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
- Soft & Thick 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*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) 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 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Amazing cookies, I made them and I had to double them to make enough. Thank you for the recipe
Had family over for dinner and decided to whip these up. Directions were straight forward and baking times were spot on. Followed to a T and added 1/2 cup of Pecans. Plan ahead as you do need to chill the dough. Worth it bc who wants cookies that spread. Will keep this in my aresenal.
Delicious, moist cookies I have made several times. I halved the recipe and omitted molasses, which I didn’t have (hard to find here in the UK). Even better tasting after a day or two.
So very good! I add an extra 1/4 cup of sugar and a lot more raisins but that’s just personal preference. The recipe is easy to follow and executes every time.
These are the best cookies ever. I got 35 cookies from this recipe. My husband ate all of them in 3 days. They’re so moist and soft and great! I followed the recipe except I added 1/2 cup more raisins, personal choice. I went to make them again a few weeks later but was out of molasses. I thought a Tblsp of molasses wouldn’t make much difference. Wrong, it does. It makes them moister and adds a deeper flavor to them. My husband noticed it right away and asked what I did wrong. He went to the store and bought molasses and asked me to make them again. He still ate them all but said dont leave out molasses next time, lol. These really are the best.
My cookies were a bit dry. What did I do wrong?
Hi Emo, Dry cookies are usually caused by over-baking or too much flour or oats in the cookie dough. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
I made these cookies. They were ok. Tasted too … “oatmeal-y” and not sure if I liked the soaked raisins. It was my first time making oatmeal cookies and it didn’t give the same taste as the ones I get at pick n save from the bakery. Will try other recipes.
The cookies spread terribly and I followed all instrUnctions to prevent this. This has been happening with recipes I’ve been using for years with no issues. I believe the manufacturers are adding a larger water % to the butter. Profits matter! Sad.
Hi, I was wondering if I could sub in rolled oats for traditional steel cut oats?
And if so would I cook them first before adding them into the recipe?
Thank you
Hi Eliana, we don’t recommend steel cut oats for this recipe because they’re too coarse, but other bakers have reported success with the swap.
Why do you not add the amounts for your ingredients!?!
Ie. FLOUR, BAKING SODA, OATS, Etc.
Hi Baker Man, you can find the full recipe in the gray recipe card above this comments section. Or, at the top of the page, you can click the “jump to recipe” button. Hope this helps!
Terrific recipe! Old school oatmeal raisin cookies. I made these for some neighborhood kids. Thankyou
Hi if i want to reduce sugars, which ingredients i should reduce as well?
Hi lu, Sugar is used for moisture and texture in baked goods as well as taste. You can certainly try reducing the sugar, but the resulting texture will be different than intended.
Hi can the molasses be omitted not a fan or sub with something else
Ty
Hi Anna, you can leave it out.
Can I substitute quick oats for old fashioned oats?
Hi Madeline, quick oats will work in a pinch (same amount), but your cookies won’t be as chewy since they absorb more liquid.
Can I soak craisins in a bit of Fireball? I love to experiment and I thought I’d see what you thought.
also…I’ve been teaching a cooking class with a co-op homeschool group for years now and your site is where I like to find a lot of my recipes. It’s been a nice go-to for preparing my lessons. Thank you.
Hi Cheryl, thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes! We haven’t tried soaking craisins in fireball, but can’t see why it would be an issue – let us know if you try!
I soak my raisins in rum.. Rum raisin oatmeal cookies using this recipe, yum. Can’t get any better
I loved them pre-baby! But now I’m on a restricted diet with no dairy/eggs/soy. Can I substitute the butter and eggs for anything?
Hi Joanna, we haven’t tested dairy free substitutes in these cookies. A vegan butter may work, or solid coconut oil. We haven’t tested an egg substitute either, but we’d love to know if you give anything a try!
You can substitute unsweetened applesauce for the eggs. Replace each egg with 1/4 unsweetened applesauce.
These are delicious however mine turned out super flat even with using a cookie scoop, no clue where I went wrong. Will definitely try again.
Hi Shannon, here are our best tips to prevent cookies from spreading. Hope it helps for next time!
These oatmeal raisin cookies are not sweet enough. No real flavor.
oops! I forgot to add the molasses and vanilla . BUT they still tasted AMAZING and my kids loved them so much .
I don’t like oatmeal raisin cookies, but sometimes you need to spread positive vibes :3
This recipe looks amazing and my dad loved them
These were delicious!! I did use 3/4 cup brown sugar like someone suggested & they were great! I didn’t refrigerate before baking. 🙂
I used a 2 tablespoon scoop & did not flatten before baking & they kept their shape!
These are so easy to make & come our perfect! I just made a batch & will be doing another one replacing the raisins with dried cranberries.
Great cookies. Why the change from 1 Tablespoon of vanilla to 2 teaspoons? Thanks
Wasn’t it two tablespoons? I thought there was a change and it definitely wasn’t teaspoons before
Thanks for the lovely recipe, it came out really perfectly moist! I however decreased the brown sugar by 1/4, and used dried cranberries. My daughter was surprised how pleased I was because she knows am not a cookie mom!
These are fantastic. I used Blackstrap molasses and they came out delicious and a good consistency.
This is the best oatmeal raisin cookie that I ever made. Husband said no reason to try any other recipe! Made it exactly how the recipe was written. I never knew to measure flour using spoon method , what a difference this makes. And really it is not much flour but more oats hence, oatmeal cookie. Thank you!
Just made this recipe and while they taste great, they are quite puffed up and didn’t spread out much. The texture is a little bit cakey. I still have plenty of dough left unbaked in the fridge any advice on how to fix them? I’m wondering if my eggs were too small.
Hi AD, we’re so sorry to hear you had troubles with these cookies. It sounds like there may have been too much flour in the dough, soaking up all the wet ingredients and preventing spread. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure just the right amount of flour. Thank you for giving these a try!
exactly how mine turned out, and i measured the flour as directed 🙁
Hello Sally, do you put both trays at one time or one tray at a time?
Hi Andrea, we bake the cookie trays one at a time. You could do both at the same time, but only if they can fit on the same rack without the sides of the pans touching. Do not bake on separate racks.
Thank you 🙂 Also which oven setting is best for this? Can I use fan forced or just the top and bottom heat setting?
Hi Andrea, We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
These cookies are delicious. The best oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever eaten. We finished one batch and I had to make more. The only thing I did different was add extra cinnamon. I also grated a little fresh nutmeg. I will never use any other recipe.
Tks Sally, Excellent recipe, taste very very nice, really love it.