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.
I made these for my daddy and they were AMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZING he loved them and I loved making them I am 10 and I made w/ my mama
You sound like a smart young lady!!! I bet your Daddy was soooo happy that you made him cookies! I hope mine will be as amaaaaaaaaazing as yours because I’m making them for my husband and teenage sons! The batch of dough is in the fridge chilling.
I’ve made this recipe twice now, and the cookies have been a massive hit, both at home and at my office. Thank you so much!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but except for the molasses, this recipe is very similar to the ones my mom baked. However, I recall simmering the raisins and also adding some of the remaining liquid ìnto the batter.
They were the best cookies in the world!! And I have always DESPISED raisins!!
Lol. Now I can’t wait to try these! Guess what my New Year’s Eve plans are now!?!
These cookies are great! Soft center, crispy edges, incredible flavor. I refrigerated the dough for about 2 hours to make taller cookies. I am used golden raisins and soaked them as instructed. Worked great too plump them up! I would probably increase the raisins to 1.5 cups next time.
On my third batch, great recipe! I tweaked it a tad, used 2 tablespoons of molasses and just a teaspoon of white sugar. They come out real moist and chewy.
Delicious! Came out perfect! Followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!
Love love oatmeal cookies. I was so excited to try your recipe. I’d rate a 5 but silly me, didn’t check to make sure I had molasses. I could have sworn I did. Anyway, I used real maple syrup. I love the recipe and will definitely grab molasses and try again. Thank you for sharing.
I used your recipe for the first time ever baking oatmeal cookies. I did modify your recipe by adding 1 tablespoon of molasses. Being 73 years old I’ve had my share of both store bought and home made. I must say the batch that I made using your recipe (plus my secret ingredient) was the best I have ever eaten, and my wife of 47 years is in complete agreement. I had no issues with the cookies spreading too much. I used a 1 and 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop. They were thick and chewy. I baked them in a convection oven at 325 (actual oven temp) for 15 minutes. All ovens vary, but the time is absolutely critical. I over baked my 1st attempt because they looked too soft to be done. Big mistake — they were tasty, but way too firm when cooled. They will be very soft after baking and you have to wait for them to cool slightly before removal from the cookie sheet. I also highly recommend parchment paper. It makes the task so much easier. My next batch, which I am prepping for right now, will be bigger cookies, so I may have to slightly modify the baking time. Anyone out there who loves oatmeal cookies will absolutely love this one. If there is a problem, it will be with the quality of ingredients or with the oven. It will not be with the recipe. I can’t praise it enough.
Hi Robert, We are so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Hello,
I keep getting discouraged with the recipe. I’m not sure what I am doing wrong! The flavor is great, but the cookies end up being so flat and spread severely !!! What am I doing wrong???
Hi Dee! We have a whole post on preventing cookies from spreading that should be helpful.
Execllent recipe! Had to substitute some things and I added peanut butter and they stilll came out amazingly. Perfectly chewy and flavorful. I even nearly forgot to add the eggs until I moved a bowl and saw them lol but I got them in at the last moment of mixing.
Can you make it without the molasses? I don’t have any on hand
Hi Nikki, Yes you can simply leave it out without making any other changes.
Baking soda makes them flatten. Baking powder makes them rise. 1 Tbsp baking soda is a generous proportion for the batch, likely needed to be 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon.
I was going to make these and got all the ingredients, but I just noticed that there’s no measurements.
They are at the bottom of the article.
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 molasses
1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups (240g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
1 cup (140g) raisins*
optional: 1/2 cup (64g) chopped toasted walnuts
Can I use salted butter?
Hi Sharon! Yes, if salted butter is all you have you can use it and cut the salt back to 1/4 tsp. Enjoy!
I followed the recipe just as it said. Been baking for over 50 years. And I ended up with a oatmeal raisin pancake. After I had read the reviews Onnit. So I added another cup and a half of flour. Chilled it and then it worked
I haven’t found my son’s favorite soft oatmeal cookies at the grocery store for a long time, so I’ve decided to make these cookies instead. I skipped the molasses, used all light brown sugar, soaked the raisins, but just drained them, added 1cup walnuts and used 1 minute oats and bread flour. I accidentally used baking powder, and chilled the dough overnight. I flattened the dough balls on the baking pan, and had to bake it for 20 minutes, cuz I found it too soft at 13. It still came out awesome! It made 33 cookies, and it’s going very fast!
Thank you for a foolproof recipe!
I made these they came out so delicious and soft like it said. The only thing I used a two tablespoon cookie scoop but the cookies didn’t flatten all the way they were small and thick. What did I do wrong?
Hi Kaylan, How did you measure the flour and oats? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
I measured it right leveled the flour I think I may have added to much baking soda
A better way to measure your flour with a scale. It will be much more accurate. I measure all my dry ingredients in grams. After all, baking is a science.
If I have to use a substitute for butter, what would you recommend and how much? Thanks!
Hi Lacey! We haven’t tested any butter substitutes, but let us know if you do!
My dough is in the fridge currently and I used a butter substitute. Hopefully they still turn out! Everything I’ve baked I use a butter substitute and it usually still comes out fine. 🙂
These are exactly what my husband has been asking for. Perfect chewy texture! We used craisins and the tartness was delicious! They smell amazing in the oven!
Didn’t try this recipe yet ( tried the choc chip version) but will vouch that putting the raisins in warm water and letting them rehydrate makes them much better. I use Craisins (cranberry raisins) more in my oatmeal cookies and it makes >***ALL**< the difference in flavor and texture. Glad to see someone using this technique also.
I am so disappointed. Normally, my recipes turn out very well from sally’’s baking addiction, but these were a huge fail. I made the recipe exactly as stated, soaked my raisins and toasted and chopped my walnuts. I put the dough in the fridge overnight and took it out 2 hours prior to baking. I set the timer for 12 minutes. I went in at 11 and they were overdone ready to turn black on bottom. (I did not use a liner, but these are new and heavy baking sheets)). I put the 2nd batch on 10 minutes and checked at 7 and they were done, a little over. Now, I baked cookies last night and they were fine time-wise. I also noticed that the cookies tasted bland. I used the salt and salted butter, but there wasn’t much taste at all. What could I have done to cause them to brown so fast?
Hi Gwen! Sounds like your oven temperature may vary a bit (they all do!). We always suggest using an in-oven thermometer so you know exactly what temperature your oven really is when you’re baking. Thank you for giving these cookies a try!
Can I just say WOW. These cookies were phenomenal. I followed the recipe to a T and they turned out exactly as they should. They were soft in the following days. Thank you! I love your site.
Wow, this recipe is not only easy to make it’s the best oatmeal/raisin cookies I’ve ever had! I made the dough yesterday and let sit in fridge overnight and just pulled the 1st batch out of the oven now. So yummy.. Thanx so much
this recipe is amazing. i chilled my dough for hours, came out soft and delicious. thank you
Followed recipe as written. Cookies were great. Will make these again!
My mom has a tried and true recipe she has used for decades but they come out crunchy and that’s not my favorite so I set out to find a chewy version and these are amazing! Oatmeal raisin walnut cookies are my go to for cookie exchanges and I’ll be proud to share these this year.
Oatmeal raisin are notorious for that. You either must cool or freeze them prior to cooking, or figure another way. I made these exactly but I did use a mini muffin tin. The best I have ever made.
Hi i made these for my family and my father is diabetic, Do you happen to know the nutritional info on these? Carbs, dietary fiber, and sugars are most important in regards to how he can calculate his insulin! if not has anybody with diabetes made these and figured out this info??
Hi Morgan, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
My husband really enjoyed these cookies but like a bit more cinnamon. What amount would you suggest?
Hi Kay, we’d start by adding an additional 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and then adjusting further for future batches as needed. Glad these cookies were a hit!
Can be the pan liner…
Silpat or silicone versus parchment.
Its happened to me many times.
In my experience, Silpat encourages less spread than parchment.
Also, if using parchment, make sure its not coated. Unfortunately, I was out of parchment once and too lazy to go to the grocery store. I happened to be at Michaels so I grabbed a box of Wilton parchment. When I pulled it off the roll to use it, it felt just like waxed paper. Super thin and slippery. Parchment should be ample and textured for lack of a better description.