I don't often call recipes perfect, but these oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy, and warmly spiced—everything a good oatmeal raisin cookie should be.
These oatmeal cookies are truly the best! From Sarah Copeland’s cookbook Every Day Is Saturday, they’re soft and chewy, warmly spiced, and flecked with raisins and nuts. Perfect, if you ask me.
A few weeks ago, I got an intense craving for good oatmeal raisin cookies and hastily threw together ingredients that I had on hand. I ended up with oat-ball-type cookies that were…just ok, and my craving continued. So when I flipped through Every Day Is Saturday this week, Sarah’s oatmeal cookie recipe grabbed my attention.
She writes, “these [oatmeal cookies are] little nuggets of joy you can’t stop eating—that just-right kind of cookie.” I completely agree. These oatmeal cookies were exactly what I was craving. The only problem was that they disappeared too quickly!
Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Ingredients
This recipe has simple ingredients. You likely have them in your pantry already! Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour and whole rolled oats form the base of the dough. Old fashioned oats give these cookies the best chewy texture. I don’t recommend using quick oats instead!
- Baking powder and baking soda make them nice and puffy.
- Brown sugar adds the perfect caramelized sweetness.
- Sea salt offsets the sweet sugar and raisins.
- Cinnamon and vanilla extract give them that delicious warm, spiced oatmeal cookie flavor.
- Coconut oil or melted butter adds moisture and richness. I used coconut oil, and these tasted wonderfully buttery just the same!
- 1 large egg + an extra egg yolk give them a rich, thick dough and a moist, light final texture.
- Raisins dot them with chewy pops of sweetness.
- And walnuts add nuttiness and crunch.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Making this oatmeal raisin cookie recipe couldn’t be easier. No stand mixer (or even hand mixer) required! Here’s what you need to do:
First, make the dough. Whisk together the wet ingredients in one mixing bowl and the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in another.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then, fold in the walnuts, oats, and raisins. The mixture will be thick!
Next, let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This time gives the wet ingredients a chance to hydrate the flour and oats, making it easier to work with the dough. The cookies come out chewier, too!
Then, shape and bake the cookies. Roll the dough into balls and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!
Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Tips
Sarah has a few excellent pointers in her book. These are her tips for making the best oatmeal raisin cookies:
- Use brown sugar. Instead of using a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar, Sarah opts for all brown sugar. It gives these oatmeal raisin cookies a delicious caramelized sweetness.
- Go for melted, not creamed, butter. According to Sarah, creamed butter cookies are unpredictable: they can easily spread too much or be too firm. With melted butter, though, you’ll get moist, chewy cookies every time.
- Let the dough rest for 20 minutes before baking. Those 20 minutes will make your dough easier to roll into balls, so the cookies will keep their shape and develop a yummy chewy texture in the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely for the best texture and flavor. It may be agony, but letting these oatmeal raisin cookies cool completely only makes them better. They’ll be chewier and fully infused with brown sugar flavor. Sarah likes these best a few hours to 1 day after baking. (Though I can attest that they’re still good if you can’t wait that long.)
Oatmeal Cookies Variations
If you follow this recipe as written, you won’t be disappointed. These oatmeal cookies are buttery, nutty, and perfectly spiced. But if you want to step outside the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie box, feel free. Here are a few great ways to change up this recipe:
- Substitute chocolate chips for the raisins to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or use a mix of both. White chocolate chips are a fun option too.
- Use pecans instead of walnuts.
- Swap the raisins for dried cherries or cranberries.
- Add a dash of cardamom or ginger to the dough.
- Replace the raisins with butterscotch chips to give the cookies an extra-buttery taste.
How do you like to make oatmeal cookies? Let me know in the comments!
How to Store Oatmeal Cookies
To keep these oatmeal cookies soft and chewy, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead Oatmeal Cookies
If you’re someone who likes to keep cookie dough on hand in the fridge or freezer, this oatmeal cookie recipe is for you. You can store the cookie dough in the fridge for 7 to 10 days or freeze it for up to a month.
To store the dough, roll it into balls and freeze them briefly. Then, transfer the cookie dough balls to airtight containers or Ziploc bags and refrigerate or freeze. You can also roll the dough into a log, using an 8×12-inch piece of parchment paper as a guide. Wrap the log tightly in parchment to refrigerate or freeze, and slice the cookies into rounds before baking.
Bake your cookie dough straight from the fridge. If it’s frozen, allow it to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature before putting it in the oven.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
If you love these oatmeal cookies, try one of these yummy cookie recipes next:
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Easy Sugar Cookies
- Best Peanut Butter Cookies
- No Bake Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Homemade Brownies (not a cookie, but still delicious…)
- Or any of these 17 Easy Cookie Recipes!
Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop (I use this one)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour,
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup whole rolled oats
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, whisking vigorously.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in the oats, raisins, and walnuts, if using, folding into a tight batter. Set the dough aside for 20 minutes while the oven preheats. (Note: if your dough seems too wet to become scoop-able, chill it in the fridge for this 20 minutes and it'll firm up). If your dough is too crumbly, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons water.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the dough into 20 tablespoon-sized balls. Roll lightly in barely damp hands to make them round. Spread out onto the prepared baking sheets and bake until puffed, golden, and a touch underbaked-looking, 10 to 11 minutes. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Do I use salted or unsalted butter? Thank you!
Unsalted butter
Hands down the BEST oatmeal raisin cookie I’ve ever eaten let alone baked. I used Sucanat and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and they were amazing! So chewy. Just loved them and so did my husband.
Hi Kiki, I’m so glad you loved them!
Perfect! Very easy, not too sweet… these were a Goldilocks “just right” cookie for me and my happy sixth graders!
Hi Nancy, I’m so glad everyone loved them!
These were delish! I used mini chocolate chips and coconut oil. No electronic tools, just a whisk and spatula, sooo easy. These would be good with pretty much any pantry add-in so you don’t have to shop, you probably have some goodies on hand to make them. Definitely a keeper recipe!
So glad you love the cookies!
Would dried blueberries work or do they get bitter when baked?
I think dried blueberries would be great.
Do you need to flatten these before baking (with a damp fork?) or do they flatten on their own
Hi Tracey, I don’t flatten them – you can see the thickness in the last photo, they flatten on their own but they’re not a super flat cookie.
I baked these cookies for the first time yesterday and was very pleased. They taste super! I used chocolate chips this time. Next time I’ll use both chocolate chips and raisins. Also of note, I used gluten free flour. Some bakes do better than others with this substitution but these cookies came out perfect. Question: how long will the cookies last on the counter in a sealed plastic container? And can the cookies be stored in the freezer?
Hi Melissa, I’m so glad they worked well with GF flour – which brand did you use? I keep them on the counter for a few days and freeze them after that.
I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking flour.
I loved your best brownie recipe–it is the only recipe I use. Now, I am going to make your perfect oatmeal raisin cookies. I have one question: should I soak the raisins before adding them to the oatmeal raisin dough? Thanks.
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you loved the brownies. No, just mix the raisins in without soaking.
These are my favorite oatmeal cookies – they’re addictive! – but I so wish they were vegan now that I’m trying to follow that lifestyle. Do you have any tips on making these vegan or plans to make a vegan oatmeal cookie recipe?
Hi Mary, here’s how we’ve made these vegan:
sub the eggs for 2 tablespoons ground flax + 5 tablespoons water. Stir and set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. Add the mixture in place of the eggs, and use coconut oil instead of butter.
I hope that helps!
It’s not showing up here, but Love and Lemons replied to my comment with a suggestion for making these vegan: “sub the eggs for 2 tablespoons ground flax + 5 tablespoons water. Stir and set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. Add the mixture in place of the eggs, and use coconut oil instead of butter.” I tried this, and the result was wonderful! I usually make these without raisins, but they would certainly add nice bits of sweetness.
I’m so glad the vegan option worked so well for you!
I dont like raisins – am I able to just leave these out?
?❤?
If I don’t have parchment paper, should I lightly oil my baking sheet, or leave it undressed?
Hi Leslie, you could lightly oil your baking sheet.
Omg these cookies are delious
Definitely going to be a favourite bake in my house
I’m so glad you loved them!
Realized while assembly the wet ingredients that I was out of vanilla. Rolled the dice and substituted maple extract for the vanilla in the same amount. Was a success.
OMG, they are soooo good!
I’m so glad you loved them!
Cookies were amazing!! I used smaller balls this time so I could get more cookies. Brown sugar was a great substitute but if you follow the instructions they come out great!! Thanks!! ??
I’m so glad you loved them!
These oatmeal cookies are perfect! I made them with golden raisins, and they were so yummy. “Were” because they disappeared in two days.
I also appreciate the useful cooking tips.
Ha ha, I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Are they chewy? I don’t seem to be able to get a chewy cookie with butter. TY
Hi Alicia, if you make them with coconut oil they’re very chewy.
I added raisins and cranberries, they were a huge hit with all my family! They kept asking for more, I even did a gluten free version of this and they turned out delicious as well ? Thank you!
I’m glad you loved them!
These are delicious.! Thank you Jeanine, and Sarah Copeland!
I’m so glad you loved them!
Fabulous. I was skeptical about the melted butter but so easy–no mess. Perfect rounds. I used chocolate chips. These cookies are being shipped off to my college grandson! I am going to check Sarah Copeland’s “Every Day is Saturday”
I’m so glad you loved them!