Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies served fresh from the oven… mmm. Cozy. Nostalgic. Buttery and cinnamon-y. The kids come running when we make these! We love the soft and chewy centers with slightly crispy edges.
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These chewy oatmeal and raisin cookies are made with wholesome oats, sweet raisins, brown sugar, and a hint of cinnamon. They a guaranteed hit each and every time you bake them!
If you’re not into raisins but still love the oatmeal flavor, try my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip bars, and these Crumbl copycat iced oatmeal cookies.
Why You’ll Love This Raisin Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
- Simple and Easy to Make: These homemade oatmeal raisin cookies rely on pantry staples and are easy to make in less than an hour.
- Crowd Pleaser: These old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies disappear quickly and are a great dessert option at home or when serving guests at a party or potluck.
- No Need to Chill the Dough: You can throw these easy cookies right in the oven after making the dough, no chilling time required.
Ingredients
- Butter: Butter gives these cookies their richness and a hint of salt for just the right texture. Be sure your butter is at room temperature before you start making the cookie dough.
- Eggs: Grab your eggs out of the fridge and let them come up to room temperature for the dough, too.
- Sugar: We will be using a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar gives hints of molasses flavor to the cookies and a softer texture.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies to rise and become light and fluffy as well as keeping them soft.
- Flavors: I love the little hint of sweetness that comes from the cinnamon in this recipe and the touch of vanilla really brings out the best flavor in these cookies.
- Flour and Cornstarch: We add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the flour mixture to give them a soft and light oatmeal cookie texture.
- Quick Oats: Quick oats are smaller than rolled oats and create a finer texture that's slightly denser and less chewy. If you like a tender, soft interior with crispy edges, quick oats work great for this recipe.
- Raisins: I like to load up the oatmeal cookies with raisins, but of course you could use chocolate chips, craisins, white chips, nuts, or any other mix-ins that you love.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies: Double check that the oats are certified gluten-free and use a gluten-free flour blend.
- Vary the Mix-Ins: Oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies are a great variation on this recipe. You could also use white chocolate chips, walnuts, and dried cranberries mixed in.
- Rich Flavor: For extra rich flavor, you could add a teaspoon of molasses or maple syrup.
- Use a Mix of Oats: You can use a mix of both quick oats and old-fashioned oats to give a slightly thicker and chewier texture to the raisin oatmeal cookies.
- Add a Touch More Cinnamon: A touch more cinnamon or even pumpkin pie spice can add more warmth and flavor to these cookies.
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Here’s how to make the best oatmeal cookies. Before you start making the dough, preheat your oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper so they're ready to go.
- Step 1: Mix the Wet Ingredients. Cream together the room-temperature butter, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Step 2: Add to the Dough. Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cornstarch to the creamed butter mixture.
- Step 3: Mix in the Oats and Flour. Alternate adding the oats and flour and mix until they're well incorporated.
- Step 4: Add the Raisins. Fold in the raisins until incorporated.
- Step 5: Bake. Use a 2-inch cookie scoop and transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Step 6: Cool. Remove them from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Alternate baking sheets so you do not scoop dough onto a hot cookie sheet. Enjoy one fresh from the oven!
Hint: Soak the Raisins
Soak the raisins in egg and vanilla (or plain water) before adding them to the cookie dough. This is a secret trick to get the raisins super plump and moist before making the cookies.
Expert Tips
- Don't Overmix: Stir the ingredients just until combined. Overmixing can make the dough more tough.
- Keep an Eye on the Baking Time: Every oven is a little different. Watch the cookies as they near the end of the baking time. When you first take them out, the center might look a little underdone but they'll finish setting as they cool.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: This will help ensure that the cookies are a consistent size and will bake evenly when in the oven.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftover cookies with quick oats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them thaw for a couple of hours on the counter before you're ready to eat them.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: Store unbaked cookie dough balls in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Flash freeze them for an hour on a lined baking tray and then transfer them to a container with parchment in between the layers to prevent sticking. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the oatmeal cookie dough and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before scooping and baking.
Serving Suggestions
Soft oatmeal raisin cookies are great any time. Make this recipe and serve them as dessert, a snack, or a treat on-the-go.
- Serve them with an ice-cold glass of milk or crumbled on top of a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream.
- For a to-go breakfast, make sausage egg muffins and have one with an oatmeal raisin cookie.
- Have them for dessert after lunch with chicken bacon sliders, chicken crescent rolls, and a strawberry spinach salad.
- Make them for a holiday gathering along with chocolate chip cookie cheesecake bars, hot chocolate cookies, and chocolate turtle cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Dry cookies can be caused by baking them for too long or adding a bit too much flour or oats to the dough. Be sure to spoon the flour and level to avoid packing too much into your measuring cups. A kitchen scale is even more accurate for measuring flour.
Yes. Cookie dough in an airtight container will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you want to make them.
You can chill it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to make it easier to work with.
You can, but the cookies will be slightly chewier and heartier. Still delicious, though!
Look for golden edges and a slightly soft middle. The center will firm up after you take them out of the oven (they do continue baking for a minute or two on the tray, too).
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
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Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups quick oats
- 2 cups raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉—line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Mix until blended.
- Slowly alternate, adding oats and flour. Mix until well incorporated.
- Add the raisins and mix just until blended.
- Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to place the cookie dough on a prepared baking sheet. Alternate the baking sheets so you do not scoop the cookie dough onto a hot cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown around the bottom edge. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them onto a cooling rack.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For extra plump and juicy raisins, soak them in egg and vanilla (or warm water) before adding them to the dough.
- Measure ingredients carefully. Use a spoon to scoop flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Too much flour can lead to try cookies.
- Don't overmix. Mix just until combined to avoid making the texture tough.
- Pull the cookies out of the oven when the edges are golden. The centers may still look slightly underdone but will finish setting as they cool.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure evenly sized cookies that will bake evenly.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen
The cookies are so yummy and easy to make.