Simply Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This simply perfect version of classic oatmeal raisin cookies are incredibly easy to make and turn out soft and chewy with hints of cinnamon. This recipe calls for very few ingredients and is made without baking powder or baking soda.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Overview
Skill Level: Beginner
Simply perfect oatmeal raisin cookies really only need very few ingredients. Butter and sugar is mixed together with an egg, some oats, flour, and raisins to create a cookie that is slightly crispy on the outside and moist and chewy in the center.
You may be surprised to see that this recipe is made without baking powder or baking soda. The creaming process of the butter and sugar along with the addition of the egg make the cookie rise without the need for any other leavening. This results in an easy oatmeal raisin cookie with very few ingredients!
Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
- Soaking your raisins overnight (or for 15 minutes in hot liquid) will soften them and create a more desirable texture in your cookies. Raisins can simply be soaked in water, or try bourbon, spiced rum, or coffee liquor for even more flavor!
- If you did not have time to plan ahead and bring your butter and egg to room temperature, you can do it quickly by heating the butter in very short burts in the microwave and by covering the egg in warm water. Check out this article for more details on quickly bringing butter and eggs to room temperature.
- This recipe can also be seen as sort of a base recipe for chewy oatmeal cookies. Swap out the raisins for chocolate chips, dried cherries, nuts, or any other mix-ins you enjoy in your oatmeal cookies.
Ingredient Functions
- Butter: Butter adds richness and flavor to the cookies. The process of creaming the butter and sugar also helps leaven the cookies. Real unsalted butter is definitely preferred in this recipe, but non-dairy butter can be substituted for a vegan option. Salted butter can also be used, but omit the added salt in the recipe.
- Sugar: Brown sugar is used as the sweet component in these cookies because it creates a more chewy cookie and also adds more depth of flavor. Use light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will add even more chew.
- Egg: The egg will help leaven and bind the cookies. These cookies have also been successfully tested with Ener-G egg replacer as a vegan option.
- Flour: The flour provides the main structure for the cookies. All-purpose flour is preferred, but in this particular recipe self-rising flour can also be substituted if the salt is omitted.
Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This simply perfect version of classic oatmeal raisin cookies are incredibly easy to make and turn out soft and chewy with hints of cinnamon. This recipe calls for very few ingredients and is made without baking powder or baking soda.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup, 4 oz, 113 gr) unsalted butter, room temperature (*see note for substitution)
- 3/4 cup (6 oz, 168 gr) light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg (*see note for vegan option)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Morton kosher salt or table salt (use 1 tsp if using Diamond kosher)
- 1 cup plus 2 TBSP (4.8 oz, 136 gr) all-purpose flour (*see substitution notes)
- 1 1/2 cups (5.25 oz, 147 gr) rolled or quick oats
- 1 cup (5.2 oz, 145 gr) raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177 C).
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add the egg, salt, and cinnamon and mix until just incorporated.
- Stop the mixer, and use a spoon or a rubber spatula to stir in the flour, oats, and raisins just until combined. Mixing too much will create tough and dry cookies.
- Drop rounded mounds of dough (about 2 TBSP each) on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten the dough mounds slightly before baking.
- Bake at 350ºF (177 C) until just lightly browned on the edges and middle still looks under-cooked, about 9-10 minutes.
Notes
- If you want to prep the dough ahead of time, it can be formed into dough balls, frozen, and stored in a freezer ziplock bag for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, bake at 325F (163 C) for 16-18 minutes.
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Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0
271 Comments on “Simply Perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookies”
I tried these cookies last night, wish I would have used a little less sugar and did not add any raisins…. but, I did combine some cinnamon and Tahitian vanilla powder, yummy, the taste was out of this world. I was forced to add more oats and flour as the dough was really loose. these cookies turned out more like cookie bars from spreading across the baking sheet, but, they taste awesome. I think maybe I just added a little baking soda instead of baking powder, next time. Thanks.
Sounds like an elevation problem Diana! Do you live at high elevation? You can also try to pop the baking sheet with the dough mounds on it in the freezer for about 5 minutes before going into the oven. This also helps keep them taller. And yes, you can reduce the sugar if desired by 1/4 cup. If you do decide to use baking soda instead of powder make sure you are using dark brown sugar. You need the acidity from the molasses to activate it.
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Didn’t soak the raisins, had salted butter, and ALWAY at least double the vanilla of every recipe because I’m obsessed. Tasty batter! they’re still in the over.. already double the cook time. Maybe I mad them too chubby? lol Update soon.
It’s very possible that your oven needs to be calibrated too. They will definitely look a little underdone when you take them out. They will keep cooking a little on the baking sheet.
Was just about to sit down with the hubby to indulge in some “Orange is the New Black” when he randomly stated, “man, I wish we had some oatmeal raisin cookies!” A google search led me here, and 20 minutes later we had the most delicious cookies! We followed the recipe as written, minus the soaking of the raisins. Will be trying that next time. Baked for 8 mins and turned out perfect! Glad I found your site, thanks for sharing!
So glad they worked out for you Dee! One thing you can do to quick soak the raisins is to heat up the liquid and toss the raisins in and let them soak for 5-10 minutes. I think the texture is better if you let them soak in room temp liquid over night, but this definitely works too if you want them in a hurry!
Nice
I just made these cookies(06/30/14), I used the baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon. I baked mine for 15 minutes. They were awesome. Now I have the chocolate chip cookies baking. So easy, so delicious. Thanks for the great recipes.
try using coconut oil and whole wheat flour their just as goood!
For all the people who have have failed so tremendously (which is ALL of us if we are honest), this makes us feel better. Thank you for sharing. XD
what do you mean by soaking raisins, I have plumped in the oven before but not soaked, and for how long?
Hi Margy! As the recipe states, if you want to soak your raisins you just put them in the liquid for at least 6 and up to 12 hours. Do this at room temperature. I just do it the night before I’m going to make the cookies. If you want to do it faster you can heat up the liquid and then put the raisins in for about 10 minutes. This works okay, but I think the texture of the raisins are better if you do it for the longer period of time at room temp.
added maple syrup since i had no vanilla and they were excellent. On my second patch I added mulberries and now I know what to do with mullberries.
I need cinnamon raisin cookies NOW– I knew just where to come for the recipe! 🙂 I love the mobile site, it’s terrific!!!
I just made them, but with craisins instead of raisins. Also works very well! Great easy recipe!
That sounds amazing Elitsa! Perfect for the fall!
Just made these and they turned out perfect. Think I might use less sugar next time so my daughter can enjoy them with me ( sweets + toddler = squirrel with ADD). Overall though, awesome, easy recipe. Thanks for posting:)
So glad you enjoyed them Brittany. And yes! You could definitely reduce to sugar some so you don’t have a child bouncing off the walls! 🙂
Awesome recipe. They take a little longer in the oven (wouldn’t doubt if it was my crappy oven), but I love them! I used Craisins instead because I have a lot of them and plus I don’t really like raisins. Great recipe, especially since I don’t usually have stuff that other recipes require. Would love to see more of your recipes!
Great idea Cassi to use the craisins! So glad you liked them!
Hi, i was wondering if anyone else had troble with this recipe, i made these today and they came out very dry i had to give them to the crow’s. anyone tell me where i went wrong please or what i can do to make this a better recipe.
i only put the – Butter, Sugar, Oats, Egg, Flour, Rasins
THANKS!!!
Hi Steph! That definitely sounds like you had too much flour in your batter. This can easily happen depending on where you live and the climate, as well as the way you measure your flour. I would suggest reading this post: https://bakerbettie.com/how-to-measure-flour/ And then when you make the cookies leave out about 2 tbsp and see how the dough feels. If it is very wet, then you can add in the rest of the flour. If it feels like the right consistency, then go ahead and bake them. Also make very sure that you do not mix for very long after the flour is added. This can make them tough and dry as well. Mix just unitl incoroporated then stop.
I’m in trouble. The vast majority of recipes I try to halve and quarter wind up being failures … I managed to quarter this recipe, skip the egg, the baking soda, the raisin soaking and added some balkan yoghurt by eye/feel as a replacement for the egg plus added extra oats (1/2 cup instead of a 1/3 cup). My only complaint is, “why didn’t I use more cinnamon?”
I typically give over a sacrificial first batch to the oven because most of the time oven temps are never spot on; ovens be fickle beasts. My brand spankin’ new oven undercooked them a bit at 10 minutes. One TBSP dough per cookie btw.
I think next time I’m going to add some dried apple.
Thanks for the recipe!
I was craving something sweet so I just made these. I substituted whole wheat flour for the unbleached, coconut oil for the butter, and coconut palm sugar for the regular sugar. Oh, and also chocolate chips for the raisins! Alot of switches!!! I didn’t anticipate the amount of sweetness the chips would add, so they were a little too sweet. Next time I’ll try it with maybe half the sugar. They were, however delicious and I quickly scarfed down two of them with a glass of milk!
Yes, I noticed this recipe is a little too sweet, even without switching raisins for chocolate chips
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I was a little skeptical of this recipe at first (it really just seemed almost too simple!), but they turned out surprisingly well! I have always been a fan of oatmeal cookies, more than chocolate chip or sugar drop, and I like how this recipe is so quick and convenient. I made one alteration, I added orange rind which usually turns out super, but this time added too much. Will try soaking the raisins in rum next time.
Just made these with my daughter for a club she is in. OMG they are amazing. We followed the recipe for the most part. Used granulated sugar and quick oats as that is what we have on had. Also added nutmeg. They taste just like my grandmas. Thank you so much for a super simple recipe. We will definitely be making these again!!!
Oh I’m so glad you loved them Ronni! Thanks for the feedback! Happy holidays to you!
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I’ve made these twice now, once with chocolate chips for my sister (she doesn’t like raisins in her oatmeal cookies…) and for Christmas, with chocolate chips, with raisins and plain. I like the raisin ones the best, my family liked the chocolate ones best (once again, heathens who don;t like raisins in cookies). My sister liked them so much that she demanded I make them again for her birthday! So thank you, this recipe will be my go-to oatmeal recipe for years to come!
(i’ve also used margarine instead of butter.. i’m a poor college student. and i’ve slightly melted it in the microwave, so that i could just stir the sugar in, which worked great! I’ve made them with and without baking powder, and they turned out great both times, maybe they were a little bit poofier with the baking powder, but if you don’t have any it won’t make that big of a difference)
Awesome Menna! Thank you so much for the feedback. I love hearing that you and your family love them!
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wow these are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I soak them in a brown sugar bourbon and they fly out of my kitchen! I have to get my local liquor store to special order the bourbon for me, but its worth it.
Just made these with my children….Most Delicious and easiest oatmeal cookies we ever made… I decreased brown sugar a little and did in fact use salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. We also added pecans. I did use fresh ground soft wheat flour – not white flour. Also I did increase cooking time by a few minutes . Next time I will try to sub sucanat for brown sugar to see how the results change.
My 12 year old had me copy this recipe for her and will actually be making these herself -start to finish -from now on!
Thank you for this easy and yummy recipe- wholesome and chewy!
I followed the directions exactly (except for vanilla which I didn’t have on hand), but the oatmeal didn’t incorporate very well into the mixture. As a result, it was extremely difficult to create rounded mounts of dough, with oatmeal falling everywhere and all over the baking pan. Please help.
I just made these and they are so good! My husband has had 4 cookies since i’ve pulled them out of the oven and he keeps telling me how good they are. 🙂
I added the baking powder/salt/cinnamon, upped the vanilla to 1 TBS (we like the extra flavor!), and did NOT add raisins b/c we aren’t raisin fans. These were soft and chewy and oh so yummy. I don’t see these lasting more than one more day 😉
I bookmarked this recipe and will definitely be making it again!
These are the reason I started baking!
All the shop bought ones all left me disappointed, I’ve tried a few recipes but this is the best and most amazing…..I make spiced rum soaked raisins for adults and apple juice soaked raisins for kids.
I’ve made this recipe now soo many times I don’t need to look at the recipe much any more!
Calories per cookie?
Hi Yvonne,
I’m not sure. This nutrition calculator should help work it out. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
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Me and my toddler just made these delicious cookies. Very simple and great for beginners like us. Thank you!
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Just made these, Very simple to make. I did not add the raisins. I added 1 tsp of the vanilla and cinnamon, quick oats, light brown sugar, flour, butter and the egg. I baked them in my toaster oven for 9 mins on the first batch then went up to 9 min 40 seconds on the rest. I noticed when i mixed it that it was dry, crumbly and I thought oh great now what did I do, but i mixed it a little longer then suggested and everything came together nicely and the moisture did work its way through everything and when baked it was still a soft cookie. Came out great! Thanks! Will be trying the chocolate chip one next!!
My wife and I just made a batch using a different recipe, which is why we are looking for another. They were terribly hard and dry and it must have been that recipe called for 400 degrees F. Anyway, I like the idea of raisins soaked in spiced rum. My question is, does the left over spiced rum make for an interesting rum and coke! Can’t be wasting expensive spiced rum!
We’ll be trying your recipe this weekend.
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Best cookies ever! Just made them for the kids. Baking powder required if you like em thick.
Loved these! I did change a couple of things .. I added rum imitation, flax seed, and sun flower seeds. Sounds odd I know but they turned out really good and are toddler approved 🙂
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This is a wonderful recipe. I had to substitute quite a bit based on what I had available and thanks to the versatility of the recipe, the cookies turned out well!
I used oat flour instead of all-purpose, cranberries instead of raisins, coconut oil instead of butter, coconut sugar/sucanat instead of regular sugar, and ginger instead of cinnamon.
Thanks again for creating such delicious recipes!
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I used this recipe but instead I put in half a cup of dried cherries and half a cup of chocolate chips. It was delicious!!!
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Made these cookies today and they turned out soooo good!
Thanks for sharing your recipe;)
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Hi.
I just made these oatmeal cookies as a “thank you” for a kind person, and he texted me within minutes of leaving my house to say that they were “the best oatmeal cookies he had EVER had in his life.”
Please note: 1) oatmeal cookies are his favorite kind 2) this was my first time trying your recipe 3) I’m a vegan so I made his cookies that way, and he didn’t’ know it (vegetable oil-based margarine instead of butter, 1 tbsp flaxseed + 2 tbsp water instead of an egg).
So–I’m grateful that you helped me make someone happy.
I certainly will be baking these again.
Hope the happiness comes back to you, and then some.
Karen
Hi Karen! This makes me ridiculously happy! I’m so glad these cookies were a hit! The best way to say thank you to someone!
Just made these cookies, soft and chewy in the center, only thing I would do differently is less vanilla (you can taste it a tad to much) and more brown sugar maybe sub some for white sugar? Just needs a hint more sweetness. Either way they were a hit with my kids.