These easy oatmeal raisin cookies are soft, chewy and have a hint of warm cinnamon! This classic cookie is a family favorite and ready to eat in 30 minutes.
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
There’s nothing like an old fashioned oatmeal cookie recipe with crisp and chewy edges and a soft and tender center. It’s only better if they are oatmeal cookies with raisins and if you love them with a bit of everything including chocolate chip oatmeal cookies try this cowboy cookies recipe!
My friend Melissa made this easy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe for me awhile back with cinnamon chips and I’m obsessed with them. They have tons of flavor and the absolute perfect soft and chewy texture.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
Trust me when I say these are the ultimate oatmeal raisin cookies! With sweet and rich cinnamon flavor and sweet raisins they are addicting.
- All purpose flour: This provides structure for the cookies so they can maintain their shape while baking.
- Ground cinnamon: A warm spice that gives oatmeal cookies their signature taste.
- Baking soda and salt: Baking soda is a leavener that gives the cookies a slight rise while salt enhances the taste.
- Quick oats: While you can use old fashioned rolled oats, I prefer quick oats in my cookies.
- Sugars: Granulated sugar helps gives the cookies a crisp edge while brown sugar keeps them soft and chewy.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is the norm for baking recipe, but if you have salted butter just decrease the amount of salt added.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs bind ingredients together. Room temperature is best so they incorporate fully with the cookie dough batter.
- Applesauce: By adding applesauce these cookies have less butter but still have a soft, rich taste.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract for best taste.
- Raisins: One cup of raisins ensures there are some in every bite! If you are not a fan, decrease the amount or omit.
- Optional: Cinnamon baking chips and chopped walnuts.
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, blend together the butter and sugars with beaters until smooth. Then beat in eggs one at a time. Add in vanilla and applesauce. Mix just until combined.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Combine wet and dry: Next you will combine the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Stir just until smooth. Then fold in raisins and cinnamon chips if desired.
- Bake: Drop by the spoonful or use a cookie scoop onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press in a few extra raisins and chips on top if desired. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350°F, or until edges are lightly brown. Remove from the oven and cool on pan for a few minutes then remove to the cooling rack.
Tips and Variations
- Type of oats. I prefer to use quick oats because they have a finer consistency and result in a softer cookie. If you like your oatmeal raisin cookies on the chewier side, feel free to use old fashioned oats instead.
- Instead of raisins. Swap raisins for dried cranberries to make oatmeal cranberry cookies or omit the raisins for butterscotch chips and make oatmeal butterscotch cookies.
- Measuring the flour. Use the spoon and level technique to measure your flour accurately. Using too much or too little flour can create cookies that are dry, dense or crumbly.
- Softened butter. The butter should be at room temperature before using. I like to set mine out on the counter about an hour beforehand. Learn how to soften butter in the microwave.
- Top your dough. Right before baking, add a few extra raisins and cinnamon chips on top of the cookie dough balls. After baking drizzle with a simple icing and transform them into an iced oatmeal cookie!
Love oatmeal cookie recipes? Try banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal M&M cookies or Neiman Marcus cookies.
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Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar , packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 3 cups quick oats
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins , more if desired
Optional
- cinnamon chips , I use about 1 1/2 cups
- walnuts , if adding I add about 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Gather ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend together the butter and sugars with beaters until smooth. Then beat in eggs one at a time. Add in vanilla and applesauce. Mix just until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Next you will combine the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Stir just until smooth. Then fold in raisins and cinnamon chips if desired.
- Drop spoonful’s onto pan lined with parchment paper. Press in a few extra raisins and chips on top if desired.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly brown. The middle should still look slightly soft. Remove from the oven and let sit on the pan for a couple minutes. Then remove to the cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
FAQs
Yes! By soaking the raisins in warm water beforehand, this helps make them softer and more plump. It’s an easy step that makes a big difference in flavor and texture.
This recipe for oatmeal cookies with raisins does not need to be chilled before baking. If you are making more than one batch of cookies, though, I’d recommend that you chill the remaining dough in the fridge until ready to scoop. You don’t want the butter to get too warm, or else your cookies will spread. It also helps to use a separate baking sheet for your next batch.
If you have measured the ingredients inaccurately or overbaked your cookies they will be dry. To avoid overbaking your cookies, the centers should look a little underdone when you remove the cookies from the oven. Let them sit on the pan for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack (they will continue to cook as they set). This will give you the perfect soft center with crisp edges.
Yes you can freeze the cookie dough and then bake from frozen. Simply scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and then flash freeze until hard, about 30 minutes to an hour. Then transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for about 2-3 months. When ready to bake, let the frozen cookie dough sit on the baking sheet as the oven preheats. Then bake as directed, adding 1-2 minutes of baking time if needed.
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Nut-Free, Oatmeal Cookies, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
J’ai adore ! Merci
Ilove your recipes 😋
these cookies are so chewy, its amazing! thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
You are so welcome, Jess!
I make these for my dad, because they are his favorite!! I love how chewy they are!! Such an easy & yummy recipe!
I’m so glad they were a hit!
I love making these soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies that are easy to make and loved by the whole family! These cookies are on repeat!
So happy to hear they are a hit with your family :)
Sooooo good! One of our favorites.
So happy to hear that! Thanks for your comment and review, Scott :)