These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are soft and chewy, filled with oats and sweet raisins. They’re easy to make and perfect for dessert or an afternoon snack!

Close up of oatmeal raisin cookies on a plate.

These oatmeal raisin cookies are one of our favorite cookie recipes. At first glance, they might not appear to be anything special, but they truly are. These soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are deliciously spiced with cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg. They’re studded with a generous amount of raisins, and plenty of old-fashioned oats help to give them their irresistibly chewy texture. They’re the best oatmeal raisin cookies I’ve tried.

Like most homemade cookies, these oatmeal raisin cookies freeze wonderfully. I usually enjoy a few right after baking the batch and then freeze the rest for later. They thaw on the counter at room temperature in just a few minutes.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for oatmeal raisin cookies recipe.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this oatmeal raisin cookies recipe:

  • All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure. If desired, you can swap half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. Doing so will create a cookie that is not quite as moist and chewy.
  • Baking Soda: Helps the cookies to rise and puff up as they bake.
  • Salt: Salt is an essential ingredient in baking because it enhances all of the other flavors.
  • Cinnamon and Nutmeg: These ground spices bring a touch of warm spice flavor. Nutmeg is the secret ingredient that adds an extra something special to these oatmeal raisin cookies.
  • Butter: Adds richness and flavor. Butter also adds moisture to the cookies and helps them to rise as they bake.
  • Brown Sugar: Brown sugar lends rich, caramel flavor to cookies and also helps to make cookies chewy. This recipe uses a full cup of brown sugar to bring flavor complexity to the cookies. I like to use dark brown sugar for its richer molasses flavor, but light brown sugar also works well.
  • Granulated Sugar: Adds more sweetness and allows the cookies to spread a little (not too much) as they bake.
  • Eggs: Two eggs help the cookies to rise and also add structure and flavor.
  • Vanilla Extract: For an extra touch of warm, sweet flavor.
  • Old-Fashioned Oats: Old fashioned oats are the best kind of oats to use in oatmeal cookies because they give the cookies their delicious chewy, hearty texture. You can also use quick oats, but they will make the cookies softer, with less texture and less chewiness. The cookies may also cook a bit faster if quick oats are used. Steel cut oats will not work in this recipe.
  • Raisins: I use a full 1 3/4 cups of raisins, but you can use less if you prefer less raisins in your cookies. You can use regular black raisins, golden raisins, or a combination of the two.

How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Before getting started, you’ll want to let the butter and eggs come to room temperature. This will help the ingredients incorporate together much more easily.

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  2. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat together the softened butter and both sugars. Butter, brown sugar and white sugar in mixing bowl.
  3. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Eggs and vanilla added to bowl with hand mixer in bowl.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and mix them in on low speed.
  5. Finally, mix in the oats and raisins. Cookie dough with spatula in bowl.
  6. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
  7. Scoop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
  8. Bake at 350° F for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are barely golden brown around the edges and almost set in the center. Be careful not to overbake the cookies. For the softest cookies, you want to slightly underbake.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

Stack of 6 oatmeal raisin cookies on wire rack.

Recipe Tips

  • Let the butter and eggs come to room temperature before making the cookie dough. Room temperature ingredients will incorporate together more easily.
  • Chill the dough for only 1-2 hours before baking. I’ve found that chilling the dough longer than 2 hours causes the edges of the cookies to brown before the centers are done. Not chilling the dough at all can cause the cookies to spread too much in the oven.
  • You can soak the raisins in warm water for 15 minutes to make them extra soft and plump. This step is optional. Be sure to dry the raisins well by patting them between two layers of paper towels if you choose to soak them.
  • You can add up to 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts to the cookie dough, along with the raisins. You may wish to reduce the raisins to 1 cup if adding other mix-ins.
  • You can halve this recipe to make fewer cookies.
Oatmeal raisin cookies stacked on a cooling rack with a bowl of raisins in the background.

Storage Instructions

  • Room Temperature: Oatmeal raisin cookies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
  • Freezing Baked Cookies: The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. They will thaw in 15-20 minutes at room temperature or defrost them gently in the microwave.
  • Freezing Cookie Dough: Scoop balls of cookie dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze on the baking sheet for 2 hours. Then transfer the frozen balls of cookie dough to a zip-top bag or other airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.

More Cookie Recipes

Love this oatmeal raisin cookies recipe? Try one of these easy cookie recipes next.

These classic oatmeal raisin cookies are soft and sweet with a hint of warm spices. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee, or a cold glass of milk.

Close up of oatmeal raisin cookies stacked on a plate.
4.75 from 4 ratings

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Servings: 36 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Dough Chilling: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are soft and chewy, made with lots of oats and sweet raisins. They're easy to make and perfect for dessert or an afternoon snack.
Print Recipe Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 ¾ cups raisins

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Then mix in the oats and raisins on low speed.
  • Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for 1-2 hours before baking. (Refrigerating the dough for much more than 2 hours can cause the edges of the cookies to brown before the centers are baked enough.)
  • When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Scoop rounded tablespoon sized balls of dough, shape into balls and place on the parchment lined baking sheets.
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges and almost set in the center. Be careful not to over-bake the cookies. For the softest cookies you want to slightly under-bake. If baking two pans of cookies at once, rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.
  • Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • You can add up to 1 cup of chocolate chips or chopped walnuts to the cookie dough, along with the raisins. You may wish to reduce the raisins to 1 cup if adding other mix-ins.
  • Cookies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
  • To Freeze Baked Cookies: The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. They will thaw in 15-20 minutes at room temperature or defrost them gently in the microwave.
  • To Freeze Cookie Dough: Scoop balls of cookie dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze on the baking sheet for 2 hours. Then transfer the frozen balls of cookie dough to a zip-top bag or other airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 146kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 72mg, Potassium: 102mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 173IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
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