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 and you don’t even have to chill the cookie dough.
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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.
Oatmeal cookies are a teensy bit healthier than traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies because they are packed with 2 cups of oats which is the main ingredient here.
These are a nice way to round out your holiday cookie platter along with classic Christmas Sugar Cookies, our irresistible Tea Cakes, and if you haven’t tried them, Candied Pecans are a fun addition.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Ingredients
- Baking Basics – All-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soday (combining both improves the texture), also cinnamon, salt and Vanilla extract for flavor.
- 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
- Rolled oats (also called “old-fashioned” oats) – give the cookies their signature chewy texture. 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.
- Raisins – add moisture and a tangy sweetness. See my tip below on how to keep them moist.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – make gooey cookies without being too sweet
The Secret to 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. There’s no need to chill the cookie dough.
- 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.
Natasha’s Tip for Even Cookies
For easier and even portioning, use a 3 Tbsp or 2 oz cookie scoop to portion and make cookie dough balls.
To Store Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Once cookies are at room temperature, store them in a sealed airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
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 – similar to Cranberry Cookies
- 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
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
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp 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 tsp 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.
Notes
- Refrigerate Dough: You can make the cookie dough ahead and refrigerate it for up to 2 days (cover tightly). When you’re ready, scoop and bake as directed.
- To Freeze Dough: scoop the dough into balls, freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake the cookie dough straight from frozen — no thawing needed — just add 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time.
- To Store Cookies: once cookies are at room temperature, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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Just made this for the first time. We are eating them off the cooling rack as fast as I take them out of the oven. Simply delish!
Aren’t they so good! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I loved these cookies. I’m a definite oatmeal cookie kinda gal! I want to try the cranberry/white chocolate, do i just substitute using the same amount? Thanks and keep on cooking. I use a lot of your recipes. 😉
Hi Vivien, I’m so glad you loved it! I bet that could work! If you experiment, I’d love to know how you like this recipe!
Do you think extra raisins could be added instead of chocolate chips or pecans?
Hi Dana, yes. I imagine that will work just fine!
I’m wondering the same thing because I do not like chocolate chips in my oatmeal raisin cookies so I’m wondering if I should double the raisins if I don’t use chips.
Hi Angie! This oatmeal cookie dough is an excellent base for various oatmeal cookies so I don’t think it would be necessary to double the raisins unless you want more.
I soak my raisins in beaten egg(s) and vanilla for about and hour. This seems to make them even tastier.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Carol! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I have a grandson allergic to eggs? Can you recommend a substitute?
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tested this without egg so I’m not sure. I wish I had a good answer for you.
I tried this recipe yesterday and it is definitely one I am going to try again. When mixing the ingredients, I was a bit sceptical about the amount of oats that was required as the butter/sugar-dry ingredients mixture was not sizeable in comparison. I however went with the recipe as is and it turned out brilliant. The first batch did not brown as much, although the oven had reached the required temperature before they were baked. I however stuck to the indicated 14 minutes baking time and they turned out great! Thank you for the recipe.
I’m glad you followed the recipe and loved it!
These are delicious. I was looking for something different to try and they turned out amazing. Definitely adding to my repoitraire
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jill!
Can I make this cookie recipe in a standard held mixer or would I need a heavy mixer? I was always told when it came to oatmeal raisin cookie that dough is very thick needs a heavy mixer then standard. Thought I ask cause I really want to make your recipe!
Hi Angela, I have made this with a hand mixer. The dough gets quite thick so you will need to fold in raisins and chocolate chips using a firm spatula at the end, but you can get it to combine with the oatmeal using an electric hand mixer.
Has anyone made these and frozen them? I am thinking of making them for company in a few days time and would like to bake them now and freeze for later.
I haven’t tried freezing them to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
hey there everyone :), question: do I have to add the chocolate chips? can I just make them with the oatmeal/ raisins – or do I need to add chips or nuts to it as well..I am looking for a nice soft chewy plain oatmeal/raisin cookie
Hi Jenn, this oatmeal cookie dough is an excellent base for various oatmeal cookies, and I bet that could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I have read if you leave out the chocolate chips (or nuts or any listed add in…) to add 2 Tb. flour to the dry mix.
Thanks for asking this. My son doesn’t like choc chips or nuts (I’m not sure how he’s even related to me lol), so I wondered the same thing. 🙂
Is there a way this could be made without dairy? These look fantastic but my son is allergic to dairy so looking for the best way to make these without butter.
Hi Bryan, I wish I had an answer for a dairy-free substitution, but I haven’t tested that to advise. If you happen to experiment, I’d love to know how you like this recipe!
Made these yesterday so good. Turn great. Hopefully they will last until Christmas. Lol
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Annette!
Loved these. I don’t care for chocolate so used the pecans. Also made a batch of the cranberry vanilla chips – only added a bit of orange zest. I was so impressed at the soft moistness of these gems. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Linda! Good to know that you enjoyed this recipe with pecans too!
NICE recipe..Thanks for sharing!!
You’re welcome, thanks for the review!
I haven’t made oatmeal cookies in years but your post inspired me to bring them back to our lives 😊. They came out delicious! Thank you for sharing 😊
I’m so glad you loved them, Anna! Thank you for sharing your awesome review with me!
I soak the raisins in the egg and always double the batch as 16 cookies old last long in our family
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Nana!
It’s cookie season and I have been baking different cookies almost every day! These are a huge hit with my family! Chewy, delicious – just like we like them!
Hi Anna, great to hear that these cookies are always a hit! Thank you for the review.
These look delicious! Thinking of changing the raisins to craisins and chocolate chips to white chips. Don’t think it’ll change the texture or anything, do you? TIA
Hi Tammy, I haven’t tried both of those substitutions, but I bet it could work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are so delicious! Everyone loved them!
HI Katerina, I’m so happy to hear that!
Whipped up a batch of these this afternoon and they did not disappoint! Perfectly moist and flavorful; delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sara!
Natasha, I buy oatmeal/ raisin cookies from walmart, the no added sugar ones stay soft much longer than regular. I thought if anyone would know; you would. They taste the same, only O/R does this, other kinds don’t. Something to ponder on.
Hi Jerry, I haven’t tried the ones at Walmart but great to know!