Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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If you love a soft, chewy cookie with cozy flavors, these chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are about to become a new favorite. I know they are a traditional, classic cookie, but this recipe is foolproof and one of my family’s favorites! And they’re easy to make, use everyday pantry staples, and their family and reader approved!
One reader, Tonya, Commented: “These cookies are fantastic! I have made them several times, and they always turn out well. I have scooped out all the dough into cookies and placed on parchment paper. I then froze the dough for about an hour and a half, placed the frozen dough in a ziploc bag, and baked them a few days later. They were great! Thanks for posting this recipe!”
Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Super chewy centers and crisp bottoms
- Quick, no fuss dough
- Warm cinnamon and nutmeg flavor with bursts of raisins
- Kid-approved and husband-approved
If you enjoy oatmeal based cookies, try these recipes for chewy cranberry orange oatmeal cookies, and kitchen sink cookies. Both cookie recipes make for a delicious oatmeal cookie with a twist!
Ingredients
Here’s a list of ingredients you will need with a few notes about each one.
- All purpose flour – AP flour is best for this recipe. It provides structure. Gluten free cup-for-cup flour can also be used.
- Old fashion rolled oats – Old fashioned rolled oats are preferred in this recipe. They provide the best texture and chew. However, you can use quick cooking oats, just know the cookies will produce a finer, softer texture.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – to add warm, cozy flavor.
- Baking soda – to help the cookies rise and stay chewy.
- Salt – to enhance the overall flavor.
- Granulated sugar – to sweeten the cookies.
- Brown sugar – I like to use dark brown sugar but light can be used.
- Eggs – eggs help bind the ingredients together.
- Pure vanilla extract – vanilla adds flavor, warmth and aroma.
- Raisins – no need to explain! But love the chew they give the cookie. I go heavy on the raisins.
Lessons Learned From Baking These Cookies
- Chilling the cookie dough made for a more flavorful and chewy cookie. Chilling the dough allows the flavors to develop. It also helps the cookies keep their shape while baking instead of flattening out.
- I learned that shaping the chilled dough into a disc, helped achieve similar looking cookies without spreading.
- Adding more raisins enhanced the chew and look of the cookies. If you don’t like raisins, you can leave them out or add chocolate chips for a different approach.
- Letting the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the hot cookie sheet helped the bottoms crisp up without over-baking the cookie.
- Old fashioned rolled oats provided the best texture and look for the cookie.
- Underbaking the cookies ensures a chewy center, but a crisp edge. Remember, they continue to bake as they cool on the hot cookie sheet. The center of the cookie should look a touch underdone.
- After mixing in the flour, mix just until combined. Over mixing the cookie dough develops too much gluten and will make the cookie tough or cake like.
Jess’ Final Thoughts
These chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are the kind of recipe you make once and keep in your back pocket. Have friends coming over? Need to bring a treat to a dinner party? A family member had a baby? This is your recipe – simple, dependable and wholesome. Perfect for celebrations or weeknight cravings. They’ve become a regular in our home – maybe they’ll become one in. yours, too. Enjoy!
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This simple recipe for chewy oatmeal raisin cookies is perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. They bake up so nicely and stay chewy!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter; room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cups raisins
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
- In a stand alone mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (hand-held mixer works, too), cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Mix in eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract until incorporated - scrape down sides of the bowl as necessary.
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually add the bowl of dry ingredients a little at a time until just incorporated - do not over-mix.
- Finally, mix in raisins by hand to prevent over-mixing.
- Portion the dough using a cookie dough scoop (2 tablespoons) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart. Cover the sheet with plastic wrap or a lid if you have one, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the dough marinate and firm up before baking. This step is not absolutely necessary, but it's very common to chill cookie dough prior to baking to prevent spreading a support flavor development.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 6-8 cookie dough balls at a time for 10-12 minutes. Check at 10 minutes - cookies should be set, but not browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then remove to cool completely.
Notes
To Freeze Baked Cookies: Let cookies cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, place them in a freezer bag or freezer friendly airtight container, separating with layers of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Freeze up to 3 months.
To Freeze Cookie Dough: Measure cookie dough and palce the balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, cover and freeze until firm. Once solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, place the frozen cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake from frozen - just add 1-2 more minutes of baking time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
23Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 183Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.
Made these and they turned out great. Will add me some nuts like pecans or walnuts next time and let them brown also. I did them where they were light as the recipe says and I let them brown also. Both ways were very chewy.
Thank you for the comment! I am so glad you liked them!
I made this recipe and followed each step. I baked them as directed and let them cool. The cookies did not keep their form, they were all spread out and when I pulled them off they crumbled. So I don’t know what happened….
Hi Zhanna! I’m sorry this happened. This is a pretty straight-forward cookie recipe that I’ve made several times. I am assuming you may have measured some ingredients wrong? Perhaps, try again? I like to prepare all of my ingredients ahead of time to ensure I don’t make mistakes – it’s very common to mix up ingredients, especially if it’s the first time making something.
I just made them but they made about 25. I only put 2 tbsp in each cookie. I found 3 was too big of a cookie. They are delicious.
glad you liked them!
Just made these and they were so yummy! I’m not the best cookie baker but your advice on letting them “marinate” over night and then baking was great advice! So chewy and delicious.
glad you liked them!
Thank you for this easy & delicious recipe. I love love love soft & chewy cookies! These were awesome. I make Tollhouse all the time, but don’t know how to keep them chewy. They always get hard after they cool.
you’re welcome! Glad you like them!
I’m out of butter. Can I substitute shortening for the butter?
That should be fine. I haven’t done that before but I know shortening works in cookies. Makes for a softer fluffier cookie.
Do you put them in the fridge after or can they stay in room temperature?
Thank you! 🙂
room temp is fine!
How many does this recipeyield. Good oatmeal raisin cookies are pure bliss…can you substitute Craisins for the raisins for a different taste too? I love a recipe in which you can change one Ingredient and have a whole different cookie.
around 18! Yep you can sub any kind of dried fruit. You can even add nuts!
What kind of oats did you use?
you can use old fashion or quick oats. doesn’t matter!
My go to recipe for Oatmeal Raisin cookies! And I was NOT always a fan of them until I found this recipe! Love you blog..
That’s so great to hear! Glad you enjoy them! Oatmeal raisin is my husband’s favorite so I had to make sure the recipe was perfect! 🙂
These cookies are fantastic! I have made them several times, and they always turn out well. I have scooped out all the dough into cookies and placed on parchment paper. I then froze the dough for about an hour and a half, placed the frozen dough in a ziploc bag, and baked them a few days later. They were great! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Thanks Tonya! So glad you like the recipe!
Pretty good. Little on the dark side. I used organic coconut oil instead of butter. Worked just fine. TY for sharing Jessica!
Hi Suzanne – glad you enjoyed them. When you say a little on the dark side, do you mean crispy? If not, I would shorten your baking time just a bit so they don’t get as brown. Glad the organic coconut oil worked!
These were ok. I would add more sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg because unfortunately they were very bland but overall a good recipe.