These homemade oatmeal raisin cookies are thick, chewy, and simple to prepare. They bake up with a soft, tender center and slightly crisp edges for the perfect cookie texture.
Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This recipe is straightforward and uses everyday pantry ingredients to create fragrant, sticky dough that bakes into reliably delicious cookies. With minimal fuss you’ll get a batch of cookies that are chewy in the middle and golden at the edges.
Most ingredients are staples, so you likely have everything on hand. Quick oats work best here for a tender chew and good structure.
There’s no long chill time required if your butter is properly at room temperature. If the butter has been melted, chill the dough briefly: melted butter tends to make cookies spread and become flat. If the butter feels too soft (warmer than typical room temperature), chilling the dough for about 30 minutes helps it firm up again. Avoid chilling much longer than that or the oats may absorb too much moisture and the cookies can turn out dry.
If you prefer plumper raisins, soak them in water or juice for 10 minutes, drain well, then fold into the dough. This simple step brightens their texture and prevents them from drawing moisture out of the finished cookie.
What Ingredients Are In Oatmeal Raisin Cookies?
- Quick Oats – quick (old-fashioned) oats create a soft, chewy texture ideal for cookies.
- Unsalted Butter – room temperature. This is essential for thick, chewy cookies; melted butter will cause spreading.
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar – adds moisture and chewiness.
- Egg
- Molasses – adds depth of flavor and color.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Raisins
- All-purpose Flour – spooned and leveled for accurate measurement.
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
2. Cream the room temperature butter with the granulated and light brown sugars until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
3. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and molasses until combined.
4. Sprinkle in the baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the flour (spooned into the cup and leveled) and beat on low until incorporated.
5. Mix in the quick oats, then stir in the raisins. The dough will be sticky — that’s normal and desirable.
6. Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop or roll the dough into balls of about that size. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, then gently press the centers with the back of a wooden spoon to flatten slightly. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft. They taste great warm but also hold up well at room temperature.
Tip: If your butter was too soft initially and you chilled the dough for about 30 minutes, add a minute or two to the bake time if needed. If baking from frozen pre-scooped dough, increase the baking time by a few minutes until centers are set.
Quick Oats for Oatmeal Cookies
Quick oats are recommended for this recipe because they soften during baking and give the cookies a tender, chewy bite. Avoid steel-cut oats for cookies; they won’t soften enough and can make the texture too firm.
What’s Needed to Make Oatmeal Cookies?
- Cookie sheets
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone baking mats or parchment paper
- 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop (optional but handy)
Freezing Oatmeal Cookies
You can freeze this cookie dough for up to three months. Pre-scoop or roll the dough and freeze the balls on a tray until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag. Chilled or frozen dough keeps its shape well and makes baking later quick and convenient.
When baking from frozen, place scooped dough on the baking sheet and increase the bake time by a few minutes until the cookies are set.
📖 Recipe
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Equipment
-
Measuring cups and spoons
-
Cookie scoop
-
Silicone baking mats or parchment paper
-
Baking sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter – room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar – packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups quick oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup raisins
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Line cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
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Beat together the room temperature butter with the granulated and brown sugars until creamy.
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Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses; beat until combined.
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Sprinkle in the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
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Spoon and level the flour before adding it to the bowl, then beat on low until combined.
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Stir in the oats until well combined, then fold in the raisins.
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Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop or roll 1.5 tablespoons of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes.
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After 10 minutes, gently press the centers with the back of a wooden spoon and bake an additional 3 minutes.
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Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Soaking raisins in warm water or juice for 10 minutes before adding them to the dough will plump them up and improve texture.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
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