Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe – There’s nothing quite like a classic oatmeal raisin cookie—soft, chewy, and packed with warm spices and sweet raisins. These cookies have the perfect balance of hearty oats, rich butter, and a touch of apple pie spice for extra flavor. Grab a glass of milk and enjoy!

Wonderful stack of these oatmeal raisin cookies

Oatmeal cookies are one of the simplest cookies to make well. Even grocery stores can do it. If I ever grab a cookie off of a pre-made cookie platter, I always go for the oatmeal raisin cookies because they are the most likely to taste somewhat homemade.

Even so, there are definite standouts in the oatmeal cookie category. Today I’m sharing The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies I’ve ever made or tasted. Although the ingredients are humble pantry staples, the cookies are ridiculously divine. I’ve been tweaking this recipe for a long time, so I’m very excited to share it with you!

A hand holding an oatmeal raisin cookie with a bite taken out of it.

Ingredients You Need

  • Flour – use all-purpose flour, or you can actually use Gluten Free Baking Mix in this recipe!
  • Baking powder – to help the cookies rise
  • Salt – enhances and balances all of the flavors mingling together
  • Apple pie spice – you can also use a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg to achieve the same taste
  • Unsalted butter – softened, and use three sticks (1 1/2 cups) which sounds like a lot, but trust me on this one
  • Granulated sugar – to add sweetness
  • Brown sugar – to sweeten with a molasses taste, the darker the brown sugar the more molasses flavor
  • Eggs – for structure
  • Vanilla extract – a simple yet important ingredient to add depth
  • Old fashioned oats – these are the flat and flaky oats, also called rolled oats
  • Raisins – you can also use other dried fruits here
Scoops of cookie dough on a pan ready to bake!

How To Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice.
  3. In another bowl, with a stand mixer or hand mixer cream the butter and both sugars on high until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat in the vanilla and eggs. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl again then turn the mixer on low speed and mix in the oats and raisins.
  4. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough into equal portions and spread the balls out two inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
  5. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until slightly golden brown around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving to a wire rack.

Get The Full (Printable) Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe + Video. Enjoy!

A close up view of an oatmeal raisin cookie on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Recipe Variations and Add-Ins

  • Chocolate Chip – Swap out the raisins for chocolate chips for a classic, chocolatey twist.
  • Nuts – Add chopped walnuts or pecans for extra crunch and flavor.
  • Cranberry Orange – Replace the raisins with dried cranberries and add orange zest for a bright, citrusy touch.
  • Coconut – Stir in shredded coconut for a chewy, tropical cookie.
  • Peanut Butter – Add creamy peanut butter to the dough for a nutty, rich flavor.
  • Butterscotch – Swap the raisins for butterscotch chips for a caramel-like variation.
  • Spiced – Increase the spice by adding extra cinnamon and a pinch of cloves for a more robust, warm flavor.
  • Gluten-Free – Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour and make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.
A plate full of these soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies recipe. A cookie with a bite taken out of it is placed in front.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Oats have a distinct ability to hold in moisture. When combined with just the right amount of sugar and butter, oats keep cookies from drying out.

That means The Best Oatmeal Cookies are crisp when they first come out of the oven, but soften after several hours.

This also makes this Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe a marvelous treat to make-ahead for school or work events and weekend gatherings!

What are the best oats for oatmeal cookies?

Old-Fashioned Oats are the best choice to create the right flavor and texture in oatmeal cookies. However, in a pinch, you can use Quick Oats.

Can I make gluten-free oatmeal cookies?

Yes! Make sure your oats are fully gluten-free, and processed in a gluten-free facility. Then swap the wheat flour for Gluten-Free Baking Flour Mix.

Why are my oatmeal cookies dry?

There are three possibilities… There’s a chance you mis-measured the flour, or you did not add enough butter, or you might have baked the cookies too long. Be extra careful when you measure your ingredients to ensure soft cookies.

Why do my cookies always flatten out in the oven?

The two most common causes of flat cookies are A) Skipping the parchment paper and putting the cookies straight on the baking sheet. B) Using an oven with a faulty thermostat. It is common for thermostats to wear out over time. You can check your oven temperature accuracy by hanging a small oven thermometer off the rack.

Do oatmeal raisin cookies freeze well?

Yes! Freeze them flat on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, move the cookies to an airtight freezer bag or container. You can freeze these cookies for up to 6 months.

Homemade plate full of this BEST oatmeal raisin cookie recipe

Get The Full (Printable) Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe + Video. Enjoy!

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Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe – There’s nothing quite like a classic oatmeal raisin cookie—soft, chewy, and packed with warm spices and sweet raisins. These cookies have the perfect balance of hearty oats, rich butter, and a touch of apple pie spice for extra flavor. Grab a glass of milk and enjoy!
Servings: 45 cookies

Video

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice.
  • In another bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on high until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat in the vanilla and eggs. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl again then turn the mixer on low and mix in the oats and raisins.
  • Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough into equal portions and spread the balls out two inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. 
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving.

Notes

Really, that much butter? Yes guys, really. There’s a lot of grain in this recipe when you combine the wheat flour and oats. Therefore it takes an ample amount of butter to ensure the cookies aren’t dry. Plus, this recipe makes 45 good-sized cookies. Don’t stress, just add the butter.
For thicker puffier cookies, chill the dough for 30-60 minutes, then bake for 15+ minutes.
If your oven tends to run too hot (and your cookies usually flatten out) chilling the dough is also a good idea!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 148kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 58mg, Potassium: 85mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 200IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 0.7mg
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier
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