Sink your teeth into the best soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. Loaded with warm cinnamon, brown sugar, juicy raisins, and hearty oats, these classic cookies are easy to make, and they stay fresh for days.
I love oatmeal cookies so much that I have a dozen variations of them. Along with today’s homemade recipe, my favorites are oatmeal butterscotch cookies, iced oatmeal cookies, and peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
When it comes to classic oatmeal cookies, are you team raisin or team chocolate chip? This easy oatmeal raisin cookies recipe makes the best, perfectly soft and chewy cookies packed with raisins, oats, and cinnamon spice. I can’t even count the number of times I made these, then stacked them high on a plate and settled in to enjoy homemade cookies with a cup of tea. They stay good for days and bring back lunchbox memories of when we were kids!
Why I Think You’ll Love These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Cold butter for thick, chewy cookies. Starting with slightly cold butter helps keep the oatmeal cookies thick and prevents spreading.
- Plenty of hearty oats and raisin. Old-fashioned oats give these cookies that classic, chewy bite. There’s just the right amount of raisins to add flavor without overpowering the cookies.
- Made with pantry staples. These cookies are easy to make with pantry ingredients, and you can customize them with chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or even a splash of maple syrup.
- No chilling needed! You can scoop and bake the dough right away, so you’re only minutes away from warm, fresh cookies.
Ingredient Notes
These are the key ingredients you’ll need to make these thick and chewy, old-fashioned oatmeal cookies with raisins. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe card with amounts and detailed instructions.
- Butter – This should be cold from the fridge, and you’ll soften the butter slightly in the microwave before you cream it with the sugar.
- Brown and Granulated Sugar – I use both brown sugar and granulated sugar for more moisture. It makes these cookies soft and chewy with just the right amount of crisp around the edges.
- Oats – Rolled oats are best for cookies, and give them more chewiness. If you only have quick oats, you can still use them. Quick oats tend to absorb more moisture and get a little mushier. Like the flour, weighing the oats is also important, as scooping oats gives you different measurements every time.
- All-purpose Flour – For best results, use a kitchen scale to follow the weight measurements listed in the recipe. Too much or too little flour can affect both texture and spread. See how to measure flour correctly.
- Cinnamon – You could also add nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom.
- Raisins – These can be black raisins, golden raisins (Sultanas), or currants.
About Soaking Raisins
Readers have mentioned that for extra juiciness, they soak the raisins for 10-15 minutes in hot water before stirring them into the cookie dough. You could also build the flavor by soaking the raisins in rum or brandy overnight for a boozy twist. You’ll want to remove the extra moisture from these by laying them on a towel after soaking.
Note that I have not tested this and do not make my cookies this way, as some readers have reported it caused the cookies to spread.
Tips for the Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Start with cold butter. I use cold butter that’s been softened just slightly in the microwave. It’s still cooler than room temperature but soft enough to cream with the sugar. If your butter is too warm, your cookies will spread more.
- Use old-fashioned oats. This recipe is written for old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats absorb more moisture and can make the cookies mushy, which can lead to more spreading.
- Weigh the ingredients. The flour, sugar and oats are important ingredients that should be weighed using a kitchen scale. This recipe is based on 140g/1 cup of all-purpose flour.
- Line your baking sheets. I recommend parchment paper or silicone baking mats. These are game changers for cookie baking. It helps the cookies from burning on the bottom or edges.
- Don’t overbake. You’ll pull these cookies from 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 the cookies on your baking sheet for several minutes, and they will continue to finish baking as they cool.
How to Make Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies From Scratch
Follow along with this easy oatmeal raisin cookies recipe, step-by-step.
- Combine the butter and sugar. First, microwave the cold butter for 10-15 seconds, until it’s softened to about 70ºF. Then, cream the butter with both sugars until it’s thick and sandy. Next, add the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda together in a separate bowl so they’re evenly incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet dough. Before they’re fully mixed, fold in the raisins. Be careful not to overmix the cookie dough.
- Scoop the dough. Now, use a large cookie scoop to portion these oatmeal raisin drop cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake. Bake these oatmeal raisin cookies at 350ºF for 11-13 minutes. I recommend baking one pan at a time on the middle rack of your oven for even baking.
- Cool. The cookies should be slightly underbaked in the centers, but not wet or gooey when they come out of the oven. Afterward, cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack.
Why Are My Oatmeal Cookies Flat? (And How to Fix It)
Cookies will spread for a few reasons, the main ones being oven temperature and butter that’s too warm. If you have experienced cookies that over-spread or are concerned, here are my suggestions on how to avoid it and how to fix it.
I suggest baking one or two “tester” cookies and see how they turn out. If your first batch of oatmeal raisin cookies spreads too much, try adding an extra ¼ cup of flour or oats, and rebake a couple of test cookies. While chilling the dough is not required, if the butter was too warm, try chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking the next round. Also, consider trying a different pan (some materials run hotter than others).
Fix Cookies That Spread
If your cookies come out a little misshapen, take an angled spatula, a cookie spatula, or a knife and push the edges of the cookies back towards the center. Do this right when you pull them out of the oven. This makes a nice round shape and also helps keep the center nice and puffy.
How to Store
- Keep the cookies airtight. Store these chewy oatmeal raisin cookies 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.
- Freeze the baked cookies. These oatmeal cookies 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.
- Freeze the cookie dough. You can also portion the cookie dough into balls and pre-freeze the unbaked cookies on a baking sheet. Transfer the frozen cookie dough to a freezer bag and freeze it for up to 2 months. When it’s time to bake, thaw the cookie dough in the fridge beforehand.
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- 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 classic homemade oatmeal raisin cookies! They’re soft and chewy, packed with warm cinnamon, brown sugar, and juicy raisins.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, cold
- 1 ½ cups 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) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon (7g) ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups (approximately 10 oz) Raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Soften the cold butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. The butter temperature should be around 70°F. Combine the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes, resembling a thick sand texture.
- Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated.
- 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 the dough starts to form.
- Before the dough thickens, add the raisins. Beat a couple of times just until the flour incorporates.
- 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.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes. The center of the cookie should be slightly underbaked 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
- Flour measurements: This recipe is based on 140g/1 cup of flour. Weighing the flour is the most accurate way to follow the recipe.
- 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. Weighing the oats in important because scooping oats gives you different measurements every time.
- Test batch- If you’re concerned about cookies spreading, bake one or two and see how it turns out. If you have flat cookies, add 1/4 cup more flour or oats, try another test batch. Also consider trying a different pan
- 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 baking.
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
WAY too much sugar. Not enough oats. I should have stuck with my old time recipe. PS wont let me post a 2 star review…
I respectfully don’t agree but if you have another recipe you already like then sure, stick with that.
OMG! Just what I was looking for. Soft and chewy. Wonderful taste. Couldn’t keep my husband away from them. (I couldn’t either) Thanks for sharing.
That’s wonderful Josephine! Thank you for sharing!!
So simple and easy yet ever so perfectly delicious! 😋
Thank you so much Denise!
My cookies flattened out like pancakes.
it’s hard to say without more specifics. Are you weighing ingredients and using the weight provided? Butter temperature could also be a factor, if the butter was too soft that’s an issue. Your internal oven temperature or even the type of pan you used could be a factor as well. I would need more info. This recipe works great for an overwhelming majority of people other some others have reported that they spread. After some followup I have also found that people are using different types of oats or even using vegan butter, and these types of substitutions can effect the end results.
Nice and guey, were a hit among the fam! Exactly what I was looking for. But between the sweet raisins and the sugar, these were just too sweet for me, which is the only reason I docked a star!
I added pecans, they helped balance the sweetness some, but I’m wondering if I can add half the sugar and maybe increase the flour amount to make up for it with another dry ingredient? Or how does that chemistry work, do you have any advice? Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe!
Hi Mariana, thanks for your feedback. IF you reduce the sugar without any other changes, you can expect a puffier cookie, as the sugar is what helps the cookies to have some spread. If you were to reduce the sugar AND add flour, you’ll end up with a less chewier, drier and puffy cookie.
My cookies spread too much. I weighed all ingredients, refrigerated for about 15 minutes, used old fashioned oats, and nuked my butter for 15 seconds. They were chewy but too flat😕. My baking soda should have been good, wasn’t expired. Not sure why they were flat!
Hi Peggy, I truly don’t know what caused this for some people but not others. Did you use the 280g of flour as written? You shouldn’t need to chill the dough, the recipe doesn’t require that. Was the butter starting to melt or soft to the point where if you stuck your finger in it, it would cut through the butter?
These cookies have the best flavor of any oatmeal cookie ive ever made but i don’t understand why they spread out very thin. They dont stay a thick cookie.
Hi Kerry, it’s hard to say without more specifics. Are you weighing ingredients? Butter temperature could also be a factor. You internal oven temperature or even the type of pan you used could be a factor as well.
Cookies turned out perfect! Delicious!
Thank you so much Gerri!
Excellent! Just the right amount of everything that makes an oatmeal raisin cookie perfection! Thank you for sharing!!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much!
I don’t have unsalted butter. Is that a deal breaker for this recipe?
Nope. Salted butter works just fine, if you are sensitive to salt then consider reducing the added salted by 1/4 teaspoon
These cookies were perfect and tasty! Will make again and again!
Thank you so much!
First time I’ve ever made oatmeal raison cookies and they turned out great!
That’s wonderful Mary Ann! Thank you!
These were delicious!
Thank yo Beth!
Looks just like yours. Delicious.
that’s wonderful Lydia, thank you!
I have tried many recipes for oatmeal cookies and this one has to be in my top 5 for sure! You will not be disappointed! Ty!
You are so welcome Stephanie!
Best I have ever made , I do freeze dough in rounds. Then Pa kage them in batches of 6. To cook when I need them .
I love that Janet, thank you!
This recipe keeps failing me. What is going on! lol my cookies look nothing like these
Hi Bryan, I am publishing your comment even though we’ve already troubleshooted the issues via email.
Bryan was using plant based butter and quick oats. These types of changes will effect the outcome the cookie, and results will not be the same.
So delicious!!! It took a little longer to bake than was instructed. I took it out after 12 minutes, and then put it back in for 5 minutes, was still not quite cooked, and put it in for another 5 minutes.
Hi Luke, it sounds like your internal oven temperature might be off or it wasn’t fully preheated before baking. That’s 22 minutes total, it’s quite a long time for cookies of this size.
I started to make these cookies and realized I only had steel cut oatmeal. They were delicious! Just let the dough sit for about 10 minutes before baking.
Thank you so much Susan!
These cookies are one of the best tasting cookies I have ever eaten!!!
Oh my word! Thank you so much Kim!