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Soft and chewy oatmeal cookies filled with the perfect amount of raisins are a classic that will never stop being made in my house. These have been Sean’s favorite cookies for as long as I can remember.
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
I’ve been making this recipe since we were newlyweds (has it really been over 25 years?!) and the recipe is timeless for a good reason. These really are the best oatmeal raisin cookies.
(And I take no credit for that. The recipe below is very lightly adapted from the ancient recipe on the side of the Quaker oatmeal packaging.)
With simple pantry ingredients, a bit of butter, a couple of eggs, and a generous handful of raisins, these cookies come together in very little time at all.
The dough freezes well, as do the cookies, so I frequently double or triple the recipe to have it on hand all the time.
What’s not to love about having cookie dough stashed in the freezer?
Frozen Cookie Dough
I was sick over the holidays a few years ago and I was craving oatmeal cookies, but I didn’t have any in the freezer. Side note: This cookie dough freezes beautifully, so I highly recommend stashing some away for future baking.
Sean made a batch of these cookies for me that Christmas and they turned out perfectly. Baking is not his thing at all, so having an easy and reliable recipe helps!
In addition to keeping cookie dough in the freezer, I recommend tucking a few of the cookies in the freezer too. I love having them for snacking on with my morning coffee.
Kitchen Tip: I use this bowl, this sheet pan, and this cookie scoop to make this recipe.
Soft Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- butter
- white sugar
- light brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- flour
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- old-fashioned oats
- raisins
Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
To make these cookies, start by preheating the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat the butter on med-high speed until smooth and almost fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth again.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients except the raisins. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, half at a time. Stir until fully combined. Add the raisins and stir well.
Using a medium-size scoop, drop the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (For larger cookies, make the dough balls golf-ball size and put just 6 on a baking sheet at a time.)
Bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned and when they still look soft in the center.
Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes; this will allow them to finish baking without overcooking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Cookies without Chocolate
The pro-raisin / anti-raisin Oatmeal Cookie argument will probably never be solved. And while I love a terrific Chocolate Chip Cookie, I also love quite a few cookies without a bit of chocolate in them.
If you’re not a chocolate lover, I recommend also checking out Coconut Lover’s Oatmeal Cookies, and Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies.
Maple Nut Scone Cookies. Mexican Wedding Cookies, and Glazed Lemon Drop Cookies are a few more delicious options.
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/3 cups raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat the butter on med-high speed until smooth and almost fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sugars and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth again.In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients except the raisins. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, half at a time.
- Stir until fully combined. Add the raisins and stir well.
- Using a medium-size scoop, drop the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. (For larger cookies, make the dough balls golf-ball size and put just 6 on a baking sheet at a time.)
- Bake smaller cookies for 8-9 minutes. (Bake larger cookies for 14-15 minutes.) Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned and when they still look soft in the center.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes; this will allow them to finish baking without overcooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 1/5/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/5/23}
Quite disappointing. Maybe lacked spices like cinnamon and cloves.
I’m sorry to hear that the cookies didn’t turn out well. Did you happen to substitute/omit any ingredients?
I know you have to pay the bills But ads over your content means I see neither
Sorry to hear that an ad appeared over the content. That should not happen and all ads should have an X in the corner enabling them to easily be closed. If it happens again, please send me a screenshot so that I can have that ad blocked. Thanks, Nicole.
Really great! Perfect amount of raisins like you said, Mary. I decreased the white sugar to about half the amount, but you gotta have the full brown sugar for the chew. I also did a batch with about a teaspoon of cinnamon, and that was good for that style. A tablespoon size cookie scoop, baked 8 min and cooled for 5-10 on the pan, created a done cookie that was perfectly chewy. I’ve been looking for a solid go-to oatmeal raisin cookie, and the search is over. THANK YOU once again for a classic!
I am so happy to hear the cookies are a hit for you, Lily! Happy baking!!
I am not a cinnamon fan so these were perfect! Just the right chewiness as well. I’ll make these again.
I’m thrilled they were a hit with you, Jackie!
I wish I would have read comments before making these cookies, they were tasteless….I just pick this recipe out on line. Waste of my time and ingredients.
Sorry to hear that the recipe wasn’t for you, Joanne. Is there a chance that you might have substituted/omitted any ingredients, or changed the baking time/temperature? Any of those things might have contributed to your end result.
I absolutely love the soft chewy Oatmeal raised cookies… Perfect every time.
I’m glad to hear that you’ve been loving the cookies, Patricia.
These were very good. Soft and sweet.
I’m glad you like the cookies, Michele!
I love this recipe but I substitute the raisins for chocolate chips for my kids and fiance absolutely perfect I make them big and they are perfectly chewy
I’m glad you’re enjoying the cookies, Sarah!
I didn’t have enough raisins so I added dried cranberries also. The baking instructions were spot on and I liked the kosher salt addition that gave it just the right amount of saltiness. Cookies were chewy and delicious but I think I would add a teaspoon of cinnamon next time. Maybe just my own preference. The vanilla I used was Watkins and the flavor of that was delicious.
I’m glad you like the cookies, Lacey. They’d definitely be great with cinnamon added too!
I haven’t made these cookies in a while, but this is my go-to cookie recipe. I have probably made them about a dozen times. I often make double batches and scoop and freeze the dough for easy baking later.
I have had this link open on my phone for a very long time as a reminder to make them as soon as I have free-time. I realized that if I love these cookies so much, I should make sure to let you know.
Thanks so much!!
Thanks for taking the time to tell me, Emily! This is one of my faves too.
these are not chewy, taste nice, added cinnamon… but definitely not chewy, even when under baked..
Without being in your kitchen with you, I can’t really guess what went wrong. These are pretty chewy cookies when we make them. Did you change or substitute any ingredients?
My daughter and I baked these today and since there were no spices listed we added a tsp of pumpkin pie spice and they were the best thing ever.
I’m so glad you loved them!