Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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I have a perfect oatmeal raisin cookie recipe for you that is a cinch to throw together because it uses melted butter. You can use quick oats or old fashioned- whichever you have on hand so you have ultimate oatmeal raisin cookies that rival your local bakery. This recipes takes about 10 minutes to prep and uses no mixer!
A lot of time, I hear that one of the main reasons you don’t bake from scratch is because you can’t seem to get the right texture and taste that is the same as your local bakery. So why bother, right? I don’t believe that you need a culinary degree or own a bakery to have perfect cookies. No way. So if you have attempted homemade oatmeal raisin cookies in the past to find that lackluster, I promise you these cookies will change your mind.
These oatmeal raisin cookies are big, soft, and perfectly chewy on the inside. Basically everything you crave in an oatmeal raisin cookie.
It took me several attempts to get the texture of these cookies just right. But after about 4 batches, I finally got that soft, chewy texture I was going for. Of course once I got this cookie texture just right, I couldn’t stop at just oatmeal raisin! Since the creation of this recipe I’ve created a White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies version, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies version (my new fave!)
The key to these perfect oatmeal raisin cookies was using melted butter for maximum chewiness, lots of brown sugar and chilling the cookie dough.
Ingredients Needed
For the full recipe scroll to the bottom of the post:
- All purpose flour – Be sure to spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. Or use a scale for best accuracy.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Butter – I used unsalted butter in this cookie recipe. Different brands of butter will use varying amounts of salt in their salted butter so it’s better to use unsalted so you can control the amount of salt in the dough. If you only have salted butter on hand, then only use 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Light Brown Sugar – If you have run out, try my homemade brown sugar recipe.
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs – Make sure that they are room temperature. Bring them to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Vanilla extract
- Oats – You can use old fashioned or quick oats. I’ve used both. And both made GREAT cookies.
- Raisins – You can use chocolate chips or even dried cranberries. They are your cookies and your kitchen.
How to make oatmeal raisin cookies
Start by simply whisking together your dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, salt, and little cinnamon for some flavor.
In a second bowl with a whisk combine your melted butter and sugars. Then whisk them together until smooth and combined.
Stir in the eggs and vanilla and just whisk them together. You want to make sure your eggs are at room temperature so they don’t seize up the butter. I place mine a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them and they are good to go!
Then just go ahead and combine the wet and dry ingredients together. Be careful at this point to not overmix. I stop mixing once I see the last of the flour has been mixed in.
Stir in your oats and raisins just until evenly combined. Just a few good stirs and you are all set. I prefer using old-fashioned oats because they have a larger heartier texture, but quick oats can also work.
Chill your cookie dough for at least 2 hours. I prefer to chill my dough for 24 hours. Just simply cover your mixing bowl with plastic wrap or foil and pop in the fridge. The next day you may need to let it soften for at least 10 minutes before you can scoop it.
But chilling is key! Just take a look at the cookie below. The cookie on the left was baked right away. The cookie on the right was chilled for 24 hours.
You can also scoop before you chill the dough. Just make sure they are well covered.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350oF (177oC). I like this medium sized scoop) then place 12 cookies on the cookie sheet. Even sized cookies will all bake up the same so no unevenly baked cookies!
Space the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Make sure your cookie sheet is placed onto the center rack of your oven. If they are placed too high or too low the tops or bottoms may burn.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set and golden brown and middles look soft. They will continue to bake so it’s best to take the cookies out before they look fully done. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to fully cool.
Storage Instructions
Store these cookies, covered at room temperature, for up to 4 days. Any longer and I would freeze them.
You can also freeze the cookies. When they take 24 hours to chill, it’s much easier to freeze them. You can freeze them baked or unbaked.
To freeze unbaked: Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, and freeze solid. Then place into a sealable plastic bag. You can bake frozen, without thawing, but add on a few extra minutes of baking time.
To freeze baked: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Then when ready to eat, allow to thaw. I like to pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds to bring them back to ooey gooey life.
More cookie recipes to try
And if you’re craving more oatmeal cookies, then be sure to try my popular carrot cake cookies (an oatmeal cookie version of carrot cake!) topped with cream cheese frosting. I also love my gluten free monster cookies chock full of peanut butter, oats, and M&Ms!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour *spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 ½ cups (234 g) raisins
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk your flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside. 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. In a second bowl whisk together your melted butter and sugars until evenly combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add in your eggs and vanilla. Whisk to combine. 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Combine wet and dry mixtures.. Add in your dry ingredients, and with a wooden spoon or spatula stir to combine. Be careful to not overmix.
- Add oats and raisins. Stir in your oats, and raisins with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned oats 1 ½ cups (234 g) raisins
- Refrigerate dough. Chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. Simply cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for 24 hours. When ready to bake, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for several minutes to allow for easy scooping. You can scoop then bake, but just cover well.
- Prep oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or you can use a silicone baking mat)
- Bake. Use a 1-inch (small) scoop (or about 1 1/2 tablespoonful) and place 12 cookies about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes for smaller cookies until edges are set and golden brown and middles still look slightly soft. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
- Storage: Store these cookies, covered at room temperature, for up to 4 days. Any longer and I would freeze them.
- Freeze: Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, and freeze solid, about 1 hour, then place into a sealable plastic bag. You can bake frozen, without thawing, but add on a few extra minutes of baking time. Or to freeze baked cookies, Allow the cookies to cool completely. Then when ready to eat, allow to thaw. I like to pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds to bring them back to ooey gooey life.
- Oats: You can use either old-fashioned oats or quick oats, but I prefer the texture of old-fashioned.
- Raisins: You can swap out the raisins for another mix-in like chocolate chips or dried cranberries.
Delicious! I chilled in the refrigerator for 30 hours before baking, and chilling really adds to the flavor. These were soft and chewy, just as I like them. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you! I’m so happy you loved the cookies—and yes, chilling the dough makes such a difference, doesn’t it? That extra time really deepens the flavors and gives them that perfect soft, chewy texture. Thanks for baking along and sharing your results! 🍪💛
I made these cookies today. Quick. Easy. Tasty I had no white or light brown sugar so used all dark brown sugar instead (1 1/2 cups). Cookies have very good texture and taste despite slight substitution. I will definitely make again.
Thank you for sharing your experience with my oatmeal raisin cookies! I’m delighted to hear that you found them quick, easy, and tasty. Your improvisation with dark brown sugar is clever, and I’m glad it worked out well.
We love these cookies — the recipe uses more flour and oats than we’re used to using, making the cookie more cake-like. The flavor is a top hit and we’ll make them again!
Glad you love them as much as we do Pat 🙂