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Soft Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Old Fashioned) are the warm-spiced, oat-loaded, raisin-studded classic that disappears off the platter every single time Maddie spots them on the counter. Brown sugar creamed with butter, plumped raisins, old-fashioned rolled oats, and a generous tablespoon of cinnamon baked at 350°F for just 10-12 minutes produces the chewy-edged, soft-centered cookie everyone keeps reaching for. If you love our other holiday cookie classics, this is your next cookie tin staple.
Stand mixer, 12 pantry ingredients, two trays in the oven, and a glass of cold milk separate you from the warmest hug in cookie form.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 12 minutes per tray
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 30 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 160kcal per cookie
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Warm cinnamon, brown sugar caramel, old-fashioned oats, and plump raisins in a soft chewy cookie (classic homemade cookie tray staple).
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our other classic cookie recipes.
Quick Answer
The combination of light brown sugar (which carries molasses for moisture), a higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated sugar, and old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats) is what produces a soft, chewy texture. Baking just until the edges turn lightly golden (10-12 minutes at 350°F) and pulling the trays out while the centers still look slightly underdone lets carryover heat finish the cookies as they cool, keeping the centers tender and the texture chewy.
Jump to:
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies FAQs
- Other Recommended Copycat Recipes
- Soft Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Old Fashioned)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- 3:1 brown to white sugar ratio. Brown sugar carries molasses (hygroscopic) that pulls moisture into the dough and keeps it chewy for days. Pure white sugar would crisp these out.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats. Rolled oats hold their shape and add a hearty chew. Quick oats break down and turn the cookies pasty.
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon is generous on purpose. Most recipes use a teaspoon. The full tablespoon perfumes every bite and balances the raisin sweetness.
- 350°F for 10-12 minutes nails the soft center. Hot enough to set the edges, short enough to keep the middle tender. Edges should be lightly golden; centers still look slightly underbaked.
- Both baking soda + baking powder. Soda gives spread and the crispy edge; powder gives lift and the soft middle. Skipping either flattens the cookie or makes it too cakey.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and chewy every time. Brown sugar + rolled oats = the texture you remember from grandma’s kitchen.
- 30 cookies per batch. Big enough for a cookie swap, small enough to fit in two oven racks.
- Pantry-friendly. Flour, oats, raisins, butter, eggs, sugars, cinnamon, vanilla. Nothing exotic.
- Make-ahead dough. Roll dough balls, freeze, then bake from frozen later (add 2 minutes).
- Kid-tested, classroom-approved. The lunchbox-and-after-school staple Maddie keeps stealing from the cooling rack.
Key Ingredients
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: 3 cups. NOT quick oats. Rolled oats hold their shape and give the signature hearty chew.
- Raisins: 1 1/2 cups. Regular or golden raisins both work. Optional: plump them by soaking in warm water for 10 minutes before mixing in.
- Light brown sugar: 1 1/2 cups. The molasses in brown sugar is what keeps these soft. Three times more brown sugar than white.
- Granulated sugar: 1/2 cup. A touch for crisp edges without overpowering the brown sugar depth.
- Unsalted butter: 1 cup softened. Two sticks worth, room temperature for proper creaming.
- Eggs + vanilla: 2 large eggs + 1 tablespoon vanilla. The bind and the depth.
- Ground cinnamon: 2 teaspoons. Generous on purpose, what makes these “old fashioned”.
- Baking soda + baking powder: 1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon. Both are needed for the right texture balance.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and the full ingredient list.
Variations and Substitutions
One base recipe, six ways to switch it up.
- Oatmeal chocolate chip: swap the raisins for 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. Kid favorite.
- Oatmeal cranberry walnut: swap raisins for 1 cup dried cranberries plus 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
- Plumped raisins: soak the raisins in 1/4 cup warm water (or rum) for 10 minutes before mixing in. Drain, then fold in.
- Spice it up: add 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves with the cinnamon for a warmer holiday vibe.
- Iced oatmeal cookies: drizzle cooled cookies with a powdered sugar + milk glaze for an iced lunchbox version.
- Gluten-free: swap all-purpose flour for 1:1 gluten-free baking blend (Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Measure for Measure both work).
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment. Stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Cream the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing fully after each, then add the vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure the dough is fully mixed and smooth.
- Add the old-fashioned rolled oats and raisins to the bowl.
- Mix until the oats and raisins are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Do not overmix.
- Roll two-tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown. The centers should still look slightly underdone.
- Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a glass of cold milk.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Five moves that separate soft chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from dry or flat ones.
- Butter must be soft, not melted. Soft butter creams with sugar to trap air. Melted butter spreads flat. 30 minutes on the counter minimum.
- Use rolled oats, NEVER quick oats. The texture is fundamentally different. Quick oats turn pasty. Rolled oats stay chewy.
- Underbake by 1-2 minutes. Pull at 10 minutes if edges are barely golden and centers look slightly underdone. They keep cooking on the hot tray.
- Plump the raisins. Optional but worth it: soak raisins in 1/4 cup warm water 10 minutes before adding. Drain. Gives bigger juicier raisins in every bite.
- Store with a slice of bread. An old baker trick to keep cookies soft 5+ days. The bread surrenders moisture so the cookies stay chewy.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Serve warm with a tall glass of cold milk, hot coffee, or chai. The classic pairing.
- Sandwich two cookies around a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the most luxurious cookie sandwich.
- Pack on a cookie tray alongside our Cream Cheese Cookies (Cinnamon Sugar) for variety on a holiday platter.
- Bring to office holiday parties, cookie swaps, school bake sales, or potlucks. Hits every audience.
- Crumble over Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey for an indulgent breakfast bowl.
Make these Soft Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Old Fashioned) this week, 30 perfect chewy cookies in 40 minutes. Tag us on Instagram @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen when you do, we love seeing your cookie trays.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies FAQs
Technically yes, but the texture changes dramatically. Quick oats break down during baking and produce a pasty, dense cookie. Old-fashioned rolled oats hold their shape and give the signature chewy texture this recipe is known for. Use rolled oats for the best result.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Add a slice of plain white bread to the container, the bread surrenders moisture and keeps the cookies soft. Refrigeration is not recommended, it dries them out.
Both work. (1) Scoop dough balls onto a baking sheet, freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 350F for 12-14 minutes. (2) Freeze fully baked cookies in a sealed container up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp.
Three culprits: butter too soft (almost melted), oven too cool (must be 350F preheated), or skipping the baking powder. Butter should be soft-but-cool. Verify your oven with a thermometer. Use BOTH baking soda and baking powder.
Underbake by 1-2 minutes (pull at 10 minutes when edges are just barely golden), use only light brown sugar (not dark), and use rolled oats. The carryover heat finishes the centers as they cool, locking in chewiness.
Yes. Chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, butterscotch chips, or chopped dates all work. Keep total mix-ins to about 4.5 cups (3 cups oats plus 1.5 cups mix-ins) to maintain the dough-to-add-in ratio.
Other Recommended Copycat Recipes
If you made these Soft Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, leave a star rating and a comment below. We love hearing how they came out. Tag us on Instagram @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen so we can see your cookie trays.
Building a cookie tray? Try our buttery almond cookies, a buttery, nutty, melt-in-your-mouth treat made in one bowl with no chilling required.
In a cookie mood? Try our tender lemon cookies, soft, buttery, sugar-rolled puffs of bright lemon made with a cream cheese dough.
Soft Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Old Fashioned)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 & 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 & 1/2 cups raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and set aside the dry ingredients mixture.
- In the body of a stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric band mixer, whip the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, mix in the first egg completely before adding the next.
- Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix it in until combined, scrape the sides.
- Add in the oatmeal and raisins, mix until they are distributed but do not overmix.
- Roll two tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheets 3 inches apart. Gently press down the tops of the cookie dough balls with your hand so the tops are flat.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the start to turn lightly golden brown along the edges, do not overbake. Let the cookies cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Always use softened, room-temperature butter for the best results.
- Don’t overmix the dough, as it can make the cookies tough.
- Bake cookies on the middle rack of the oven for even baking.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized-cookies.
- Make sure to leave plenty of room between the cookies on the baking sheet as they will spread.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before moving. This helps them set and keeps them from breaking apart.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Yes you can.
Can you half the recipe?
Good idea thanks for sharing. Hope you have a Happy Mother’s Day.
Really great oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. My only alteration was to not add the white sugar, and stay with the one and a half cups of brown sugar. They are plenty sweet and really tasty.
Great to hear – glad you enjoyed it!!!
So tasty and chewy too. I’ll definitely make these again
Great recipe! Great flavor. Nice and chewy with crispy edges.
Yes
Good recipe
Can you refrigerate the batter and cook later?