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 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I just finished baking these cookies, and they are amazing…followed the recipe with the exception of leaving out the white sugar. They are crispy with browning nicely, and soft inside. Thank you so much Sally.
O.M.G!!! Perfection!! I made too many, Im an empty nester… so I made chipwich-type ice cream sandwiches with pumpkin ice cream out of these for my college kids to take to their friends giving when they get home. I had one just to “check”. Holy Lord…its BLISS!!
Was very easy to make. I messed up and forgot to put in the eggs and vanilla after creaming the butter and sugar. However, I put it in at the end and the cookies still came out soft and chewy. This is a very forgiving recipe such that it is hard to mess it up.
I used the cookie scoop that Sally recommended on this recipe and I came out with 37 cookies. I still baked for 12 minutes and they were perfect.
Sally is my go to website for any baking recipe and this is another one added to my rotation!
Just made them. They are fabulous. I might decrease the cinnamon amount next time. It made 58 cookies.
Thank you Sally for this great recipe. I substitute one cup whole wheat flour and voila breakfast is served. My coffee is all the better with this healthy treat and I imagine nothing, even a bowl of good cereal has less sugar.
Do you think its possible to sub out the egg for applesauce in this recipe? Thanks!(:
Hi Keeley, we don’t recommend that swap here—the eggs provide necessary structure and richness to the cookies that applesauce would lack. Best to stick with eggs here!
These are perfect. My teen said they remind him of Costco’s oatmeal cookie which is a favorite in our home. I think they’re better.
Interested in making a double batch and doing half with raisin and other half with chocolate chips. Any issue in doubling recipe or using this as a base for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies?
Also, if not adding walnuts, can I add 1/2 cup of another mix-in?
Hi Ileana, cookie recipes usually double well as long as your mixer can handle the volume, otherwise, we would make multiple batches. You can absolutely use this recipe as a a base oatmeal cookie recipe to use with other add-ins. We would keep the total amount of mix ins to 1 – 1 and 1/2 cups. Happy baking!
My husband and son said these were the best oatmeal raisins cookies they ever had!
No oatmeal in oatmeal cookies?
Hi Beverly, this recipe uses 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats.
Hi, UK here. Can I sub baking soda for baking powder?
Hi Lexi, You need baking soda here. Brown sugar is the acidic ingredient in this recipe. You can more about the difference here.
ever since I made these years ago for my husband’s family, they have been the all time favourite cookie recipe! I made a couple changes to my taste (nothing major) and now they are requested for pretty much every family event. and specifically from me! amazing amazing recipe.
Can I half this recipe by reducing the Ingridient measurements by half?
Hi Kavita, yes, you can halve this recipe.
Really like this recipe and will make again. Guess I need to get a cookie scoop. Only made 3 dozen cookies and they weren’t oversized.
By far the best oatmeal cookies! Will be making double batches from here on out!
I made these a couple weeks ago and someone said they taste like Christmas! Going to make them again today!
I’m planning on baking your cookies and I have all the ingredients except the raisins, walnuts and molasses. Can I substitute pecans and Pure Maple Syrup for Molasses?
Hi Roberta, you can use pure maple syrup for molasses!
Can’t wait to bake some of ur recipes
Delicious cookies. Thanks for an another definite keeper Sally!
Last batch is in the oven. Hubby says YUMMY. I can’t afford a stand mixer. I used my regular one but the dough gets really gunked in the traditional beaters…any suggestions?
Hi Mimi, this can be a thick and sticky dough! If you need to, you can stop periodically and use a spatula to clean out your beaters. So glad the cookies are a hit!
I made these cookie as directed, and I chilled proper time recommended. They are really good. I put the majority in the freezer for later use. I made a few from frozen and they were even better….. These will go in my Christmas boxes. Thank you from Atlanta Georgia
This recipe made the best oatmeal cookies I’ve ever baked and eaten.
I’ve been baking for 65 yrs and can’t tell you how many recipes I’ve tried.
I did add 1/2 cp of cranberries and 1/2 cp of raisins. If you enjoy both flavors you can substitute. Thank you.
How much calories in the ultimate soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies..
Hi Ann, 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
Other than an extra egg yolk, i made it exactly as your recipe shows. I have never made such an awesome chewey an moist oatmeal raisin nut cookie before. I even soaked the raisins. Wow! Perfection. Thank you very much.
Awesome cookies. Instead of raisins I used craisins and chocolate chips. They were devoured!!!!
I would give this recipe 10 stars if it was an option. I truly appreciate how you explain what role each ingredient plays in a recipe. I couldn’t remember the last time I made oatmeal cookies but when I decided to make them again I knew I wanted to use your recipe. They are absolutely delicious and on repeat in my cookie repertoire 🙂
Making these for the 2nd time this week! I double the raisins and reduce the molasses just a bit. Definitely take the time to soak the raisins. Makes a difference! Sooo good!
Hi Sally!
Not sure what happened but the grams don’t match up w the cup measurements!
Hi Jessica! We double checked these measurements and they are correct as written. Was there a particular ingredient that you were wondering about?
First time making oatmeal and raisin cookies. Simply delicious! Your attention to detail is what I love about your recipes, you never leave a stone unturned. Thanks for a great recipe.
I doubled the molassas and reduced the baking time to 8 minutes (chilled for 30 min). Perfect. 12 -13 min overcooked them.
I’ve made these 3 times in the past 2 weeks. EVERYONE loves them and it’s such an easy recipe.