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.
- 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 (230g) 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*
- 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.
- 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.
Keywords: cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies
The best oatmeal raisin I’ve ever had. I used whole wheat flour,choc chips & maple syrup because I didn’t have molasses!
★★★★★
These were a delight!
These unlocked a very special moment in my heart. When I first started baking, two years ago, i made oatmeal raisin cookies for my boyfriend for his birthday. Unfortunately, the cookies turned out, disgusting and burnt. Granted I used a bag of cookie mix. I had to do better, so with literally an hour to spare I decided to make them from scratch. I used Sally’s recipe, and it started my whole baking journey. I haven’t made oatmeal raisin cookies since then. So, when I baked these sweet babies, I was full of nostalgia.
This cookie recipe is wonderful! I even added dried cranberries to the mix as well. The texture was great, everything mixed in so well together I was taken away by how easy this recipe was. I even doubled it so I could bring them into work.
They came out so soft, so rich in flavor, and not too sweet either. They were a fan favorite among everyone! Will definitely be making these again!
Thanks again Sally! Your recipes are one of my favorites to use when baking!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! Would love to make these but currently do not have molasses on hand. Can I omit it completely or would dark maple syrup be a good substitute?
Hi Sophie, you can simply omit the molasses. The cookies will still have plenty of flavor!
This recipe is the best. The molasses really makes a difference. I initially swapped out raisins for chocolate chips because I didn’t have any. Later, I swapped them out for dried cranberries and. I am telling you there is nothing better than this. I wrote in caps atop this recipe DO NOT LOSE! and share it widely.
★★★★★
Have been looking for this flavor a long time. Last recipe I tried (from a usually trusted source) turned out dry and flavorless. Analyzing what was missing, I looked for more spice, more butter and perhaps molasses for both flavor and moisture. This checked all the boxes exactly and accomplished just what I was looking for. I was also impressed you included the hint to plump the raisins prior to adding in the dough. I’ve been doing that for years – can’t stand raisins that feel like you’re chewing bullets. These are now my go-to. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
My husband LOVES this cookie recipe. I’ve made them twice and I have since read where one person soaked the raisins in a bit of whiskey! Great idea! I also thought Kahlua might be good as well as rum!! The options are endless! Thank you Sally for such a delicious cookie recipe.
★★★★★
Amazing! My man loved these. I also added a little more molasses, and threw in pumpkin spice too. I also let it chill for about 1.5 hours in the fridge, and they didn’t spread so much in the oven. Looks professional. Thank you!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times, and I always get rave reviews. I’ve added a little extra molasses, and this time I toasted my oats in butter first, just to see what would happen. I think the result is even better, if that’s possible.
★★★★★
Cookies came out thin and too soft.Did recipe exactly as stated.
★★
My very favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe!! I’ve made them about a dozen times and every time I stop and ask, “are you sure a tablespoon of vanilla?” And I laugh reading you say, “Yes, Tablespoon.” thanks for sharing this recipe ❤️
★★★★★
Can you make these in a13x9 pan for.
Can you make these as bar cookies in a 13 x 9 pan?
Hi Joanne, we haven’t tried these as bars, but they should work! We’re unsure of the exact bake time.
Exactly as you described them, soft and chewy. this is the second recipe I have tried of yours and I am extremely happy. Thanks again, Sally.
A very good chewy cookie! I don’t like molasses, so I omitted it! Still terrific!
Giant oatmeal cookies vs. soft and chewy oatmeal cookies. I noticed these recipes are different. Are they interchangeable? Can I use the giant recipe to make smaller cookies?
Hi Bonnie, are you referring to the oatmeal cookie recipe in my cookbook? Yes, you can use that to make smaller cookies.
I can only say “WOW”, these cookies are perfect! I made a half recipe that made 2 dozen cookies, (I use a 1-1/2″ diameter scoop for most cookies). The only difference was that, as a raisin lover also, I added almost 3/4 cups of raisins. Cookies turned out moist, chewy and delicious. Finally, a go-to recipe for one of my favorite cookies – thanks.
★★★★★
Not that impressed at all, these are more like a biscuit you might enjoy with a cup of tea than a proper cookie as they are dry in my view.
Perhaps you didn’t follow the instructions not dry at all Check your ovdn
Great recipe. Soft, flavourable and delicious cookies.
I soaked the raisins in an ounce of whisky for extra deliciousness.!
Dangerously DELiCIOUS! Thank you for sharing yet another amazing recipe.
★★★★★
This recipe is a huge fail. Revisit your butter/flour ratio.
★
Not enough cinnamon, a little too oily. Still very yummy, but I’ll be adding at least another 1/2 tsp of cinnamon next time and I’m going to try with 1/4 cup less of butter. Maybe chilling them longer (I went with 30 minutes) would have been better, but I wasn’t worried about them being thin. They’re just a little too greasy.
★★★★
Another recipe with incredible reviews that did not translate well. I will never make these again.
★
Great recipe I wonder why you say not to use black strap molasses, I used it before I saw your note,the cookies were delicious!
My man has a sweet tooth. I loved the recipe. I don’t add the white sugar. Sometimes I add cranberries. I added pieces of pecans this time to it.
Thank you
★★★★★