Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe – perfect texture, soft, full of oats, raisins, and nuts. These are the best oatmeal raisin cookies and will surely be your new tried and true oatmeal cookie recipe. It’s a great recipe for old-fashioned oatmeal-raisin cookies with a little cinnamon and raisins.
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OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES RECIPE
I’ve been searching for the perfect chewy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe but every one I tried was either too flat or too cakey. I wanted a soft, a little chewy oatmeal cookies.
After trying probably four recipes I started thinking of my tried and true favorite chewy chocolate chip cookie and thinking about how perfectly chewy it was because of the melted butter in the dough.
So I started with the base of that dough and after several adjustments on raisins, cinnamon, and oatmeal I came up with this. This is a keeper!
INGREDIENTS IN OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
- Butter – real butter makes these delicious.
- Sugar – we use both brown sugar and white sugar here.
- Oats – believe it or not you want to use less oats rather than more oats in a cookie. This yields a chewier cookie. We use old-fashioned rolled oats here not quick oats or instant oats.
- Nuts – you can use pecans or walnuts in these or leave them out completely.
- Raisins – add that sweetness. See tips below on soaking raisins.
- Large Eggs – we use one egg and one egg yolk. This yields a chewy cookie.
- Cinnamon – adds some spice.
- Baking Soda – helps the cookies rise.
- Flour – helps hold the cookie together.
- Vanilla – always use pure vanilla extract.
- Salt – brings out all of the flavors.
HOW TO MAKE OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt butter and let cool slightly.
- Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended with an electric mixer. Beat in the ground cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just blended. Add the oats, nuts, and raisins. Mix on medium speed until just blended.
- Scoop 1/4 cup balls of cookie dough using a cookie scoop onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. Do not overbake. The edges should look brown and the centers still slightly soft. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE
- Make sure you are measuring your flour correctly. Don’t scoop your measuring cup directly into the four as this compacts the flour adding too much flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup.
- Melted butter gives the cookies their chewy texture.
- Use parchment paper. It makes your cookies turn out so much better!
- Do not overbake! Cookies will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Each cookie is 1/4 cup. It’s a big cookie and it’s delicious. If you want to make a smaller version, feel free. Just make sure to bake it for less time.
SHOULD I SOAK MY RAISINS?
Although this is not necessary, some bakers believe that you should always soak your raisins in warm water before using them in a recipe so that you have plump raisins. Raisins are dried and will pull moisture from your cookies when baking. If you soak them your cookies will be more moist. Make sure you dry them well after soaking.
OTHER CLASSIC COOKIE RECIPES:
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Best Snickerdoodle
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Almond Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- No-Bake Cookies
- Classic Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Salty Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Sugar Cookies
- Sprinkle Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe will surely be your new tried and true oatmeal cookie recipe. It's a good thick old-fashioned cookie with a little cinnamon and raisins.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted (1½ sticks)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 heaping cup raisins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Your cookies turn out so much better with parchment paper. Believe me! Buy some!
- Melt butter and let cool slightly.
- Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. (See Note on the proper way to measure flour)
- In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the flour mixture until just blended. Add the oats, nuts, and raisins. Mix until just blended.
- Place 1/4 cup balls of dough onto parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. Do not overbake. You can also do smaller cookies just bake for less time. Remember I'm at sea level so if you aren't you may need longer. The edges should look brown and the centers still slightly soft. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything
Make sure when you measure your flour that you do NOT pack it into the measuring cups. The proper way is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup. This can make the difference between a fluffy and chewy cookie.
Serving: 1grams
These turned out delicious. I didn’t get as many cookies because every time I looked my son and daughter in law were eating them. I used duck eggs in place of chicken eggs but that was the only thing I did differently. Super soft, chewy and yummy. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Definitely a keeper.
Thank you so much!
This is a very good recipe. I substituted almond emulsion for the vanilla. Added zest of three oranges. Omitted the cinnamon and added one tbsp. fennel seeds and one tbsp. grains of paradise (medium grind).
The Oatmeal Raisin cookie I have been searching for a lifetime! Chewy, crispy, so moist!
Love this recipe! First time I ever made oatmeal raisin (my hubbys favorite!) and they turned out perfect! Thanks for a new family favorite!
So happy to hear that!!
Oh my goodness !!! These cookies are so delicious 😋😋😋 Made late yesterday. Will be making again today. I was so happy to see you could use melted butter in this recipe as my butter was in the freezer and I wanted Oatmeal Raisin cookies right away. Thank you for an amazing recipe although I will not be getting on my bathroom scales for awhile 😂😂😂
Haha sorry about that but glad you liked them.
These turned out beautifully!
And so glad this recipe called for old fashioned instead of instant!(no food processor here) I let my dough chill in the fridge for an hour before scooping. Also prayed tray with Pam instead of using parchment. Came off just fine:)
Thank you for your feedback!
Just one question…..what is calorie count per cookie?
I use MyFitnessPal to figure out calories and it depends on the brands you use so I would try that.
Excellent recipe……. just what i was looking for! Still chewy on day 3….yaaaay! Mine used to get hard. I still have cookies left ONLY because my son is away for a few days. I’m sure they will vanish within 24 hrs of him discovering them in the kitchen!
Parchment helps them from spreading to flat I think.
Great tip on the floor!
Thank you! Much appreciated!
Yay! I’m glad you approve.
Made these today after work. Followed recipe tightly. Even spooned the flour. VERY delish and chewy but they spread out like crazy. Suggestions? Thanks for sharing and keep up the good recipes!
Weird! Most people error on the side of too thick? Was your dough warm? You could chill before baking.
It would have been nice to know how long to bake the cookies! Still in the oven or I’d tell ya how I liked em.
The recipe says to bake for 14-16 minutes!
Yep the time is in the recipe!
Really good cookies and a pleasure to make. I wonder if the texture would be affected if they were about half the size. I do prefer a smaller cookie. That said this batch is a huge hit. Mine did not spread. Is that the intention? They were slightly crisp on the edges and softer in the middle
Nope! I think smaller would be great!
Christy, please help me. I followed your recipe for oatmeal /raisin cookies to uhe letter and was shocked with the results. They were nice and chewy while just cool enough out of the oven to eat. YUMMY. And they looked just like the picture. But as they cooled they turned into rocks ! ! Good Lord what did I do wrong. I’m determined to succeed. I checked my ingredients, measurements, oven temp. etc. Please please help me. They look so good on your picture and I was so mortified when my guests reached for more, which had already cooled and they were lethal weapons ! Funny but not really. I await your reply. Thanks. Judy in Pittsburgh,
Judy, that doesn’t sound right at all. You might want to undercook them to keep them nice and soft.
I just made these cookies and they were incredible! Huge hit. Made some slight modifications: Instead of white sugar, I used raw turbinado sugar; used 1 cup of sprouted whole wheat and 1 cup of white all purpose flour; I added 1/4 cup of shredded coconuts, 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds, 1/4 cup of raisins, 1/4 cup of chocolate chunks and 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds; I also added 2 scoops of protein powder. Honestly, these were great. I might try and make these with coconut sugar and coconut oil. Thoughts?
Lots of changes! I think coconut oil would work but I’m not familiar with coconut sugar.
Would it be okay to refrigerate before cooking?
Yes!!
Can I use one minute oatmeal instead? How will it affect the outcome?
Yes, it might have a different texture.
Yay. I was looking to see if anyone else used the quick oats. I’m baking these today
Very good cookie
Thank you!
Seriously the best Oatmeal raisin cookie I have ever tasted.
Yes!!!!
It’s not often that I can switch a recipe over from regular to gluten free and not feel like I’m missing out. I used gluten free flour and they still turned out AMAZING!!
Good to know that it can be done!
Exactly what I was looking for!
Followed the recipe to a “T”.
That chewy goodness.
Thank you!
Loved these oatmeal raisin cookies! They turned out just like the photo. I macerated the raisins to make sure they were moist and chewy. Next time, I would add a bit more cinnamon. A taste preference. The recipe matches the description perfectly. Highly recommend making these.
First time making these yummy chewy and delicious cookies. Problem is I didnt make enough. This is my favorite recipe. Thank you
I have made theses about 5 times already and everybody loves them. I add a little mini chips to them. I have made them with or without raisins, depending on if I have them. Thank you for this recipe. The wording and instructions are perfect!
Turned out perfect…I doubled the nuts
Yummy!
Hi Christy, I love this recipe! The taste is just amazing! However, my cookies didn’t spread so I pressed it flat with a fork. Do you think it has something to do with the butter? I opted to brown the butter (for extra flavor) so I think some liquid must have evaporated and I didn’t measure it after melting. Any suggestion on what to do so it’ll spread next time?
Oh yes, browning the butter definitely decreases the liquid and would cause it to not spread as much. Since this recipe calls for 3/4 cup melted butter make sure when you brown your butter that you have that much at the end of browning.
Hi! I cooked these exactly according to the recipe. I had been looking for a good oatmeal raisin cookie to try because I love the ones from the store. My mom and I think they are absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe.
You’re welcome!
Absolutely awesome!
These are by FAR my husband’s FAVORITE cookies! I had no issue with the recipe what-so-ever. Better than bakery cookies! Thank you!
Thank you!
I’m not sure where all these 5 stars are coming from. The cookies are good, but the instructions are not. The top of the recipe says it yields 24 cookies, however using a 1/4 cup as instructed, yields 16. How far do you space these monster cookies? How many per baking sheet? Do you cook both sheets at once? I baked 8 on each sheet and rotated the pans part way though. Removed after 16 minutes and after letting them sit 5 minutes, I discovered they were still raw! Put them back in for 8 more minutes (total of 24 minutes). That’s twice the listed baking time. I do bake a decent amount, but always follow instructions to a t the first time. Would probably be 5 stars if you had proper instructions.
Rachele,
Thousands of people have made this with no issue. Not sure what went wrong on your end.
The cookies are very large. I put about 7 per sheet and it worked out fine. I used the convection setting to make sure they cooked evenly. They did not spread out, but possibly I overcooked the butter when I melted it in the microwave. However, they were very tasty!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Same thing here, 24 mins is key! In the instructions it does state she’s at sea level & those that are NOT at sea level may need more time.
Fabulous recipe! I soaked my raisins in Bourbon for a bit before adding to dough. My house smells like Christmas from the cinnamon. Thank you for posting this recipe.
You are welcome!
Wow! These cookies are so delicious!!! IDefinitely making this my go to recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies! Best I’ve tried! Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you!
Added chocolate chips and coconut ( 1 cup of each) to the recipe. Approximately 33 cookies with tablespoon scoop.
At last a truly delicious chewy raisin cookie recipe! I did omit the nuts, prior to this many eons ago the best raisin cookie I had ever eaten did not have nuts. I made these cookies two ways, first as written and then using quick oats, they’re still delicious and chewy but to me they are easier to chew with quick oats; being easier to chew with quick oats may be an age factor though I do have good teeth. Having said that, this is still the most delicious chewy raisin cookie I’ve ever eaten in my 82 years! Christy, if I could I’d give you 12 stars, they are so delicious!!! Thank you again for all the love & hard work your pour into your food blog. Your site is so beautifully done, the photography is gorgeous. No matter what dish, they’re presented so beautifully that you can almost smell the various aromas! It is a true joy to take a “stroll” through your site. My daughter is a professionally trained chef & I love watching her and learning new things that she creates. Your site affects me the same way. It isn’t that I’m not a good cook, I’m great cook! It’s just that I love learning new recipes & cooking tips. You young people are so inspiring!
oh wow Margo! What a compliment. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment.
My family LOVED these cookies. They were so easy to make too. I will be making them again. 😁😋
Thank you! I’m glad you approve!
My family LOVED these cookies. They were so easy to make too. I will be making them again. 😁😋
I don’t usually take time to give a recipe a review, HOWEVA (not a typo) I have made these like 4 times in the last few weeks…batch number 5 is now in the oven. I don’t even like baking but these are so ridiculously delicious that I might need my oven to break to stop this madness. You are 100% right about the melted butter. It makes a huge difference in the consistency.
Hahahah so glad you like them.
This recipe is perfect. I’m gluten free and I used gluten free flour and it still turned out fantastic !!! Perfect amount of everything in this recipe. Super easy to make as well.
Good to know that gluten free works.
I thought I had the best oatmeal cookie recipe ever until I was traveling and got this recipe online. I, we, everyone loves this cookie – yum yum yum
Yay!!! Love hearing that.
You are right!!! This cookie recipe is indeed a keeper. My mouth is happy!!!😁
Thank you!
Barb
So glad you liked it!
Best oatmeal cookie! Definitely a winner!!
Thank you!
Will it affect the result if I leave out both the raisins and nuts? I am looking for a great Oatmeal Cookie recipe for my picky eater son who likes them plain.
Nope! Should work great.
This is my new go-to oatmeal cookie recipe! The cookies were thick and stayed chewy for a week– absolutely delicious. I couldn’t help myself from adding chocolate chips and Bits-O-Brickle toffee pieces, but otherwise stayed true to recipe. Highly recommend!
Thank you!
The cookies are good. But are they supposed to spread out?? Mine did not come out big & I went straight by the recipe. They stayed more in a mound & had to cook longer to get the center done.
Yeah, they are thick and don’t spread a ton.
I’m on my third batch of these cookies, and have likely never written a review for any recipe before. I have to say these are the best oatmeal cookies ever. I dont know if its the extra egg yolk or what, but they come out great every time and the taste is great. Good job on this recipe for sure!
This is a perfect recipe! My mom made these for me all the time as a kid. But back then though, for me, oatmeal raisin cookies < chocolate chip cookies. Now I love them unconditionally! The added walnuts are a touch my mom used too!
I used to think I had the best oatmeal cookie recipe until I tried this one! Consistently awesome and deliscous –
So glad you liked it!
I substituted carb free flour and had sort of bad results. The cookies did not “spread out” when they baked. They were still balls when I took them out. I’m thinking I need to add an egg or more butter maybe as I seem to remember something about this flour needing more.
They taste ok though.
Carb free flour is definitely the culprit. Sorry I’m not sure that sub will work without adjustments.
We love these cookies!! I like to add some cinnamon chips and craisins (dried cranberries), too!!
Delicious additions!
Go ahead and weigh your flour for perfect results. One cup equals 4.5 oz.
Great tip Andre!
I’ve been using this recipe for years.. it’s amazing. I use a little extra flour though or they are too flat, but these are the best. But I also soak my raisins in warm water and vanilla for a while.. plumps them up and makes the cookies even better!!
Great tips. Thanks!
Ever tried soaking the raisins in wine or rum in place of your warm water? Really tasty
These are amazing cookies! We dont eat nuts so I put a cup of coconut in them. Best cookies ever!!!
Coconut would be great in these.
Can I make these ahead and freeze the dough?
Yes, totally!
Can the dough be made ahead and kept in the fridge?
Love these cookies, but does anyone else only get 13 cookies? I’ve made this recipe so many times and each time I get 13 2oz cookies, using the 2oz scoop. Just wondering!
That’s strange. Shoot!
Good recipe, though a little sweet for me. I cut the brown sugar in half and soaked the raisins in a mixture of lemon juice and boiling water for about 5 minutes.
Glad you like it. Yes, I have a sweet tooth.
I just made these tonight and they are amazing – the best Oatmeal Raisin cookie I’ve ever made. Most recipes I’ve used, the cookies turn out flat. These stayed thick, crisp outside and chewy middle. I subbed chocolate covered raisins for the raisins – to die for! Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe.
You’re welcome!
I made these cookies, and there are great so i call these my family favorite oatmeal cookies
They really are great!
I just made these and they turned out perfectly. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
I was looking for chewy oatmeal cookies, because most that I’ve tried just don’t get the chewy texture. I specifically looked for one of your recipes cause you’ve never been wrong before. These sure lived up to their name! I admit, I wasn’t sure about the tablespoon of vanilla, don’t think I’ve ever used so much in one recipe besides ice cream but I’m glad I followed your instructions! Delicious! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you loved them!
I tried the recipe nut instead of raisins, i substituted dried cranberries. Cookies came out very good. Thanks for sharing the recipe
you’re welcome!
Tried baking it, it’s true! It’s the best!
Doubted at first that it’s under baked, but it turned out perfectly soft and chewy!
Awesome! So glad you loved it!
YAYYYY!
Absolutely delicious! My husband said these were the best oatmeal raisin cookies that I’ve made. Thanks for the great recipe!
Ooh so happy to hear that!
I’ve been trying every oatmeal cookie recipe I can find that will bake correctly on my mountain.
This recipe came out perfect the very first time. Perfect texture and yummy taste. They ate them up! Thank you
Yay!! I love hearing that.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe?
Unsalted butter. I will make a note.
I doubled my recipe, but followed it completely, I am at high altitude, so I cooked them for 18 min, yours look a little darker, but I didn’t want to over cook them like you said, I also added dark chocolate chips. These cookies are the best oatmeal cookie I have ever had, definitely going to keep your recipe. I think even if I didn’t have raisins, nuts or chips in the house, these would be just as good with just oatmeal and the rest of the ingredients. It’s a keeper, thank you!
You’re welcome! So glad you liked them.
I made these cookies for my mom and dad. I added a little bit of nutmeg, though. We all loved them. This is a really good recipe. The real butter and real vanilla make all the difference.
Absolutely. I only use real butter and vanilla!
Just finished making these. Have never made cookies with melted butter so I was a little unsure about that. But these turned out perfect. I used cranberries in place of the raisins. Used my medium cookie scoop and recipe made 3 dozen.
Thank you!
Maybe will try dried cranberies in place of raisins! Baking tomorrow!
Mine are currently in the oven! I didn’t change a thing and followed the recipe as written! I use the same cashier at my local grocery store and he asked me to make him oatmeal raisin cookies. I bake multiple times a week but have never made oatmeal raisin cookies! I can’t wait to get his feed back and to try one myself as well! If the baked product tastes anything like the raw dough these cookies will be a major hit! Excited!!!
Wow aren’t you nice and I hope he liked them!
I made these last night, following the recipe exactly. I used the 1/4 measuring cup to measure out the dough and I got 16 cookies total. I have to say hands down these are the best oatmeal cookies I have ever had! My husband agrees. I will definitely be making these from now on. ❤
Oh my gosh!! Yay!!! I love hearing that.
I made these using cranberries and pecans instead of raisins – so very good!
Ooh delicious!
The best oatmeal raisin cookie recipe by far! Totally amazing!!! Thank you!
Oh thank you Shari!
I’d like to use your recipe but can’t stand the music. So sad
I’m so sorry. There shouldn’t be music playing.
hey girl- these look so good! yummy!
Thank you!
Very good. Definitely use the butter. Great cookie
Thank you!
These cookies are delicious, this will be our family favorite, no more looking around for good oatmeal cookie
recipes for me. Thank you !
Ooh thank you thank you!
These sound delicious! Can’t wait to try but I too am startled at 1/4 cup??? Curious as to whether or not a cookie scoop will suffice? I’ll watch the time of course
You can make them smaller if you want!
Turned out great I put dried cranberries in
Sounds delicious!
These are THE best oatmeal raisin cookie I have ever baked! I absolutely love hiw chewy these are! I added extra raisins because I love the burst of the raisins in every bite! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
Why has no one mentioned that the recipe card says it takes 22hrs and 3 minutes to prep and the same amount of time to cook? Obviously, if you read that recipe you can see it’s wrong, but you would think someone would have mentioned it so Christy could fix it!
I can’t rate the recipe, because I haven’t tried it yet. But will this weekend and come back to let you know.
I just switched recipe cards and there was a bug in it!
I have NO idea what it is with the commenters on here who have had issues with this recipe… they clearly screwed something the hell up and are not a good indicator of how wonderful this recipe is, because let me tell you, these cookies are FANTASTIC!! My husband’s favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin. I’ve always thought they were OK, but never went nuts for them. This recipe changed that! I followed everything except the 1/4 cup cookie ball size at the end. I used probably 2 Tbs. for my cookie size, but other than that, amazing cookies and so simple! Am adding this to my recipe book! THANK YOU!
Thank you!! I appreciate your feedback!
How many cookies does this recipe make?
About 2 dozen.