This homemade Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe is quick and easy to make using simple pantry staples that combine into a magical mix of soft and chewy textures with the classic oatmeal cookie flavor. Loaded with heart-healthy oats and studded with sweet bursts of raisins, these cinnamon-spiced treats bake in under 10 minutes and taste even better as a day-old bite.
Soft And Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies–No Chill Recipe
I’ve created many cookie recipes that use everything from cake mix to boxed brownie batter, but sometimes I get a craving for the classics and just want to keep it conventional. This Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe may be old-fashioned, but it just never goes out of style!
These cookies are soft and chewy in the center and crisp around the edges with a buttery, warm cinnamon flavor and extra sweetness from raisins that balances perfectly with the oats. I like to pretend that adding oatmeal to a cookie makes them healthy because after all, they are heart-healthy, full of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, but the truth is they do contain sugar and butter which makes them anything but bland and taste like a childhood comfort that simply can’t be beaten!
What makes my Oatmeal Raisin cookie recipe stand out from the competition is that I use the perfect ratio of ingredients so that the dough does not need to be chilled and can be scooped from the bowl and baked right away! And because the dough does not require refrigeration, I save you so much time without compromising the taste and texture.
Best of all, unlike other cookies that become dry over time, these sweet treats have the perfect portion of sugar and butter that combine with the oats to retain their moisture for days–no crumbly cookies here!
Why We Love This Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe
- Quick and easy to make in under 26 minutes.
- Uses simple pantry staples to create a classic cookie.
- Delicious dessert that’s loaded with oats, spiced with cinnamon, and sweetly studded with raisins.
- Moist, soft, and tender centers with a slight crisp along the edges.
- If you don’t like raisins or nuts, you can omit them or replace them with your favorite mix-in.
- Perfect afternoon snack, dessert, or portable treat for potlucks, picnics, or a cookie exchange.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Light brown sugar: Granulated white sugar can be used instead, but it will slightly change the moistness and the color of the cookies.
- Salted butter: You can replace this with unsalted butter, but add an extra pinch of salt to help with the flavor.
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder: If you want the cookies to be fluffier and less flat, decrease the amount of baking soda to ½ teaspoon and increase the amount of baking powder to ¾ teaspoon.
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Rolled oats: These are also known as Old-Fashioned Oats.
- Raisins
- Walnuts: You can also use pecans instead.
Substitutions and Additions
- Replace The Raisins: If you do not care for raisins, simply substitute them with Craisins, dried cherries, currants or golden raisins.
- Add-Ins: Feel free to add your favorite mix-ins to the dough. Some ideas include flaked coconut, chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.
Recommended Tools
- Two sheet pans
- Parchment paper or cooking spray
- Stand or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls and tools
- Measuring tools
- 2 inch cookie scoop
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make the Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This easy-to-make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe combines chewy oats and plenty of plump raisins into a classic cookie with all the traditional tastes and textures. Warmly spiced with a delicious buttery flavor, these sweet treats taste just like Grandma’s, but this dough can be quickly stirred and scooped straight from the mixing bowl–no refrigeration required!
- Beat together the sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
- Mix in the eggs, scraping down the sides to make sure everything is combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Pro-Tip: Don’t over-mix the flour when you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients because it will make the eggs cakey. You want to mix them together until they are just combined, and not for longer.
- Fold in the oats, raisins, and walnuts.
Pro Tip: Make sure your raisins are fresh, soft, and chewy. If they are hard and dry, your cookies will also be hard and dry. You can soak your raisins in warm water for 10 minutes to plump them up extra if you desire. Blot them till they are really dry before adding to the cookie dough. Do not overmix.
- Scoop the dough with a 2-inch cookie scoop and place on sheet pans.
Pro-Tip: Do not be alarmed if the dough is sticky–it is supposed to be sticky! If you don’t have a 2 inch scoop, use a normal spoon to scoop about 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough onto the parchment paper. Use the spoon or your hands to form them into better-shaped balls.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until the sides of the cookies start to brown and the middle just sets.
Pro-Tip: Keep an eye on your cookies so they don’t overbake, otherwise the sides will get too dark. Take them out when the sides are slightly brown and the middle has just set.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes and serve warm or cool. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
- To Store: You can store these cookies at room temperature in a covered, air-tight container for about a week. I don’t recommend putting them in the refrigerator, as they will dry out.
- To Freeze: Place your baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for about 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using Old-Fashioned (rolled oats) for this recipe because they make the cookies chewier. However, you can replace them with the same amount of quick oats.
Yes, this cookie dough freezes well! I recommend lining a baking sheet with parchment paper, scooping the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, and freezing for 1 to 2 hours. Transfer the frozen cookie dough to a freezer-safe bag and keep for 3 months. You can bake the cookie dough from frozen, just add an additional 1 to 3 minutes to the baking time. Why not double the batch of cookies, bake half to eat now and freeze the other half for later?
I personally do not soak my raisins for this recipe, but if you want the raisins to be more plump in the cookies, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. Then drain them and blot them well with a paper towel before mixing them into the cookie dough.
Yes, you can make these cookies gluten-free. Make sure your oats are certified gluten-free and processed in a gluten-free facility. Then swap the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour.
If your cookies are dry, it is possible that you incorrectly measured the flour, or you did not add enough butter, or you may have baked the cookies too long. Be extra careful when you measure your ingredients to ensure soft cookies.
Other Easy Cookie Recipes
- Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Banana Bread Cookies
- DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies (Copycat Recipe)
- Blueberry Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Creamsicle Cookies
- Twix Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 2½ cups rolled oats
- ¾ cup raisins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil.
- Use a stand or hand mixer with a large bowl to beat the light brown sugar together with the salted butter until creamy and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
- Mix in the eggs and scrape down the sides to make sure everything is fully incorporated.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice together.
- Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the large bowl and stir until just combined.
- Fold in the rolled oats, raisins, and chopped walnuts. Do not overmix.
- Scoop the dough out and onto the sheet pans using a 2-inch cookie scoop.
- Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the sides of the cookies start to brown on the sides and the middle just sets.
- Let cool at least 5 minutes before plating and serving either warm or cool.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: You can store these cookies at room temperature in a covered, air-tight container for about a week. I don’t recommend putting them in the refrigerator, as they will dry out.
- To Freeze: Place your baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for about 3 months.
- Make sure your raisins are fresh, soft, and chewy. If they are hard and dry, your cookies will also be hard and dry. You can soak your raisins in warm water for 10 minutes to plump them up extra if you desire. Blot them till they are really dry before adding to the cookie dough.
- Do not be alarmed if the dough is sticky–it is supposed to be sticky!
- If you don’t have a 2 inch scoop, use a normal spoon to scoop about 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough onto the parchment paper. Use the spoon or your hands to form them into better-shaped balls.
- Don’t over-mix the flour when you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients because it will make the eggs cakey. You want to mix them together until they are just combined, and not for longer.
- Keep an eye on your cookies so they don’t overbake, otherwise the sides will get too dark. Take them out when the sides are slightly brown and the middle has just set.
Delicious!!! My boyfriend’s favorite cookies! Thank you so much!