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
- 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*
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tablespoon!)
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) 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 2 minutes. 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.
Just made these.. so freaking yummy.. my mom said they were the best cookies I made yet ‘n my brother devoured 3 XD <3 tanxxx alo0t for this recipe
My first time using this recipe and it was excellent. I did stuck to the recipe (with the exception of leaving out the granulated sugar). Both of children and husband really liked them. Very easy to make. The house smells SO good too. Thank you for sharing!
These cookies are so incredibly tasty! I love the addition of the toasted walnuts and molasses. Thank you for the detailed instructions, too! Your recipes never let me down! 🙂
I needed some good oatmeal cookies and I didn’t even look anywhere else because I know Sally’s recipes are the best. <3
I really enjoyed this with a few modifications – I added orange zest and some orange extract, substituted some craisins and dates for some of the raisins, and toasted pecans for walnuts. My husband likes the regular variety better (no orange), but I liked the depth of flavors with the orange and craisins added.
Hi again Sally, these cookies are awesome!! My husband hates raisins and oatmeal cookies but these smelled so good when they came out of the oven he couldn’t help but try one….then 2, then 3!
I would rate this recipe 3.25-3.5 stars. I have been searching for the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie recipe and this one isn’t quite it. The cookies ARE soft, but they don’t look as good as those in the picture. My cookies need to not only taste good, BUT also look good.
Oatmeal raisin cookie wisperer! Will never make from another recipe again…unless it’s from Miss Sally
I halved this recipe, then spread it immediately into an 8×8 pan. Cooked at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, until browning slightly at edges. Only change in ingredients was I used Gluten Free flour and substituted Maple syrup instead of Molasses. Made great little bars for work, tired of paying an arm and a leg for Gluten Free bars.
What a great idea! I’m so glad you were able to make it work for you!
Hello can i skip mollasses in this recipe.
Yes, you can leave it out.
I made these yesterday and they were DELICIOUS! I have a recipe that I have used for years but this recipe will be my go-to recipe for Oatmeal Raisin cookies from now on. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Sally! Hands down best flavor of any oatmeal raisin cookie I’ve ever made, or ever eaten – no contest! However, mine turned out a little dry, and did not get that moist chew or buttery flavor I had hoped for. Weighed the butter (weighed ALL the ingredients) added the toasted walnuts in addition to the raisins (you should make this a non-negotiable requirement, btw – because it’s delicious!) Still, the end result while tasty was more dry and a bit crumbly vs. moist and chewy with a crisp edge. Help me out, Coach. Where did I go wrong??
So delicious! I wonder if the cookies were over-baked? They shouldn’t be dry or crumbly. Make sure you are using whole oats, not a finer cut oat like instant or quick oats.
Best oatmeal raisin cookies ever! You nailed once agin, Sally! The only thing I did differently was not chill my dough because we like thinner, chewier cookies with a crisp edge, and the cookies did not spread into one another. I used 1 tbsp. to measure & dropped them into place (gently shaping if needed) but they rounded out nicely on their own. My oven cooked them to perfection in 12 minutes this way.
Have a great first weekend of spring!
First time making oatmeal cookies. These turned out incredible. Crispy, chewy, spicy (I added some ground cloves and ground ginger, as well as a handful of dried cranberries – I thought they were dark raisins and dumped them in before realizing), and so good I’ll probably have to make another batch tomorrow. Everyone keeps grabbing a couple… Thanks so much for this gorgeous recipe.
Hands down, best oatmeal raisin cookies ever!! I have made these so many times, a definite favorite in our household!
My entire family’s favorite cookie recipe. . . HANDS DOWN!
When I make this recipe, folks come out of the wood work, asking for me to send them their way. They are that good!
When a post starts off the way this one does, you know you are in good hands. This is my favorite cookie dough (for beater licking purposes)
Doubles as a breakfast cookie? Go with it. These are the best!
Thanks for posting this recipe. 4 years of baking them and they are still the best!
My now husband, then boyfriend once told me that his favorite cookies were oatmeal raisin, but his only complaint was that they never had enough raisin flavor throughout the cookie. I searched through probably 500 oatmeal raisin cookie recipes and found yours to fit my needs the best. The only change I made was to pulverize maybe half a cup of raisins in with the wet ingredients. they were a huge hit. i mean HUGE. Best ever, I’ve been told many times. Sent 9 dozen from Alaska to Afghanistan to my now husband’s son who was stationed there, at Christmas. We asked how he liked them and if he shared. He told us he shared 1 dozen and ate the rest! OMG! Anyway, they re awesome and I give partial credit to the cookies that he asked me to marry him.
Delicious !!! Love the full tablespoon of vanilla, the addition of molasses and walnuts. Another amazing cookie. I have to say I have tried (but not written review) other recipes from your site and recipes have always been amazing. thank you
Hi, Sally. I didn’t see this question but I’m dying for a good oatmeal-raisin-walnut cookie with lots of vanilla so I can’t wait to try your recipe … only I inherited an allergy to butter. (Can’t tolerate imitation butter either.) Do you have any suggestions for how I would have to adjust the recipe to replace the butter with oil? (I can hear your pain, since you obviously love the buttery flavour.) Thank you SO much for any help you can give!
Hi Robin! I suggest solid coconut oil for a 1:1 substitution for the butter. That will give you the best results!
I made these cookies yesterday and they were terrific. Really, they are the best soft oatmeal cookies I’ve ever made….and I’ve been making cookies for a long time !! 😉
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Made these today. They turned out wonderfully. Changed it a little to 1/2 unsalted butter and 1/2 butter flavoured shortening, Less molasses,more spices like cloves and allspice. Quadrupled the recipe. I gave up trying to roll them as the batter was too soft with 45 min. fridge time. Some spread a little but we are delighted with these, my hubby ‘s fave. I have not had good luck with gluten free cookies in the past except for shortbread. Thank you Sally, will try more of your recipes. My daughter and granddaughter both bake gluten free as well.
These have been my go-to cookies for years; they are so delicious! I have a batch in the oven as I type this. I add a little fresh grated nutmeg and I use blackstrap molasses instead of regular but that’s just for fun. The cookies are perfection just as the recipe is written! Thank you!
So lovely to read this and I love your addition of fresh nutmeg. Thank you for sharing!
Oh my god I usually never write comments but this recipe deserves it. LITERALLY the best things to come out of my oven. Thank you so much!!!! Will make them forever. Even people who USUALLY don’t like oatmeal cookies devoured it. So chewy and cinnamony. I added some caramel in the center which melted and made it even more sticky and heavenly. Everyone who has an oven should try this. 100/10.
My friend loves oatmeal raisin cookies and he challenged me to make some. I made your recipe and he loved them. They are exceptionally different on so many levels: crispy, chewy and spicy as promised. This is the second of your recipes I have made successfully and it is so exciting to find recipes that are creative and original. Thank you so much. And thank you for writing clear, concise and complete instructions.
I made these last night and this is, by far, the most delicious oatmeal cookie I’ve ever tasted.  I’m 72 and have been baking cookies for well over 50 years…always disappointed in my oatmeal cookie results.  Thank you.  Wish I had this recipe years ago.
By far the best oatmeal cookies I have ever made!
I don’t make it a habit to comment on recipes I try unless they are fabulous. This recipe is a keeper! I followed the instructions to the letter and they came out beautifully. This is the only oatmeal raisin cookie recipe in my book because it is the only one I will ever use again. BTW- Take the recommendation to use parchment paper because it is the difference between cookies slightly sticking to the cookie sheet or not. Thank you for this spectacular recipe!