Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details!*
Soft, chewy reader favourite oatmeal raisin cookies with rolled oats, cinnamon and raisins throughout. With a soft middle, golden brown chewy edges and incredible easy to prep these cookies are a staple.
These cookies can be made, baked and eaten within the hour – and you can also prep them and make ahead of time as they freeze really well.
Notes from The Patisserie
These are a happy marriage of my NYC chocolate chip cookies and my chocolate oat cookies that have been on my blog for a few years… but just take out the chocolate and add in the raisins.
Oatmeal raisin cookies have been around for ages, but they are a cult classic that I wanted to be involved with, because they are delicious. These cookies are different from the rest as they merge the styles of a thick NYC-style cookie, with the classic – think better texture, larger cookies, even better bake.
What makes this recipe different to others?
The recipe is basically very similar to my NYC cookies, because this is essentially just an oat & raisin version of them. The base remains very similar, but some of the flour has been removed and replaced with oats.
I’ve seen varying recipes for these over the years, with some using far more oats, and some using far less – but I found my personal favourite was a 50/50 mix! You get enough oats for that delicious flavour, but also enough flour to make sure it remains a good cookie.
The texture for these is lovely and soft, but the outside is quite chewy – and that’s the best thing ever. The raisins give a softer texture, just like you would get with chocolate chips (side note, if you don’t like raisins, you can use chocolate chips in them!).
If you wanted to hydrate your raisins before baking, which is a common ask, you can soak them in hot water (or orange juice), for 10-15 minutes, or heat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and let them cool before using) – this adds extra moisture to your raisins and an even softer cookie. Make sure to pat them dry slightly before using so they are sopping wet.
Ingredient notes and tips
Like my other cookies, I love the two different sugars in the mix – the light brown sugar gives a lovely flavour, and the granulated sugar is ideal for the cookie. You can use all light brown sugar, or all white granulated sugar.
You can sub the sugars for dark brown sugar too – but generally I avoid caster sugar when it comes to cookies these days as I find it can spread too much and can create a cakey texture. For the best texture, I recommend the granulated/soft sugar sizes as it really does just create the best texture for your cookies.
When it comes to the dry ingredients for these cookies, they do swap up slightly to take in the consideration of the oats. I use plain flour, and add in baking powder – but you can use 150g of self raising, and remove the baking powder from the recipe. Make sure to still use the bicarbonate of soda however.
One thing that is different with these, is they can feel slightly softer. I use rolled oats, as I much prefer them in baking to porridge oats which I find can be too soft and can make a softer cookie – so rolled oats is best.
Tips to make these oatmeal raisin cookies the best
The full recipe and method can be found in the recipe card below
I tend to weigh the cookies out to 85g each (slightly smaller than the NYC cookies, but you can make them even smaller or bigger if you wish – weight to 120g, and bake for 12-14 minutes) – and then I freeze them for 30 minutes before baking. However, you can use the fridge for an hour instead.
I find using a 5cm scoop and just loading it slightly makes it easier to portion when weighing, but obviously just scooping with a spoon and weighing works really well. It’s important to chill the dough so that they don’t completely spread into pancakes.
You have to make sure that the oven is preheated to the hot temperature before baking the cookies as this is going to help create the texture that you are after – it will give the cookies a lovely golden glow and bake them perfectly.
FAQs
Yes, you can! Remove the extra salt in the recipe
You can, but the smaller/quick oats will likely make a softer cookie dough, and make them spread more so the texture and end result will be different.
No, you do not. You can leave it out, or swap to a preferred spice.
For sure – you can swap to sultanas, cranberries, or even a mix of all dried fruits
Definitely! Either substitute some of the raisins for chopped nuts, or add 100g.
This is usually because the cookie dough has been rolled too tightly before baking, or your oven temperature needs lowering (all ovens vary, so try 20ºc less)
Yes!! You can, double, triple, or even quadruple – just make sure to mix well so everything is incorporated.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 75 g white granulated sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp vanilla (optional!)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional!)
- 150 g plain flour
- 150 g rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 200 g raisins
Instructions
- Add the butter and sugars to a bowl and beat until creamy
- Add in the egg, and beat again. If using the vanilla and cinnamon, add it in now
- Add in the plain flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt and beat until a cookie dough is formed
- Add in the raisins and beat until they're distributed well
- Weigh the cookies out into ten cookie dough balls – they're about 85g each! (Or you can do them smaller at about 60g, or even bigger at 120g)
- Roll your cookie dough into balls (don't roll it too tightly as this can cause problems with the cookie spreading) and put your cookie dough in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or in the fridge for an hour or so
- Whilst the cookie dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 200ºc/180ºc fan. If your oven runs hot, go for 160ºc-170ºc.
- Take the cookies out of the freezer/fridge and put onto a lined baking tray. I put five cookies per tray
- Bake the cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
- Once baked, leave them to cool on the tray for at least 30 minutes, as they will continue to bake whilst cooling!
- ENJOY!
Notes
- These cookies will last for 4-5 days once baked at room temperature
- You can freeze the baked cookies for 3+ months
Storage and making ahead
- These cookies will last for 4-5 days once baked at room temperature – I tend to store in a cake tin, or cake box.
- You can freeze the baked cookies for 3+ months – freeze on a tray, and then swap to a more permanent storage such as bag or freezer safe container.
- The cookies can easily be kept frozen for up to three months before baking, and you can bake from frozen. The baking time will just increase ever so slightly to probably more 14-15 minutes, but otherwise you will get the same epic result of a delicious cookie
Related recipes
After the recent successes of my red velvet NYC cookies, triple chocolate NYC cookies and of course… the classic NYC chocolate chip cookies all I had was request after request for an oat & raisin version… and here we are.
If you want to make a sourdough discard version of this recipe, have a look at this recipe instead. They are also a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie, but with a twist.
Just baked them with my friend and WE ARE AWED.
Absolutely must do!!!
Ahh yay!!
Hi Jane. I love all your cookies and have made a few. The only thing I’m never sure about is whether the butter should be at room temperature or straight from the fridge. I have done both and the cookies turned out great but which way is the proper way?
I use baking spread straight from them fridge, whereas I use block butter more towards room temp so it’s easier to mix x
Have made these before and they are very tasty, as are all of your recipes. I need to make these for friends who are gf but don’t have access to gf flour in the next 36 hours. Could I blitz 150g into oat flour, or just use 300g of oats instead of 150g?
I don’t know if this is possible but just wanted to note the the oats would have to be GF oats if baking for a coeliac or someone that completely avoids gluten
Hello Jane! I’m from Malaysia. I had tried this recipe, me and my wife soo love it.
My concern is, the bottom of the cookies is soft. Is it normal?
Thank you!
Hiya! Im so glad – yes they are meant to be soft, though if you’re wanting a harder cookie, just bake them for a tad longer. Hope this helps! x
Is it possible to make these egg free? What can be used to substitute the egg? Thanks
Hiya! Try using 1/2 a mashed banana! Hope this helps! x
OMG, I think I could eat the entire batch in one go. Amazing cookies, exactly what I’d dreamed of!
These are so so good and so easy to make! We loved them!
I have just made these cookies using a bag of chocolate raisins I had knocking about and, oh my god, they are delicious!!! Definitely my go-to oatmeal raisin cookie recipe now!
That is an amazing idea!!
Hi Jane! Just found you (& baking) and loving all your recipes – most accessible out there but also delicious. Have not and will not stray. Might be a stupid Q but do your books have recipes that aren’t on your website?
Yes absolutely they do! Hope this helps! x
Jane, I only discovered your recipes a couple of months ago, but I’m so glad I did! You are now my go-to place for cookie recipes and these oatmeal raisin cookies are out of this world! They’re so delicious and my boyfriend keeps asking me to make them, a very good sign for someone who doesn’t really have a sweet tooth. Thank you so much for all your recipes!
Hello Jane, my husband is going to flip for these! Quick question though. Your recipe calls for granulated sugar. Do you mean caster sugar or the kind of sugar you put in your tea?
Hiya! im so glad! This means the kind you put in tea – just make sure it says Granulated on the packet! Hope this helps, enjoy! x
These cookies are amazing. I made good food ones before and didn’t like them so hunted for another recipe and so glad I did as these were perfect. I couldn’t wait while they were chilling, so I threw one cookie in the air fryer and it was delightful! I also added loads of cinnamon. Excited to try variations.
I know they can spread if not put in the fridge before baking, but what if they were cooked straight away as dough balls instead, without flattening them down. Have you tried this?
I cooked mine not realising I should have cooled
them, they just spread a bit more 😃
Omg these are so so good and versatile. I’ve batch made the raisin ones, cranberry and white chocolate and milk chocolate and nuts. Baked half off and froze the rest in a Tupperware. Just baked some off now and there amazing ❤️