Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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If you love soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies that have crispy edges and a thick soft middle, this recipe is for you! These homemade oatmeal raisin cookies are packed with plump raisins and have a wonderful brown sugar flavor. Plus, they are easy to make using a mixing bowl and spoon.

soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies filled with lots of plump raisins

After developing the perfect soft oatmeal cookie recipe, I just had to try the recipe with raisins and I'm so glad I did.

Raisins are a wonderful addition to an oatmeal cookie. Not only do they add a nice sweet flavor but they also help to keep the cookies moist and chewy.

I loaded these cookies with an abundance of raisins, a full 1 ½ cups. You can adjust the ratio if you prefer fewer raisins, but I highly recommend adding them all.

chewy oatmeal cookies filled with lots of California raisins and served with cold milk

I love their chewy centers. I could seriously eat these oatmeal raisin cookies every day. They make a great snack but I've been enjoying them for breakfast this week.

Each cookie has a nice buttery toffee-like flavor and is loaded with oats and raisins so they stay thick when baked.

You are going to love how easy they are to make. You do not need a mixer! You can make these in a mixing bowl with a whisk, a spoon, or a silicone spatula (my favorite kitchen tool).

thick chewy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe image

I hope you love these cookies as much as I do.

Meaghan and I have created lots of amazing cookies over the years to share here on this blog and on our other blogs. Be sure to check them out.

More Cookie Recipes

Soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies ingredients - flour, oil, old-fashioned rolled oats, sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ingredients

raisins - Fill these cookies with plump California raisins for a robust raisin flavor or use golden raisins for a milder flavor. See the notes below about soaking the raisins in hot water in order to plump them up!
unsalted butter - You will melt the butter, so you don't have to worry about setting it out on your counter to soften it.
- You can melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove.
cinnamon - You'll use ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon which will get bloomed in the melted butter (mixing it into warm butter will enhance the flavor). You can add less if you prefer a more pronounced oat flavor.
vegetable oil - The oil is a key ingredient for making soft oatmeal cookies.
granulated sugar - This sugar will not only add sweetness but it will also encourage browning.
brown sugar - I used dark brown sugar to give these cookies a more robust toffee flavor, but light brown sugar works fine too.
egg/egg yolk - You will use 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk. The extra yolk adds extra moisture to the cookie and ramps up the rich flavor.
vanilla - Always use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the best flavor.
all-purpose flour - The amount of flour in this recipe is lower than in most recipes and this lower amount keeps the cookies from having a cakey texture but it's needed to give the cookies structure.
salt - Use ¾ teaspoon of table salt to balance the sweetness in the cookies.
baking soda - Just ½ teaspoon will give your cookies the rise that they need.
old-fashioned rolled oats - Your cookies will have the best flavor and texture when you use old-fashioned rolled oats.

oatmeal raisin cookies made using quick oats (instant oats, 1-minute oats)

Can oatmeal cookies be made with quick oats?

Quick oats, also known as instant oats or 1-minute oats, are partially cooked then dried and cut into smaller pieces so they cook more quickly on the stove. You can use them to make these oatmeal cookies, but the texture will not be quite the same. You can see in the picture above, how different the cookies look when made using instant oats.

Can oatmeal cookies be made with steel-cut oats?

I would not suggest using steel-cut oats to make these oatmeal cookies. They won't cook the same as old-fashioned rolled oats. They are too thick and will make tough cookies.

Are oatmeal cookies gluten-free?

These cookies are not gluten-free, but you can find gluten-free oatmeal cookie recipes online like this recipe from gluten-free on a shoestring.
To make gluten-free oatmeal cookies, you would need to use gluten-free flour and oats. Oats are naturally gluten-free but they may come in contact with grains that contain gluten during processing and production. So, you would need to shop for gluten-free oats to be sure they are 100% gluten-free.

Soften raisins by soaking the raisins in hot water, then drain off the liquid.

How to plump up your dried raisins?

Sometimes raisins right out of the container are plump and juicy, while other times they are really dry. If your raisins are dry and you'd rather add nice soft and juicy raisins to your cookies you can rehydrate them using hot water.

Set your raisins in a heat-proof bowl.
Bring a cup of water to a boil, then pour it over the raisins.
Let the raisins soak in the hot water for about 5 minutes.
Drain the raisins by pouring them into a fine mesh sieve and allowing the water to drain off.
Pour out onto paper towels and allow the raisins to dry until ready to mix into the cookie dough.

Can you use golden raisins in these cookies?

Yes! Golden raisins have a milder raisin flavor and are typically soft and plump. They'll make a wonderful addition to these oatmeal cookies.

Stir cinnamon into melted butter then whisk in oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

How to make soft oatmeal cookies?

step 1 - mix the wet ingredients

Melt the butter in the microwave for about 40-50 seconds on high power or in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. You can brown the butter if you prefer, but it's not necessary.
Stir the cinnamon into the hot butter and allow it to rest for about 30 seconds.
Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Stir in the oil until blended, then add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and mix until combined. The mixture will look gritty once blended together.
Add the egg and egg yolk and vanilla and stir until combined.

Make oatmeal cookie dough by mixing flour, baking soda, salt, and oats, into the wet ingredients.

step 2 - stir in the dry ingredients

Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda, then fold it into the wet ingredients.
Stir in the old-fashioned rolled oats.

stir raisins into oatmeal cookie dough then scoop the dough onto parchment paper-lined cookies sheets, flatten, and bake

step 3 - add raisins or other mix-ins

Add ½ to 1 ½ cups of raisins to the cookie dough. I love these cookies packed with raisins so I opt for the larger amount, but you can use as little as ½ cup if you prefer fewer raisins in your cookies.

Other mix-in ideas

toasted walnuts or pecans - You can add ½-1 cup of chopped nuts to the cookie dough for a nutty crunchy texture. If you add nuts, you may want to limit the number of raisins so your total mixins do not go over 2 cups.

chocolate chips - If you just don't like raisins, or you want to split the dough in half and add something different to the other half, then add ½ to 1 ½ cups (for the whole batch) of chocolate chips to the oatmeal cookie dough.

dried cranberries and orange zest - You can skip the raisins altogether and load these cookies up with 1 cup of dried cranberries and the zest from one orange. You can plump the dried cranberries by soaking them in hot orange juice.

dried cherries and chocolate chips - Another option is to add a combination of dried cherries and white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.

step 4 - scoop and bake your cookies

Use a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop to scoop out 24 portions of the oatmeal cookie dough.
Place the dough balls onto parchment paper-lined baking trays about 2 inches apart.
Then use your hand to gently flatten the rounded tops of the cookies.
Your cookies should be flat on top, measure about 2-inches across and be about 1-inch thick. See the picture above. The unbaked cookie pictures in the middle on the right has been flattened and is ready to go into the oven.
Bake the oatmeal raisin cookies in a 375-degree F (190.6° C) oven for 8-10 minutes until the edges turn lightly golden brown and just begin to set. The center of the cookies should look slightly underdone when you remove the trays from the oven.
Let the cookies rest on the hot tray for 5-10 minutes, to continue baking, then transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

chewy oatmeal raisin cookies recipe image

TIPS:

Do not overbake these cookies, they will be dry and crunchy instead of soft if overbaked, so it's always good to keep an eye on the cookies in the last minute or so of baking time.

You should remove the cookies when the centers still look a bit undercooked. If the tops of the cookies look completely dry the cookies will be dry too.

It's also important to make sure your oven is baking at the right temperature. We recommend placing an oven thermometer inside the oven to make sure your oven is heating to the correct temperature.

Yield: 26

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Thick and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies have crispy edges but are soft in the middle. The plump raisins add a sweet flavor and keep these cookies moist for days.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 38 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups raisins
143 grams all-purpose flour (5 ounces or 1 cup + 2 tablespoons)*
5 grams table salt (¾ teaspoon)
2 grams baking soda (½ teaspoon)
86 grams butter (3 ounces or 6 tablespoons)
1 gram cinnamon (¾ teaspoon)
74 grams vegetable oil (2.6 ounces or ⅓ cup)
149 grams dark brown sugar (5.25 ounces or ¾ cup tightly packed)
109 grams granulated sugar (3.8 ounces or ½ cup)
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
6 grams pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
300 grams old fashioned rolled oats (10.6 ounces or 3 ½ cups)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (189 Celcius).
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
If desired, you can plump the raisins. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a bowl filled with the raisins.
Set aside for 10 minutes, then drain off the water and spread the raisins on a few layers of paper towels.
Let the raisins dry until needed.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda, and set aside.
Melt the butter using the microwave or stovetop.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm melted butter with the cinnamon and let rest for at least 30 seconds.
Stir in the vegetable oil.
Then, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until well combined.
Stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Fold in the flour mixture.
Finally, stir in the oats.
Scoop out 26 cookies using a 2 tablespoon-size ice cream scoop or a measuring spoon onto the baking sheets, spacing the cookies a few inches apart.
Gently flatten the rounded tops of the cookies so the cookies are about 2 inches in diameter and 1-inch thick.
Bake one tray at a time for 8-10 minutes, rotating them halfway through, just until the edges start to firm up. The centers should still look slightly gooey.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the hot baking pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
These cookies can be wrapped in wax paper, then placed in a zip-top bag, and frozen for up to 3 months.
If desired, you can heat the cookies in the microwave for about 10 seconds to warm them up before eating.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 198Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 134mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g

HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.

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Beth Klosterboer

Hi, I'm Beth, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I share my fun food recipes at HungryHappenings.com, easy fudge recipes at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes to share with you here.