Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Aug 28, 2025 
The 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!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Oatmeal cookies are one of the simplest cookies to make well. Even grocery stores can do it. If I ever grab a cookie off 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!
Why You’ll Love This Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe
- Simple Ingredients – You most likely have all the ingredients in your fridge and pantry right now.
- No Chill Time – If you measure your ingredients properly, they will spread and puff up to perfection, without having to chill the dough first.
- Textural Bliss – Crispy edges and a soft, chewy interior make these cookies a textural delight!
Ingredients You Need
- Flour – use all-purpose flour, or you can substitute 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
How To Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Tips for Success – Two things affect the outcome of your baking more than anything else… Proper measuring, and accurate oven temperature. When measuring dry ingredients, be sure to level your measuring cups. For flour specifically, stir the flour to fluff it up, spoon it into your measuring cups, then level each cup.
As for baking temperature, don’t just trust what your oven says. It’s very common for well-loved ovens to run too hot or too cold over time, regardless of the temperature stated. Place a new hanging oven thermometer in your oven to get an accurate read on your oven. Then find a YouTube video on how to calibrate your oven’s make and model.
Find the full Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe and video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post, with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and baking tips to make your baking day successful!
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 ensure your oats are certified gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
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!
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.
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.
There are three possibilities… There’s a chance you mismeasured the flour, or you didn’t add enough butter, or you might have baked the cookies for too long. Be extra careful when you measure your ingredients to ensure soft cookies.
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 the accuracy of your oven temperature by hanging a small oven thermometer from the rack.
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.
Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cups raisins
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.
Just finished baking these cookies and they are sooo good. Didn’t change a thing. Not too sure about the nutmeg, but wasn’t too strong. Thank you for sharing. This one is a keeper
Can you swap out the brown sugar for Molasses? Or use Truvia Complete Brown Sugar instead?
Can you use a keto sugar and vegan butter? Thanks.
Hi Rebecca,
I would not use molasses (or any other liquid sweetener) in place of brown sugar. However, you can replace the sugar with any 1-to-1 powdered/granulated sugar substitute. Hope this helps!
you can replace brown sugar with coconut sugar 1:1 ratio. This is more keto friendly. :)
Can you use margarine in place of butter??
How will it effect the cookie?
Hi Jenny,
You can use margarine in this recipe. The cookies will be a little less crispy on the outside, but will still taste delicious!
Great taste,but oven too hot. Dark brown around edges a lot. Baked next tray on 350 for 13-15 min…..Came out perfect!
These cookies happen to be the most delicious I ever had. I added just a hint of semi choc. Chips, and it was quite difficult not to get exited. I am from culinary background, so I shouldn’t show my delight too much in public, so I eat them away from the general public.
Followed the recipe to the letter and these cookies turned out delicious. Makes a lot and that is super. Nice flavor and very tasty.
Will make these again forsure .
Can you freeze the dough?
Hi Star,
Sure you can! If you roll the dough into a log, you can cut and bake them from frozen disks. Just be sure to add 3-5 more minutes to the baking time.
They look absolutely yummy,I haven’t tried them yet plan to tomorrow.
I have question about the raisins,is it true you have to soak your raisins for a little while to soften them up,then drain and use in your recipe. Thank you
Hi Karla,
There are recipes that state to soak raisins, but I don’t believe you need to do that in this recipe… Unless the raisin are older and dry. If they are soft, they are fine to add as-is. :)
OMG, these are THE best oatmeal raisin cookies I’ve ever made. The butter makes it so delicious, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. I made two adjustments – I added a cup of chopped walnuts and substituted 2/3 of the all purpose flour with wheat (trying to tell myself they are slightly healthier). I have deleted all other recipes as this is the only I’m making going forward. Thank you!!!
It’s true! These are the absolute best oatmeal raisen cookies. the only thing i did different is to add walnuts. so easy and delish.
This is a fantastic recipe! Making them for the second time. I also add 1-1/2 cups of walnuts and 1-1/2 cups of fresh grated Honeycrisp apples 🍎 (pressed and drained) They are the best. I always chill my dough before baking. Thank you for your recipe!!
Made this recipe exactly as written. Excellent cookies that bake a little crisper on the bottom but soft and chewy texture on the inside. Am a fan of apple pie spice and they do give the cookies a nice flavor. Honestly, the flavor gets better if they sit a day or two. Terrific recipe – a definite keeper. Thank you, Sommer!!