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Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Sink your teeth into these thick, soft & chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. These cookies are loaded with spiced cinnamon, raisins and chewy oats. This is a simple cookie recipe to make and can be made ahead of time. Plus, they stay fresh for days.

A stack of 5 Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with one cookie leaned up against the stack

Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Are you team raisin or team chocolate chip? My husband won’t even touch an oatmeal raisin cookie with a 10-foot pole. I on the other hand, never turn down a good oatmeal cookie! I can’t even count the number of times I made this simple recipe, then stacked them high on a plate and settled in to enjoy homemade cookies with a cup of tea.

In fact, I love oatmeal cookies so much I have a dozen variations! A few of my favorites are the salted caramel oatmeal chocolate chip, salted caramel butterscotch and the salted caramel cashew version as well. My newest recipe is for peanut butter oatmeal cookies and let me tell you – they. are. amazing.

A tall stack of 5 oatmeal cookies

What Makes These Cookies The Best?

This classic oatmeal cookie recipe makes soft and chewy cookies sweetened with brown sugar. They stay good for days and bring back lunchbox memories of when were kids!

I also love how this recipe comes together quickly. In fact, it’s SO EASY that you’ll be done making the batter BEFORE your oven is finished preheating. Go on, give it a try. You won’t believe how simple these cookies are to make! You don’t even have to chill the dough.

A stack of 4 halves of Oatmeal Raison cookies to show the inside

Tips for Success

Even though these oatmeal cookies are about as simple as it gets when it comes to baking, it still doesn’t hurt to have a few pro tips up your sleeve:

  • Slightly warm your butter. I like to start with cold butter and then microwave is for 10-12 second. It requires a little more time to cream the butter with the sugars, but I think it prevents the cookies from spreading and I often forget to take my butter out of the fridge to soften.
  • Mix dry ingredients separately. Combine all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl so they are evenly incorporated.
  • Measure accurately. I swear by using a kitchen scale when it comes to measuring dry ingredients like granulated sugar and flour so as not to overmeasure either ingredient, especially in a cookie recipe. However, for brown sugar, I do my best to evenly pack it into the measuring cup.
  • Don’t over-mix. Before the dry ingredients are fully mixed in, add the raisins so you don’t have to over-mix the dough.
  • Use a cookie scoop. This helps to keep the cookies the same size and ensure they bake evenly.
  • Line your baking sheets with silicone baking mats. These are game changers for cookie baking. It helps the cookies from burning on the bottom or edges.
  • I recommend baking one pan at a time on the middle rack of your oven for even baking.
A white plate of oatmeal raison cookies stacked

How Do I Know When the Cookies Are Done?

You will pull them out of the oven before the centers are fully baked through. But they should not be too glossy. At that point even 30-60 seconds more can make a difference. Leave them on your baking sheet for several minutes and they will continue to finish baking as they cool.

What to Do If Your Cookies Spread Too Much

If you find the cookies are spreading, take an angled spatula, a cookie spatula or knife and push the edges of the cookies back towards the center of the cookie right when you pull them out of the oven. This makes a nice round shape and also helps keep the center nice and puffy.

What Kinds of Oats To Use

  • Rolled oats: Rolled oats are best for cookies as they make for the best nice texture and they also give them more chewiness. I love biting into a cookie and seeing all the layers of oats inside.
  • Quick oats: You can use quick oats if that’s all you have. However, quick oats tend to absorb more moisture and get a little mushier, which changes the final texture of the cookie.
  • Gluten-free rolled oats: I also often use gluten-free rolled oats from Bob’s Red Mill or Traders Joes and they work perfectly as well. However, I’ve never combined them with gluten-free flour. If you want to make these gluten-free, make sure you’re using a 1:1 cup for cup gluten-free replacement flour.

How to Store

Store them in an airtight container as soon as they are cooled. You can store them for 3-5 days but I usually like to freeze them if it’s going to be longer than 3 days.

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

Yes! These freeze nicely, making them a great option to make ahead of time ! I prefer to place them in an airtight container. If you’re like me, and can’t stay away, thaw one in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before eating.

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A close up of the top of an Oatmeal cookie with Raisins

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 128 reviews
  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Sink your teeth into these thick, soft & chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. These cookies are loaded with spiced cinnamon, raisins and chewy oats.


Ingredients

  • 1 cup (229 g) unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 ½ cups (330 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (95 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups (120 g) rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon (7 g) cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups (approximately 10 oz) Raisins

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Soften the cold butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Combine the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes.
  2. Next add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir to combine and slowly add the dry ingredients into the dough, mixing on low speed until dough starts to form.
  4. Before the dough thickens, add the raisins. Beat a couple of times just until the flour incorporates.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Scoop the dough using a large cookie scoop and place on a sheet pan, 2 inches apart.
  6. Bake for 11-13 minutes. The center of the cookie should be slightly under baked but not too gooey. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Rolled oats are best for cookies as they make for the best nice texture and they also give them more chewiness but if you only have quick oats, you can still use them. Quick oats tends to absorb more moisture and get a little mushier.
  • Freezing instructions: Once baked, these can be kept frozen. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
  • Make ahead” If you’d like to prepare the dough ahead of time, I recommend scooping the finished dough onto cookie sheets and keeping in the fridge or freezer. Thaw to room temperature prior to baling.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 224
  • Sugar: 21.7g
  • Sodium: 132.8mg
  • Fat: 8g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 36.1g
  • Fiber: 1.5g
  • Protein: 2.5g
  • Cholesterol: 28.1mg

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338 thoughts on “Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies”

  1. I made these today and they are wonderful. My dough was soft (pretty sure my butter was too warm), so I put the tray of scooped cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes, baked them for 15 minutes and they looked beautiful. I did a mix of raisins and chocolate covered raisins for fun, tasted awesome!! Thank you, recipe has been moved to my keeper file!!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Thank you Barbie, that’s wonderful! I will have to give the chocolate covered raisins a try sometime

  2. The cookies are Amazing! The only thing I would do is change the printing of the recipe. After each step, if your adding ingredients, I would print underneath the step the ingredients. That way you don’t have to scroll up and down and possibly lose your place in the recipe. Just a suggestion! Cookies are still good. Don’t change the Ingredients!!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Vanna, thanks for your feedback. I’ve followed up with you via email. I am glad you enjoyed these cookies!

  3. Avatar photo
    Loretta Rose Bradford

    These cookies are the best oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever made I cut down on the sugar slightly and used Dark brown sugar as it was all I had they turned out perfect.❤️❤️

  4. Literally the best oatmeal raisin cookie I’ve ever made, possibly the best cookie of any variety. Thank you!

  5. I just made these cookies last night and they turned out great! In fact, my husband said they were the best cookies I’ve ever made. Not the just the best Oatmeal Raisin mind you, the best COOKIE! (Note: we’ve been married for 25 years and I’ve baked A LOT of cookies over those years 😀). Thanks for the great recipe. I’ve already saved this in my “best of the best” folder and will definitely be using it as my only oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.

  6. 5 stars all the way, I added a little touch of nutmeg as well and my husband and I had to have 2 right away, this is soup for the soul – nothing like warm oatmeal cookies on a snowy day ❄️🍪

  7. Avatar photo
    Gretchen Lamm

    These are the best oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever had. When me and my daughter first made these, we accidentally added one cup of flour instead of two, but they turned out better than the original. We actually kept the recipe but changed it to one cup flour instead of two. We are making them again for the second time today, they are so amazing. Highly recommend!

  8. Best oatmeal raisin cookie
    I’ve ever had!!! If anyone has issues with this recipe then they’re doing something wrong. It’s the easiest recipe to follow and the results are absolutely amazing!!!!!!’Thanks

      1. These are the best oatmeal raisin cookies I ever made. My grandson was visiting for a long weekend and oatmeal raisin cookies are his favorite. I lost the old recipe I had and boy am I glad I did. He loved them. Made a couple of adjustments by adding a half cup of chopped pecans and a 1/4 tsp. Of baking powder, I also backed off the salt since my butter was salted. Just perfect. Thank for sharing.

  9. Avatar photo
    Elizabeth Aiello

    My new go-to Oatmeal cookie recipe. I love how these turned out. Chewy center and crispy edges.
    I added cranberries and pecans to the mixture. Soo delicious!

      1. My large cookie scoop let me have 36 of these wonderful cookies! I will share your recipe with other

  10. These turned out wonderful!! Wish I could show you a picture of how big and beautiful they are. I added a half cup of walnuts! Thanks for the recipe!❤️

  11. I looked fir a recipe online today. I found this one snd followed it to a tea! I got 31 excellent size cookies! These cookies are amazing! I have tried so many supposedly soft and chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in my 74 years. These outdo every recipe I have tried, so soft and chewy! The flavour is scrumptious! My husband loves them! Thank you for sharing!

  12. Avatar photo
    Kerri Tillquist

    These are wonderful! We added a few mini chocolate chips as well. Perfect at Denver altitude.
    Thank you!

  13. Avatar photo
    Evelyn Elliott

    I was looking for a good recipe for Oatmeal Raisin cookies when I came across this recipe. I was terribly disappointed, I followed the recipe, and they turned out terrible. They ran together on the cookie sheet, and took 15 minutes.
    I feel like I wasted a lot of ingredients ( which are expensive) just to have these cookies flop.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Evelyn, I absolutely understand the frustration of when a recipe doesn’t work the way you imagined. Wasting ingredients stinks. However, something doesn’t seem right here. The only reason the cookies would run together is if the butter was to warm (as in already starting to melt), or the dry ingredients were not properly measured, or something extra was added to offset the ratio of wet to dry ingredients. As you can see from the hundreds of reviews here (and hundreds more on Pinterest), the recipe does work and is quite popular. If you’d like to share a little more with me, I can try to help troubleshoot.

    2. Mine were too flat also. The salt was too much and baking soda too little. I wonder if the amounts were reversed. I was really looking forward to a good old fashioned oatmeal raisin cookie and ended up with disappointment. I’m surprised it worked for others.

      1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
        Beyond Frosting

        Hi Mare- I am not surprised it worked for others because it’s a well-tested recipe and the base is used across many other oatmeal cookie recipes on my website. There are dozens and dozens of reviews on here from people who’ve made the recipe successfully and enjoyed it, and a hundred more reviews on Pinterest. Many factors are involved when baking at home. It’s incredibly frustrating when recipes don’t work out. Elevation and humidity play a factor, types of ingredients come into play, and sometimes I just plain forget to add an ingredient, or don’t measure something correctly. The other day I made 3 batches of my sugar cookies and I was doubling the recipe, I forgot to double the baking soda but didn’t realize until the dough was already done. I am just saying that things happen.

  14. Easy to follow recipe! These were super good & im not even an oatmeal raisin fan. I did take a couple liberties lol. I added chopped pecans, nutmeg & clove because I was in a very fall mood. Definitely give this recipe a try!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Yes! I love that Lynne! When I make them with cranberries I also love to add white chocolate chips!

      1. Just saying this recipe is the BOMB!!!
        Made exactly as it said. My husband is a huge oatmeal raisin cookie fan and requested I make these. I can’t wait for him to try these. No more store bought cookies for him. Thank you for sharing!