Our all-time favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. These are big, soft, and chewy with melty chocolate morsels. There’s one simple trick that will keep your cookies and raisins moist for days.
Oatmeal cookies are healthier than traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies because they are packed with 2 cups of oats which is the main ingredient here.
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These are a nice way to round out your holiday cookie platter along with classic Sugar Cookies, our irresistible Russian Tea Cakes, and if you haven’t tried them, Candied Pecans are a fun addition.
Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
You’ll love the texture of these oatmeal cookies – they are the perfect balance of thick, chewy, gooey, and soft. They also keep well and stay soft for days. All you need to go with these is a tall glass of milk.
Ingredients for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- All-purpose flour – helps the cookie hold together
- Baking soda and baking powder – combining 2 leavenings gives these rise and a softer texture
- Cinnamon and salt – add flavor and balance the sweetness
- Butter – use unsalted and softened at room temperature.
- Sugar – combining packed brown sugar and granulated sugar gives these just the right amount of sweetness and golden color.
- Egg – adds moisture and helps to bind the cookie dough together
- Vanilla extract – adds flavor and aroma to the cookies
- Rolled oats (also called “old-fashioned” oats) – give the cookies their signature chewy texture.
- Raisins – add moisture and a tangy sweetness
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – make the cookies gooey and irresistible without being too sweet.
Our Best Tip for Soft & Moist Oatmeal Cookies
Presoak your raisins! It’s a quick step and doesn’t add extra time – I usually do that first while I’m measuring out my other ingredients and preheating the oven. It will make all the difference in how your cookies turn out. Raisins can get really tough and chewy in the oven but pre-soaking ensures they will come out plump and soft. They also keep more moisture in your cookie.
Also, as with any cookie recipe, if you love a soft cookie, make sure you don’t over-bake.
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Prep – line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and pre-soak raisins in warm water for 15 minutes then drain and pat dry.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
- Add oats, raisins and chocolate – mix until combined.
- Scoop dough – Make 2-inch cookie dough balls and place dough balls on prepared baking sheets. Press them down slightly with the back of a measuring cup.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 12-14 minutes at 350˚F. Do not overbake. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Pro Tip: for easier and even portioning, use a 3 Tbsp or 2 oz cookie scoop to portion and make cookie dough balls.
To Store Cookies
Once cookies are at room temperature, store them in a sealed airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Oatmeal Cookie Variations
We love the addition of chocolate chips and raisins, but this oatmeal cookie dough is a great base for a variety of oatmeal cookies. These variations will produce a sweeter cookie compared to using semisweet chocolate, but they are tasty:
- White chocolate chips and dried cranberries
- Dried Cherries and white chocolate chunks
- M&M’s – use colorful M&M chocolate candy and try seasonal colors to make these festive instead of using chocolate chips.
- Raisins with toasted and chopped pecans
Common Questions
You can substitute with quick-cooking oats instead of old-fashioned rolled oats if that is what you have on hand. We prefer rolled oats because they are thicker and have more texture. I have even used extra-thick rolled oats with these cookies.
As long as you’ve measured the ingredients correctly, you should have very thick cookie dough and there is no chilling required with this recipe.
As far as cookies go, this is one of the healthier cookie options because it has a lot of oats and fiber, but it is still a cookie and should be enjoyed in moderation.
All-Time Favorite Cookie Recipes
If you love fresh home-baked cookies, then you won’t want to miss these top-rated cookie recipes:
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Almond Snowball Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are definitely a worthy contender for the Christmas cookie platter. I hope this becomes a new favorite cookie recipe for you.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350˚F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Set raisins in a bowl of warm water and soak for 15 minutes then drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla, mixing to fully incorporate. With the mixer on, gradually beat in flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Add oats, raisins, and chocolate and mix until just incorporated. The dough will be thick.
- Divide into 16 (2-inch diameter) dough balls (use a 3-Tbsp or 2 oz cookie scoop for even portioned cookies). Flatten each ball slightly with the back of a measuring cup.
- Bake one baking sheet at a time for 12-14 minutes or until edges are slightly golden then remove from the oven right away. Do not over-bake. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
The first two times I made the cookies they came out perfect but the third time around they got flattened. Can you tell me what’s the reason so I can avoid making the same mistake? Thank you Natasha and I love your channel I am a huge fan.
Hi Roz, I’m so glad they worked out well and you loved them the first two times. It’s hard to say what went wrong without being there, but I would recommend double checking nothing was altered in the recipe from the process to the steps taken. For example, i recommend ensuring your butter wasn’t to warm when added, I also recommend ensure your oven is calibrated and not running too hot or too cold. But also, ensure you didn’t add too much or too little flour to it as that can impact it also. I hope these tips are helpful to you.
These are the best oatmeal cookies I have ever Made. I left out the chocolate chips an used 1/2 Splenda and 1/2 sugar to make more diabetic friendly. I also made my own error and only put in 1 cup of oatmeal, (over 80 you tend to make mistakes). Anyway they only made 10 cookies but were fantastic! I will make the same mistake next time.
I just pulled a batch out of the oven. Soooo GOOD! Will be making them again for sure👍👏
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Gail!
Hello I am wondering if it is ok to leave out the chocolate chips. Would it change the cookies in any way leaving them out. Thank you
Hi Linda! We love the addition of chocolate chips and raisins, but this oatmeal cookie dough is a great base for a variety of oatmeal cookies so it should be just fine.
I left the chocolate chips out because I just wanted oatmeal raisin cookies. They taste so good!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
These are by far the best oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever made. They are easy to make and so yummy! This recipe is a keeper!!!!!!
I’m so glad you love it!
Just made these today. I think they just moved to the top of my “All Time Favorite” cookie list!!!!
So good!!! Thank you so much!
That’s wonderful, Rick!
My dough was pretty thin when I finished mixing. This is the first time this has happened. I don’t know if sifting the flour after measuring had something to do with it. I’ve made these before and never had this happen.
Hi Harold! I’m sorry that happened. That is not normal and should not be the consistency of the dough. I would look over the recipe again to see if anything was measured incorrectly. You can click on the “metric” button in the recipe card for the weight if you want to use a food scale for more accurate measurements.
Also- make sure the butter is softened but not melted. You can even try chilling your dough in the refrigerator if you live in a very warm environment and your room temperature is too warm. I hope that helps.