It’s in step 3 – Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing on low speed until just combined, then mix in the raisins.
Great recipe, which my family loves! I don’t add the granulated sugar – just brown. And the cookies still come out perfect. On to the third batch now.
Absolutely delicious! However, I did double the brown sugar
can i use salted butter in a non salted butter recipe?
Yes, that’s fine. It’s a good rule of thumb to reduce the salt in a recipe by 1/4 teaspoon for each stick of salted butter though.
I did step-by-step, and as a young mother and wife learning to bake and cook. This was amazing. You are such an absolute blessing.❤️💕
I made the oatmeal cookies and it was a disaster they crumbled into pieces when I took them off the coole sheet and it only made 15 cookies
Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
The recipe is awesome and so yummy!!😋
Can’t wait to try this recipe !
Not enough moisture in the recipe. I knew it while mixing it together but I baked a couple of anyway and they were dry like the desert.
There’s plenty of moisture in the recipe. If they were that dry, you likely used too much flour/oats or over baked the cookies.
Also I think I may have used little extra flour or something so I did end up adding a few splashes of milk and leaving it for a short while so the oats absorbed it all in and went a little more smoother in texture. Little fixes help the batter. Other than my own mistake, delicious!
So delicious thank you! Just for my own preference I did a little less sugar but even then overall they were so tasty and yummy!
Awful recipe, runny mixture, far too much sugar, first 6 baked just ran across the tray and crystallised. Most people seemed to have made adjustments so honestly just try a different recipe.
These were so good ,soft and chewy . A big hit with the crowd !!