These classic, homemade Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are truly the best! So soft and chewy, these golden buttery cookies with warm cinnamon, tender, plump raisins, and a pop of oats are guaranteed to make everyone a fan. Oatmeal raisin cookies are going to be your most requested cookies from now on!
Not everyone loves raisins. I get it. That used to be me. I ate so many little boxes raisins as a kid, I didn’t think I would ever be able to stomach another… until I had these cookies! Talk about swoon-worthy. This little recipe is truly a game changer!
RELATED RECIPE: Perfect Coconut Cookies with Pecans
Why These Are The Best Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
Soak your raisins, but not in water! If your favorite recipe doesn’t have you soaking your raisins, then you’re missing out! And I am not talking about soaking them in water since water doesn’t add any flavor and then requires the raisins to be laid out and patted dry.
I’m talking about an opportunity to infuse your gorgeous cookies with perfect FLAVOR, as well as creating tender, plump raisins that are absolutely delicious to eat! This recipe creates plump, tender raisins with LOADS of sweet flavor by soaking them overnight in beaten eggs and vanilla extract and then adding the whole mixture to straight to the cookie dough!
Even if you have friends and family who don’t like raisins (like I have), this little trick will make them huge fans of YOUR oatmeal raisin cookies. Guaranteed!
Only Simple Pantry Ingredients Needed
- old fashioned or rolled oats (not instant, quick or steel cut oats)
- raisins
- all purpose flour
- brown sugar (Perfect for soft cookies because it contains lots of moisture. Light or dark brown sugar works. Dark brown sugar creates more of a rich, molasses taste.)
- white granulated sugar
- real butter (Margarine is not a good substitute. Butter and margarine are made from different ingredients. Butter is a fat and margarine is made from oil.)
- large eggs
- pure vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- baking soda
- salt
- chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
See recipe card for measurements & full instructions.
How to Make Homemade Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Soak the raisins. Toss the raisins in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate to soak overnight.
Make the Cookie Dough. Blend the sugars and butter. Whisk together and add the dry ingredients. Add the raisin mixture. Fold in the oats. The dough will be STIFF! Chill for 20-30 minutes.
Bake the Cookies. Roll the dough into 2 inch balls and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies will continue to set in the middle as they cool.
Why Are My Raisin Oatmeal Cookies Flat?
Most often, I find that my cookies turn out flat if I overwork the butter when mixing (too high of a speed or too long will begin to break the fats down) or begin my recipe with butter that is too warm.
Room temperature butter is cooler than you think. Room temp butter is only about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s cooler than most of our kitchens! If your butter has sat out and become shiny or greasy looking, it is too warm for these oatmeal raisin cookies.
Room temperature butter is still cool to the touch. And if you poke it with your finger, your finger should only create an indentation, not smush into the butter.
Best Oats To Use
This recipe works best with old fashioned oats or rolled oats. These oats have been rolled flat to form a flake that has plenty of moisture, is easy to bake and creates a nice chewy texture. Instant oats, quick oats or steel cut oats do NOT work with this recipe for cinnamon oatmeal cookies.
Making Ahead, Storing & Freezing
Because Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Cookies stay soft, they are perfect for making ahead! And that also makes them ideal for the holidays, cookie swaps, to give as gifts or just pack in your Tuesday lunch.
Store them in an airtight container for about a week. To freeze, layer completely cooled cookies between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for 2-3 months. Let thaw overnight before serving.
You can even freeze the cookie dough if you like! Cover tightly, freeze for 2-3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
More Cookie Recipes To Love
- Perfect Bakery Coconut Cookies with Pecans
- Famous Neiman Marcus Cookies (Chunky Chocolate Chip Oatmeal)
- Classic Lemon Drop Crinkle Cookies
- Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Hello Dolly Magic Cookie Bars
Best Ever Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 sticks real butter, room temperature -see notes about flat cookies
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups old fashioned oats, or rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions
- In a large measuring cup, beat eggs and vanilla well. Stir in raisins, coating each raisin well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line baking, or cookie, sheets with a silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Remove raisin & egg mixture from the refridgerator to come close to room temperature while prepping the other ingredients.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or with a stand mixer, mix butter and sugars on medium speed, just until creamy, careful not to over beat the butter.
- Sift flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Gradually add flour mixture to the butter and sugars. Use a rubber spatula to clean the sides and make sure all of the ingredients are mixed.
- Blend in egg & raisin mixture. Fold in oatmeal (and nuts, if desired). DOUGH WILL BE VERY STIFF. Cover and chill for 20-30 minutes.
- Scoop cookie dough into 2 inch balls (about 1.5-2 tablespoons, or use a cookie scoop) and place onto a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10- 12 minutes or until golden brown. Centers will continue to cook and set while cooling. Don't overbake.
- Remove from oven. Let cool about 5 minutes. Move cookies to wire cooling racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
WOW!! This is a really, really good oatmeal raisin cookie. I’ve been looking for and testing recipes for quite some time because my husband LOVES this cookie flavor. Well, I’ve found it! I tried a half recipe a couple days ago and he loved them. I followed the recipe exactly (even the egg, vanilla and raisin mix overnight in the fridge, which I’ve never done before). That tip, the ingredients and the mixing method makes this cookie a winner. Oh, almost forgot…I added a jiggle of nutmeg and ginger to pump up the flavor a little.
Thanks for the recipe Stacey!
Oh my gosh, Quincella! This is awesome! Thanks so much! I am so tickled that you loved these cookies. Isn’t wild how much soaking those raisins makes a crazy good difference? I had a friend share that tip with me years ago, and it has made all the difference. I so appreciate your making this recipe and letting me know how it went! Yay!
I did everything as in the recipe. Didn’t have plain cinnamon on hand so I used pumpkin pie spice. I found the mixture to be way too stiff and the oats, flour, etc, wouldn’t hold together so I had to put some milk in it to hold it together, maybe half a cup or so. Turned out fine after that. The soaked raisins make a big and very good difference and personal preference that I would double the amount. My cookies were probably bigger than the 2-inch size recommended, so you just bake another minute or two, watching and check so the bottoms don’t get burned. Well worth it!
I bake two batches of cookies every weekend and I have for years. I’ve baked countless cookie recipes- this one is a stand out. By far the best oatmeal raisin cookies I’ve ever had- or baked.
I made a tiny change- and I recommend all of you do as well.
When you make up your egg, vanilla and raisin mixture go ahead and add your teaspoon of cinnamon. It’s a win win. The results are an amazingly flavored raisin in an amazingly flavored cookie.
After adding the oats and walnuts at the end I used a gloved hand to fully work together the stiff mixture.
Hi, Justin! Love it! I am so tickled that you enjoyed these oatmeal raisin cookies as much as I do. They really do have me loving raisins again (these actually might be my favorite cookie for now). And when a cookie guy like you gives them a thumbs up? Really makes my day!!
Omg these oatmeal raisin cookies are they best that I ever had!!!!!!!❤️❤️
Hi, Mary! I am so glad you love them! Thank you!
So delicious!
Hi, Jane! I am so glad you loved these Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! Thank you!
I haven’t yet baked these, but I love the hint about soaking the raisins.
How many eggs would I use to make a half recipe? There’s just the two of us.
Hi, there! Halfing a 3 egg recipe can be tricky, but here are some solutions:
-Whisk the 3 eggs together in a liquid measuring cup. Check the measurement and use half for your recipe. (Make scrambled eggs with the rest.)
-In general, large eggs = 4TBSP. So crack one, whisk the white and yolk together, remove 2TBSP and add it to the other egg in your recipe.
-Lastly, (my favorite) make the whole recipe and give half away to someone who needs a pick-me-up! You could change more in their life than you know with your act of kindness.❤️
Would yellow raisens be too soft for this recipe?
Hi, Fran! Dark colored raisins tend to perform better in recipes that require the fruit to be soaked. If using golden raisins, or sultanas, maybe try halving the soaking time? I hate to skip the soaking altogether because it does add a rich flavor. Let me know how it goes?
If I add the cold mixture to the room temperature butter mix won’t I mess it up? Or do I need to bring the cold mixture to room temperature? I’m unclear which way I need to be doing this.
Hey there! Check out step #2 on the recipe card. 😉 These are the best cookies! So worth it!
These cookies were excellent. My husband said best he ever had! 😁. I am making another batch today. I’m adding half raisins, half dried cranberries soaked overnight. I’m also adding chopped walnuts and coconut flakes! I will let u know how they turn out. Thank you.
Hi, Roberta! I think that sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to hear about it. Love it that you’re enjoying this recipe!!
Really great. Will make avail for grand kids
Hi, Rodger! Thanks so much! I hope the grand kids love them too!
My husband’s favorite oatmeal raisin cookie came from the cafe at Nordstrom. Our Nordstrom closed years ago and I have been in search of the best oatmeal raisin recipe since. Tonight I found it! PERFECT cookie! The tip about soaking the raisins in the egg and vanilla makes the cookie. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I am deleting all other oatmeal raisin recipes I have pinned. This truly is the best!
Hi, Cathy! Wow! Thank you so, so much! I learned this recipe years ago from a friend. We were graduate students together, and these were her specialty!
I just finished making these cookies for the first time. These are my adult son’s favorite cookie and I can’t wait for him to try them. I also do not like raisins but these cookies are next level delicious. As an added bonus, my home smells so divine. It’s what I imagine Heaven must smells like. These will definitely be filling in the cookie jar for years to come.
Hi, Donna! Amazing! Thank you so much! This put a huge smile on my face. I am so tickled you loved these cookies!
Question: can you add chocolate chips instead of raisins? If yes, how much would you suggest using? Thanks!
Hi, Karen! I think this recipe would hit the mark- chocolate chips, oatmeal… yum! https://southerndiscourse.com/neiman-marcus-cookies/ Let me know how it goes!
They are the best oatmeal cookie I have had since my grandma would make them when I was young,her’s were good but these are awesome.These are the only ones I will make from now on.Yummy!!
Hi, Karen! I am super honored! Thank you so, so very much. You made my day!
This is a great cookie, I have made several times. Soaking raisins is a must. I have soaked the raisins overnight in egg, cinnamon and vanilla and I have soaked for one hour. I prefer just one hour seems too much mixture is soaked up over night and batter was too crumbly. Still good but have to press together the dough. One hour soak is best. Thanks for great recipe.
Hi, Gail! I am so tickled you like this recipe. Thank you for making it again and again! Soaking the raisins makes all the difference for me too!